The next day, we hit the ground running to look for the perfect dress. Shortly after my engagement, I purchased a bevy of bridal magazines so I knew what kind of dress I wanted. The thought of getting my dress hand-made as Sandi suggested soon evaporated, as the prices were above my pay grade. Instead, I put my faith and trust in the numerous shops in the area. As much as I would have loved to wear my mother’s wedding dress, Lena was a perfect size four when she walked down the aisle and I left single digit size clothes behind in middle school.
After six hours, we finally found it in a bridal store in Garner. It was an eggshell vision of off-the-shoulder satin and lace. It featured an empire waist, full skirt and a chapel long train. When I mentioned I worked for NC Magazine, the owner th
