“It’s legit, commit.”

As a person who thrives on information I like to share with you important lessons I’ve learned through my interaction with brides over the years. Lately we’ve had brides visiting our store with only a few months remaining to their wedding. They’re still shopping for “the dress” and they’re frustrated with their inability to chose “the one”. Often times we hear these brides say, “I’m just really indecisive. I’m the most indecisive person in the world.” Or “I’m just really bad at making decisions.” I really don’t think that is the problem, though. I look at these intelligent, professional, put together women who I know make many decisions per day. They have jobs as teachers, who must make lesson plans and decide how to best communicate ideas in the classroom, or as doctors, who must decide the best course of treatment for many patients, or as professionals. They make decisions about fitness, about finances, about where to live, what to drive, and at the very least what their weekend plans will be. So really, in daily life they take decision making in stride.

So if indecisiveness is not the issue, what is? What makes them afraid to make a decision on a bridal gown? If this article describes you then the question I’d like to gently ask is, “What are you afraid of?” If you can pin down your hesitations about purchasing a gown then others can help you work through any objections, worries, or fears you might have. Clear communication is important. With yourself, with your family, with your bridal party, and ultimately with your future spouse clear communication will save you many headaches and heartaches in the wedding planning process and in life. If you’re worried that the dress you’re considering will look funny once it’s bustled at the reception… pose that question. If you worry that your idea to get away on a tandem bicycle won’t work if you chose to wear a ballgown… bring that up. No one can know what you’re thinking unless you tell them. Sometimes you might just need reassurance or you might need a really important question answered.

Time is not always the magic ingredient in decision making. Many brides facing this problem have been engaged (and dress shopping) for months, sometimes a year or more. If time was the answer to being able to make a quality decision on a wedding dress, they’d have put a checkmark beside “purchase dress” long ago. But more time does not necessarily equate to a better (or easier) decision. And if you run out of time then instead of having every option available to you, your choices quickly narrow to what is available in time and you end up sacrificing in some way. The dress you finally select isn’t really what you imagined, you have to settle on diamond white instead of ivory, or the designer only has a size up from what you really need available before your wedding. When time gets crunched, unfortunately a lot of times so do your expectations. I once read, “Failure to make a decision is a decision.” Such true words those are, along with the thought that if you decline to make a decision, something (or someone) will make it for you. Don’t be afraid to make yourself happy by capitalizing on the privilege of making your own decision.  Other people or circumstances rarely make the decision for us that we would have chosen ourselves.

So if you’ve done your homework, educated yourself on the gown purchasing process, gotten the approval of those closest to you whose opinions you value, and you ask all the questions you come up with then you shouldn’t be afraid to make that decision. Many of our brides tell us that there is no better feeling in the wedding planning process than looking forward to that day, wearing that dress, marrying that man. We see the smile on so many faces once the decision is made and all that’s left is to anticipate wearing that gorgeous gown. It’s beautiful, you feel beautiful in it… it’s legit, commit.