I’ve never been the girl who liked herself in any clothes really. I have despised my body and the way it looks in any outfit, especially dresses.

This is why I fully expected the day I went wedding dress shopping to be full of tears - not happy ones. I was so happily mistaken.

The experience from beginning to end was really almost magical and surreal. I sifted through the racks of dresses, gathering the ones that caught my eye and anticipated trying each one on.

Before ever coming shopping I had looked online and found a dress I adored, but I just knew my mother would hate. In the store, we saw the dress at the same time and before I could say anything my mother said you’ve got to try it on. I was so surprised! We added it to the other dresses to be tried on.

I tried on several, most were very pretty, but none were ‘it’. I finally put on the dress I had fallen in love with. As soon as the dress was on my body and zipped, I knew it was the one.

I felt beautiful. I felt confident. I felt like a bride.

Still no tears, but there were genuine smiles and a sense of peace, knowing that this was my wedding dress. Even my mother agreed that it was most certainly the one.

It was the most perfect day.