by Hope
I am not a dress up kind of person. If I can’t wear leggings, maybe jeans, I don’t go. I just don’t. It’s a personal choice that I have embraced.
But my daughter’s wedding…and being the Matron of Honor, I had to step it up. Last week, I did a mini fashion show during a family dinner to get some guidance from my family.
Any guesses on what they voted on?
In the end, I sent this picture to both my girls. Their vote was unanimous. In fact, across the board, one was a decided favorite with the second place being varied.
I ended up keeping 3 of the dresses. If I don’t wear one to the wedding, it will get returned, but I will keep the other two.
The Cost
I can tell you that one of these dresses cost as much as the other 5 altogether. Any guess on what the most expensive dress of the set was? I can tell you that it was not the one selected. And frankly, the cost was the primary reason I went hunting for alternates. Two of these dresses are from TikTok shop, three are from Amazon, and one is from a local department store.
The dress that I will most likely wear in the wedding cost me $29. Any guesses?
And thankfully, I get to go barefoot, so no shoes were purchased. I did bring a nicer pair for the reception, but will go barefoot for the wedding itself. Yeah! But I am supposed to wear pearls, thinking that will be a Walmart purchase.
I do know this…if I ever get married again, I will not have a big wedding. Not even a medium wedding. And I will wear whatever I am comfortable in versus a wedding dress. I’d like to say I’ll wear jeans, but I think even I would acquiesce and wear some sort of dress.
Hope is a resourceful, solutions-driven online business manager with over two decades of experience helping clients streamline operations, manage projects, and grow their businesses through digital marketing and technology.
But life has a way of rewriting your plans.
A year ago, Hope made the decision to move in with her aging parents full time – a season she wouldn’t trade, even as it came with its own financial and emotional weight. Earlier this year, she lost her mother, and is now walking the tender, disorienting path of grief while learning what “forward” looks like from here.
Hope came to the Blogging Away Debt community in 2015 as a single mom raising five foster and adoptive children. She’s written through job changes, financial setbacks, and the bittersweet transition to an empty nest. Her kids are finding their footing in the world now – and so is she.
Rooted in faith and fueled by the same perseverance she’s brought to every hard season, Hope is ready to face her finances with fresh eyes and an honest pen. She believes that clarity, courage, and community can change the trajectory of anyone’s story including her own.
She lives in Austin, TX with her dad, loves adventures with her dog Addie, and is figuring out, one step at a time, what this next chapter is meant to be.
“I’m not a dress up person…if o can’t wear leggings or jeans I don’t go”
“I’m keeping 2(or 3) dresses”
Do you not see how these are inconsistent? If you won’t wear it, why are you keeping it?
Agreed. How, when you, at 50, have a tiny amount in your 401k, justify keeping three dresses that you just said you won’t wear?
The only possible sensible explanation is that the dresses can’t be returned or are more expensive to return than they cost. In which case…..shouldn’t have bought them at all.
The blue floral is very flattering.
I don’t know about the prices but I like the top right more fitted one. It will be interesting to see which you have chosen. I’m curious about the barefoot part, is it a beach wedding?
I personally like the white and blue one or the one above it. Maybe they chose the bottom left with the slit?
top right or floral dress. all are lovely but i especially like those two. very pretty
Oh I want to vote! 🙂 My favorites are the top right and bottom left. My guess for the most expensive is the top left (larger photo) – I think the appliqué could have been expensive if it was hand sewn locally.
The white and blue dress looks great on you. I hope that is one you are keeping (unless it was the super expensive one, and then do NOT keep it).
Gotta be the blue and white floral!