A few days ago, my best friend, her mother, her grandmother, and I found ourselves in a bridal store. No, we weren't looking for wedding dresses; her grandmother was looking for a mother-of-the-bride dress. But my best friend has watched a little too much "Say Yes To The Dress" and is a little too devoted to her future wedding Pinterest board. Her mom reluctantly agreed that she could try on a few dresses if the consultants would let her. So even though neither of us have boyfriends or have any concrete plans for a wedding in the future, she tried on dresses and here is what I learned:

1. You may have to make up a story.

Thank goodness the consultant didn't sit my best friend down and make her explain how she and her fiancé met like they do on TV. It was hard enough not to laugh when her mom filled out a sheet with her intended's name on it, conjuring up a name from high school that both my friend's mom and grandmother could remember in case anyone asked them about the groom.

2. Wedding dresses are heavy.

Even tea-length dresses are hard to carry around. I can't imagine wearing them. And looking through the dresses isn't nearly as easy as it looks in the shows. They're in large plastic sleeves and jammed onto the racks so it's almost impossible to push them to the side to get a better look.

3. Consultants aren't that helpful (when you're not planning on buying).

I assume that during a real appointment with a consultant they will be lovely and helpful. But be forewarned: They can smell a sell from a mile away. They will know whether their time is being spent on a bride who is really looking for the perfect dress, or if you're a couple of teenagers just playing dress-up. This was evident by the fact that she told my friend she was welcome to "just keep playing" for as long as she liked.

4. There might be tears.

Even though we were "just playing," her mom did get a little misty-eyed. We knew it wasn't real, but there's something about the idea of trying on wedding dresses that makes people cry and they aren't just dresses. There was something completely different between watching my best friend try on hundred dollar dresses at Macy's and watching her trying on thousand dollar wedding dresses.

5. She may not have said yes to the dress, but now we have a fun story to tell.

One day, when my best friend has found that perfect guy, I will delight in telling him about this experience. I'll tell him that she was so excited about their wedding, she tried wedding dresses years before they met just to find the perfect one. And when he's stressed out about the wedding, I'll let him know that the dress shopping should be easier the second time around and show him the pictures we took the first time to show him that even though she's changed since that first dress shopping trip, she's so much happier now that it's real.