It was my wedding day.
I was giddy with excitement.
Months of sitting with my wedding planner, Gina, going over wedding details.
Each session ended with Gina asking "Anything else I should know about?"
The caterer?
Transportation?
Music?
Performers?
Check, check, check, and check.
My wedding gown?
The bridesmaids dresses?
Every week, check on both. I have these last two covered. My own little special projects.
"You're sure you don't need me to follow-up with anyone?"
"No," I replied. "I've got it."
"Okay," Gina replied each time as I gave her a confident grin.
So five months later, here I sat, getting prepped along with my bridesmaids on the most special day of my life.
After three hours went by, I was ushered along with my bridesmaids out of the doorway of the apartment we were in. I noticed one of the bridesmaids, Terry, not dressed.
Another bridesmaid spoke up. "The seamstress is bringing her dress to the church. She was doing some last minute alterations."
"What?" I began to question, but was whisked out of the apartment quickly.
Half an hour later, at the church, about ten minutes before the wedding, I stood in front of my bridesmaid, Terry who is all made up and ready to go down the aisle but without a dress.
Tears are in her eyes and I am in shock.
They tried to hide it from me - Terry, the rest of the bridesmaids, Gina, but I noticed. Of course, I did. I'm a wedding planner myself -- no detail goes unnoticed.
And yet, one did.
The dress would not make it to the church on time. Therefore, my bridesmaid would not be walking down the aisle.
My heart dropped.
My best girl whose wedding I would be in, in a couple of months. We bonded the few months over the shared experience of being engaged, of planning a wedding. In my mind's eye, I had visualized her walking down the aisle as one of my bridesmaids.
It was not to be.
So I cried, much to the chagrin of my make-up artist.
Gina said to me a couple of months later, "You know, you should have let me follow-up on the bridesmaids dresses. That's what I was there for."
Of course, I should have. Being a wedding planner myself, I knew. But in my bridal pride, I didn't.
Lesson learned.
*The names have been changed to protect the innocent.
This piece was inspired by a memoir prompt at The Red Dress Club which asked us to write a post that either starts or ends with the words "Lesson learned."
