Party Dress Express

Advice for All Mother of the Bride Customers


I have owned Party Dress Express for 15 years. Throughout the years I felt I stocked my store with lovely dresses for you to wear to your daughter’s wedding. I also always put my most caring and helpful sales associate to help you pick out your dress. To be honest, occasionally when I came up with an overly worried, stressed, fussy mother of the bride I always felt like, what is the big deal it is just one day. Oh how I have eaten my words!!!


Throughout my life I have been able to conquer all of life situations with a clear mind and positive attitude to get the job done. I am talking about some difficult life situations: family illnesses, business crisis, financial concerns that I always handled with confidence and dignity. So why when the first of my two daughters said she was getting married this October did this new crazy, teary-eyed indecisive woman appear.


Now that the day has passed (and it was a beautiful day and wedding) I have time to reflect. First no matter how composed you are in life situations this is your daughter- and for me as with most mothers she has been my whole world since the day she was born. Now you are facing the loss of her to another person and in my case I was also losing her to another person, family and state. Why wouldn’t that make a grown women cry?


At the same time you are trying to cope with these emotional feelings. There are lots of decisions to be made. You have been making decisions for her and with her all her life but now suddenly everything is different. Remember the terrible two’s? Well suddenly your there again, everything is a confrontation And if that’s not the case than at least you have realized there is another person(s) opinion which just may weigh stronger than yours- which is definitely a different experience.


Now it is DRESS time- the bride has picked hers and she is beautiful as all brides are. But wait you’re her mother, just 20 something years ago you were this girl and as much as it is her day you can’t get over the fact that you’re the second person on display so the panic and worry set it. And so it begins the endless try-on of dresses, picking the right style, color, length and fit so that you can look your best. And no matter how great everyone is saying you look that mirror is saying something different to you.


I did it all, I tried on, and I fussed, pulled, switched and drove myself crazy and remember I have a store filled with dresses at my disposal everyday. And just like other mothers in my store, I felt like the perfect one was still missing from stock. I will never question another mother in my store again. So did I find the perfect dress? Well everyone said I looked lovely but I did not follow my own advice and go for comfort. I ended up in an uncomfortable strapless bra all for the sake of beauty. Now that I understand the trauma of a mother of the bride I actually may look for an employee with a psychology degree to better serve our customers. In the meantime if you are in need of some old fashion consoling just ask for me- I have been there. I know if I tell you not to worry it will not work but I will say breath and enjoy the moment as much as possible. Remember when you brought your daughter into the world how quickly you forgot the pain and focused on the joy, well once you see her in her wedding dress on her wedding day it is just as amazing!