the dress

They say the dress sets the tone for the entire event; the venue and the atmosphere. Mine has set the tone for the entire process of preparation. I visited the bridal boutique with my mother over the Christmas holidays not being engaged and without a ring. But my reasons for going were twofold: to try on dresses alone with my mom and to stay one step ahead of Rico. She lives 600 miles away and he makes split-second decisions. I have to be prepared.

I selected a small army of dresses that I thought represented my aesthetic: simple, smooth, clean. I tried them all - from slim and slender to big and poofy. Then at last, hanging there in perfection was a dress that whispered my name saying, "Angela, aren't I gorgeous? Don't you love all my intricate and ornate details?" Did I, I asked myself. I tried to ignore it but couldn't tear myself away. When the cathedral-length veil was placed on my head, my search was over, and I was a bride.

In a similar fashion, that dress has the set the tone for the rest of my preparation. Every ounce of my control over what I think I want has been replaced by God's desire to plan this thing Himself. (Apparently, He's a wedding planner by day.) Again and again, He has shown me that no perfect venue, no perfect meal, no perfect set of decorations will triumph more than the perfection of His Presence showing up to make Himself known on that day in May. I can't begin to understand what He's planning. Everyday I wake up ready to discover the newest details of His wedding. I'm just following Him relentlessly in my fabulous dress.