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October, 18, 1999

Choosing the Dress:
First Time ~ Steve and I were visiting with some friends of ours in a City about 2 hours away.  Saturday afternoon Anita and I decided that we'd go and look at some dressses (I hadn't been out at that point, but her other friend was also getting married so she knew the good places to go!) We went to this really nice bridal salon named Ballatt's. When you enter you have to take off your shoes and just go stocking feet in the place. It was all white carpet and stuff. We looked around a bit and when a dressing room was available we took it.  The first dress I tried on was a simple a-line alfred sung ( I loved it). Next I tried on a Cinderella type gown by Venus that had 10 layers of tulle (I really loved it). The next 3 I tried on were okay, but nothing to write home about.  I got the lady to write down the two styles and left.
Second Time ~ I went to a place by my house named Chris & Tinas with my mother.  I tried on many dresses this day and like one Mori-lee dress in particular. Never bought one though. After we left there we headed to another salon in an affluent part of town.  They were very unfriendly and I never even bothered to try anything on.
Third time ~ My "maid of honour" (at the time, but no longer...loong story) came with me.  We went to two different salons that day.  We went back to Chris & Tinas as well as the Bridal Centre. Nothing struck my fancy. Karyn wasn't too interested in the whole thing anyway.
Fourth Time ~ I was up in Sault Ste. Marie Ontario with Steves mom and we went to the local bridal shop.  I tried on two dresses, an alfred sung and a paloma blanca. I really really liked them both but I didn't jump at them.
Fifth Time ~ Again I went with Karyn (her sister was now engaged so there was a purpose to her being there). We went to Downtown Toronto looking.  Windsor Bridal was a humongous store, with very few attendants.  I tried on the same Alfred Sung as I had tried on in SSM as well as a Provinaos (sp?) I absolutely LOVED the Provinoas Dress but it was $2000 why didn't  i look at the price tag BEFORE I tried it on? As I was in the room removing the dress with the attendant she was really pushy and demanding   I buy the dress. I was very put off by her and decided I would not be back or buy my  dress from there.  Then we went back to Chris & Tinas where I tried on some dresses but my heart wasn't in it. ( I guess it was the company I kept)
Sixth Time ~ My Grandmother, Mom and I went to Bridals by Town Topic to look at a specific dress that I had seen in a magazine.  When we got there we were the only ones in the store and had  two attendants looking after me. It was really nice. But they didn't have the dress I was looking for.  She suggested some dresses and I tried them on.  THe first one was an Alfred Sung with a tulle skirt and a tank top with a cumberbund. It was really really nice I was set on taking it home with me that night. I also tried on a Sweetheart Gowns that looked just RANCID on me.  Mona (the store lady) suggested that I try on a dress in my size (4) jsut to see how it would feel on me. She told me it wasn't the type of dress I was interested in but it would give me an idea of how dresses feel on when they actually fit.  I tried it on. It fit nice, was pretty heavy.  She slipped a veil on my head and I instantly fell inlove with the dress.  I startedto cry. I was quite embarrassed. My mom took a kleenex but my nanny was ok.  I left the store that day with a new dress (well a receipt saying the dress was on it's way). Scratch #3 off my list!