Dress shopping leads to prom change of heart

    Since I was little, my mom and I have always loved watching "Say Yes to the Dress," a show about bridesmaids trying (always with drama) to find dresses — full-length gowns — that looked impossible to walk in and even harder to dance in. Now (holy cow), I have to find one of my own.   A prom dress. The word prom should conjure some sort of visceral excitement in me like it does the rest of my friends, but I really only was looking forward to the dancing — not the pictures, the dress, the corsage. None of that. So you can imagine my dread this past weekend when my mom and I decided it was time to bite the bullet and start the quest to find that ridiculously overpriced, too-important one-night dress that might somewhat pacify my intense displeasure regarding the whole ordeal (please note, somehow, I came to be in charge of the theme and decorations for the night of). I headed out with my mother and father (I have no idea why anyone would want to come, let alone my father, who has evidently not ever worn a Blue Bridesmaid Dresses, but he was enthusiastic, and for that I give him huge kudos — if only he could have taken my place). We walked into one of Newtown’s many boutiques upon the recommendation of one of my close friends. I don’t know if I’ve ever seen so much lace, sequins or satin in one place; TLC did not do an adequate job preparing me for the sight of all these gowns and women chaotically trying them on, looking in full-length mirrors with unwalkable heels and dangling earrings. In my tulle-smothered trance, I didn’t hear the woman asking me twice: “What are you looking for?” After being nudged by my mother, I answered honestly: “I have no idea.” For a solid 10 minutes, I aimlessly wandered around the store, trying to figure out what in God’s name I was doing there and if there was any way I could get away with just wearing a skirt or shorts to prom as my mom — and, surprisingly, my fashionable dad — excitedly came over with armfuls of beautiful dresses. Yet I still couldn’t find that intrinsic joy most of my friends seem to have about prom. Then, I tried one on. Once I looked in the mirror, high heels and ball gown on, I couldn’t stop smiling. Not that I even particularly liked the dress I had on — it was a heinous mess of pink and green lace and beads and cut-outs and other atrocious trappings I doubt could ever flatter any human body, not to mention it was six sizes too big. But I felt like a princess. There’s a reason there are so many movies made about prom — "Pretty in Pink," "Never Been Kissed," "Carrie" (if you really hate prom, this movie will give you a pretty valid supernatural reason) and, well, "Prom," to name just four. It’s a night in every teen’s life that is so unlike any other. A full-length dress, pearls, a date, a bouquet, a cute invitation to prom by a (hopefully) cute boy. It’s hard not to feel like royalty. It saddens me to know some of my friends already plan on attending their own “anti-prom,” staying home rather than living one of the most quintessential experiences of not only high school but, really, life. My grandmother still recalls her own prom dress, dyeing her satin shoes peach from the ready-to-wear store downtown. So, girls, don’t dread it as much as I did. It’s really not that bad. It’s actually pretty awesome. And I got my prom dress!! Sorry, readers, no pictures for now. It’s going to be a surprise. specialbrides.com is a leading online shop of inexpensive cocktail dresses, elegant wedding gowns, beautiful evening dresses, cute prom dresses, and more. The company offers fine-quality dresses for women around the globe. Its customer service department is always there to resolve problems. Customer satisfaction is a top priority atspecialbrides.com.