Weddin’

When my friend Mandy, who is one of my best friends from high school, had asked me to be a bridesmaid in her wedding a year ago, I had felt awful that I had to turn the offer down.  I was away at school out of the country, and I was in an accelerated program I had to strictly adhere to.  I wouldn’t have been able to make the wedding at all if everything had gone according to plan and I had finished out the program.  However, things happened, and I found myself back here in NJ this past summer.  It had made me feel a ton better that I’d now be able to attend in October, although still a bit sad that she’d had to find someone else to replace me.

Turns out, last week, one of the bridesmaids dropped out.  Interestingly, it was because of social anxiety.  I received a call from Mandy a few days ago asking me if I would still like to be a bridesmaid.  Naturally, I said yes.  The next day, she told me they had a size 10 dress in the bridal store, and a size 8 that could be shipped in, if necessary, so I met up with her at her house (this was the first time I’d been to her new house, which, by the way, is REALLY nice), and then we drove there together for me to try on what they had.  Luckily, the size 8 will fit me and will be in within 2 weeks.

So, I’m a bridesmaid!  This will be the first wedding I’ve ever been in as anything other than a spectator.  Mandy was actually thrilled that things turned out the way they did and that she could have me in the wedding, because that’s what she had wanted.  I feel badly for the other woman, because I can totally sympathize with what she was feeling, and I know she’s probably going to be embarrassed about it and regret her decision later on (at least,  I would have).  I don’t ever want to be that woman.  Even in the past, I would never back out of something like this, despite anxiety.  But, at this point, I’m just excited, and that’s all I’m going to do, is just be excited and willingly participate in things and just have a good time and be there for a good friend.

For anyone who’s interested, this is the dress:

http://www.alexiadesigns.com/Bridesmaids/Alexia-Designs/-A-line,Gathered,Spaghetti-Straps-Style-2200/color/62/

As Mandy would say, "yippee skippy!"