I think the one thing you really need to know about me, before embarking on this insane ride, is that I am an extremely sentimental person. I once saved the barf bag from the first plane ride i ever took with with my Dad. I believe that this life we live is what you make it and, for me, it is the making of memories that trumps all else. This desire to sentimentalize everything is part of the reason that I have decided to make my own wedding gown. There are many reasons (of which I will discuss at great length) but the thought of being able to see and document the making of the most important dress I will ever wear tops the list.
When I have shared this with people that ask about our wedding plans I generally get wide-eyed stares of "Are you insane?" They are often quick to clarify that they think it is sweet and adorable but the thick projection that I am a crazy person, or at the very least just haven't thought it through, coats every comment.
I'm not worried though. As with anything in life, happiness depends on how you handle the day. This gown is going to be gorgeous but if it doesn't turn out exactly as it begins in my head, that's ok. The motto of this wedding is "if you're not having fun, you're doing it wrong." There is no possibility of this dress not turning out to be absolutely beautiful and I'm looking forward to what it looks like in the end but if it has flaws I feel like that adds to the sentimental value of it all. No one will have a dress exactly like mine. No stranger is going to make me strip down and poke and prod me and make me feel like I'm not adequate as a bride like I've experienced in fitting sessions when I was a bridesmaid. This whole thing is going to be deeply personal and private. Not a single stranger will see me in this dress before my loved ones see me in it. I love the entire idea of this and being excited takes the wind out of the sails of stress.
This is all possible because my key ingredient in this dress recipe is my future Mother-in-Law, Nancy. She is an extraordinary, creative, and talented person when it comes to so many things including sewing. She knows the technical steps of the project and has all the skills and abilities to keep us on track. Without her, I wouldn't even know where to start. This is a huge thing to ask and I realize that but over the past 8 years I have been so lucky to have her as a friend. She is absolutely incredible and no matter how the dress turns out, I'll have the entire process to look back on. I wouldn't want to do this any other way and I hope that as we proceed through the process any reservations or worries she has will disappear because the whole point is for us to be able to do this awesome thing together. I honestly can not conceive of any way that the dress won't turn out to be the dress of my dreams but even if it does that really is not the point. Having a beautiful handmade dress at the end of this is just a bonus.Getting to make it from scratch with a woman I admire, love, and can't wait to call family is the point and what I'm looking forward to most.... and when anyone tells me on my wedding day that I am a beautiful bride I can brag about her and how awesome it was to make the dress with her.
So yes, I am making my own wedding dress and it is going to be freaking awesome! This blog is going to document the whole process and the rest of the wedding planning I'll be doing from now until August. I simply can not wait!
<3 The Future Mrs. Luce
Week 1
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