"My wedding dress has been waiting 15 years for him to decide" © iStock
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The dress of a lifetime
It’s impossible but nothing bad to remain indifferent in the face of so much beauty. I fall in love with it and spontaneously declare that it will be my wedding dress . My childhood dream of a fairytale wedding has just come to life through this treasure. I try it on. It’s exactly my size. It’s a sign, right? I just have to wait for the marriage proposal. At that point, Philippe and I have been together for ten years. We met when I was 18. He was 21. We lived in the same suburb, we frequented the same café. I know that one day, we will get married. His proposal shouldn’t be long. I show my dress to all my friends who, of course, are ecstatic. They are already thinking about their bridesmaid outfit. Yes, we will have to organize a bachelorette party! Philippe doesn’t see my dress but he knows that it is there, stored in my sewing room out of sight. It’s my secret. He will discover it on the wedding day.
Even though I really want to wear my dress, I don’t want to rush things. We start talking shyly about a possible party. But nothing concrete… Philippe finally makes an official request. Yeeee! I imagine myself in my princess dress, I’m so happy! I call my friends. All that’s left is to set a date. Three weeks later, I feel weird. I find out I’m pregnant. Of course, we’re super happy. The problem is that I won’t fit into my dress anymore. And there’s no way I’m getting married without it.
I take my dress out of its cover: it’s coming soon, my dear!
Too bad, we postpone the date. Our baby is coming. We buy a bigger apartment. We enjoy this new family life. Marriage is no longer on the agenda. And then, we decide to leave Paris to move to the countryside. The house is huge, in its original state. Everything needs to be renovated. We are spending more than expected, so no, for Philippe, it is not the time to plan the wedding. My dress will have to wait a little longer. After months of work, we finally have the house of our dreams, guest rooms, a huge garden and barns perfect for a wedding party.
I take my dress out of its cover: it’s coming soon, my dear! My daughter is 11 years old, I show her my dress, the one I should have worn before she was born. She finds it magnificent but worries: “Mom, I’m afraid you’ll look too old in the wedding photos”. I try on my dress. Still as magical. It’s true that it’s not a lady’s garment. It was created for a young girl’s first ball at a time when people danced in the afternoon in white dresses. Maybe she met her husband in this outfit!
Wait and wait again
For my part, I am ready. I am waiting for Philippe to make up his mind but he doesn’t seem in a hurry. Has he forgotten? Does he still want to marry me? I regularly drop hints. No reaction. Our daughter draws brides and grooms, I hang her drawings on the fridge, I leave an article with photos of an actress’s wedding in the countryside lying around, I write our guest list on a sheet of paper that I leave on top of the pile of mail, I leave the computer open on the draft of a wedding invitation… Am I doing too much?
My friends are also starting to ask us questions. I giggle but Philippe still doesn’t seem interested. One evening, he puts a small box on my pillow: a ring!!! For his first proposal, he had given me a magnificent 1930s ring in white gold and diamonds. This time, it’s an art deco ring. The idea of marriage is finally coming to fruition. I’m so happy at the idea of wearing my dress.
When Philippe had made his first request, I had fallen pregnant right away. Time had passed, without a new baby. We no longer talked about expanding the family, that’s how it was, we worked a lot, we were happy all three of us. And now, twelve years later, a month after saying yes to our future union, I find out that I’m expecting a child. We’re in shock. It’s crazy, right?!
Am I still old enough to be a mother? And he, to be a father? As my daughter naively pointed out, we haven’t been 20 for a long time. What’s going to happen? Well, my belly is getting rounder. We’re disconcerted but happy. Marriage? We’ll forget about it for now! I don’t want to get married in another dress and this one requires a wasp waist. Our son is born. Today he’s a little boy and nothing can stop us from getting married. I’m waiting for Philippe to make up his mind.
I am more attracted to the romantic idea of a joyful party in my beautiful dress.
You could say that with its tight waist, this vintage dress is doing me a favor. I’m so afraid of not fitting into it on the big day – if it ever comes! – that I’m keeping a close eye on my figure. I don’t deprive myself but I watch what I eat, I’ve stopped eating sweets, I don’t drink a drop of alcohol and I exercise whenever possible. In 20 years, with two children, thanks to it, I’m glad I haven’t gained a gram.
For now! We shouldn’t wait too long to make our union official. I admit that the institution of marriage doesn’t interest me much. I’m more attracted to the romantic idea of a joyful celebration in my beautiful dress with our children and all our friends together. So, no, I’m not sorry that I’m still not married. On the other hand, I’m very sad to see my dress sleeping in my closet for 15 years. I have a wedding dress, two engagement rings , two children, a very nice house, a husband… all that’s missing is the wedding. If my dress doesn’t work, I’ll pass it on to my daughter. If I had to choose, I’d still prefer a third ring for the third marriage proposal!
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