The stereotype is that little girls begin planning their weddings years and years before the day is ever in sight. When I was little I watched those crazy shows that depict women who have a terrible wedding day because their dreams were more than could reasonably be done. I dreaded being one of them and determined that I wouldn’t start dreaming about my wedding before I found the right man and had a ring on my finger. The only thing I ever allowed myself to imagine was the gorgeous dress I knew somehow I’d find. When the time came I was nervous to start dress searching. I looked online at the supermodels who wore these magnificent gowns that could fill limousines. I started gathering pictures of my favorites and decided that my favorite was the mermaid style dress. I just kept coming back to it and figured that meant it was probably a good choice. Still, being a curvy woman, I was nervous that the dress wouldn’t look as good on me as it did in the bridal magazines. In my search for a store that would carry my dress at a price that I could fit into my minimal budget I came across Fantasy Bridal. It looked like a nice store, but I’d never heard of it before and it wasn’t top on my list. My mother, bridesmaids, and I had two days in Utah to spend searching for my perfect dress and while we mapped out the most efficient way to attack our project Fantasy Bridal happened to be the closest stop to our hotel. It was the first store of about twelve we’d planned to visit. As it turned out, Fantasy Bridal ended up being our first and only stop. I tried on a few dresses that were more traditional than the mermaid style I knew I loved. I started to get more nervous after seven dresses had something that clashed with my figure and idea. Maybe my perfect dress was nowhere to be found and I would have to settle for second best. Haylee, my helper, helped me pull on an eighth dress and I paraded out to my bridesmaids and mother. I turned around and I was speechless. It was exactly what I’d imagined. I still analyzed it, tried on a few veils and tiaras and after maybe fifteen minutes in the dress it hit me; this truly was my dress and I was really going to marry the man of my dreams. We walked out of our first wedding dress store with a dress that was well within our price range, a dress that we didn’t have to alter, and most importantly a dress that I felt incredible in. As every bride hopes to say, my day was everything I’d ever dreamed of and so much more. The photographs I will cherish forever, and I’m already enjoying my married life with my best friend. People say that the things that go with a wedding are second to the marriage, and although I agree whole-heartedly, I do not have enough words for how wonderful it was to feel as absolutely beautiful as I did on that special day.