MILESTONE!

And what a milestone indeedy! After obsessing and stressing about it, I finally have my designer!

GAAAAAAAHHHHHHHH! (big yawp of relief)

My thanks first go out to all the beautiful ladies of the feb w@wies mini chat group for putting up with all the questions and opinion exchanges-->Grace, Glo and Nette especially for tearing through levels and levels of designer stories and tulle talk. special thanks should also go out to Pia for asnwering all my questions, and, with her sweet patience, convinced me to be a Lya Armovit bride.

Hahahahahahaah! I feel like jumping up and down and twirling around and hanging upside down and doing cartwheels even if I don't know how!

Today was actually my second visit with her. This time my mom and my tita came with me to meet her. I was a little nervous because I was afraid my gut feel would be wrong again. I'm glad I wasn't. She walked into the shop and she smiled and she remembered me. We talked about the arrangments, about payment, about meetings with the bridal party. She stood by her word that she wanted to meet my attendants before she started designing. She wanted to be able to design something everyone would like AND could wear again. Even if I asked everyone to pay for their clothes, they would be happy for what they paid for! yahahahahaha!

But I won't let them pay of course.

We discussed some ideas, she showed us some exquisite fabrics she purchased from her recent trip to Eu-ropppP! and India. These were gorgeously beaded chiffon cloths from India...so minimal yet so very elegant. Then there was the silk organdy. Oh! My goodness. Truly, truly from Louis XIV's era of decadence. These were extravagantly priced as well...and you could see and feel why. These were hand-woven, hand-embroidered stuff -- unique and absolutely pure silk. WOW!

So anyway, like I said, we discussed some ideas and she had a great suggestion for my gown: keep it lining-less at the back. WOOOOOHOOOOOO! Now that's what I'm talking about! I want something surprise-y. I know I'm conservative and all but I want my "show" to be fun. I can't wait to see what she'll do for the entourage. She also had sound suggestions for the ninangs' colors: I originally said they'd each be wearing a darker color of the pastels. But she voted against it, saying it would look so cluttered. They needed to be neutral, to go with the spray of color the ento would be wearing; but at the same time, she didn't want them to look matrona-ish. The final decision? Let them wear a champagne-colored hue. What a BRILLIANT idea! She gave me a swatch and I felt so relieved. I have found a genius. She also vetoed my suggestion to buy tela for the secondary sponsors, saying I might regret it if the tahi wasn't good. So she built the three SS into the package...and the price was still within budget! Wonderful!

Happy, happy, happy. I feel so light-hearted. Finally I am breathing normally again. Now it feels real again, the wedding. And suddenly it doesn't seem like it will happen next year still. I'm really getting married. My dress is about to be conceived. And a new life awaits.

This is the one dress that will define the new person I will become. For something as delicate and significant and life-changing as this, I'm glad my heart told me to put my whole trust in Lya. And I'm glad I listened to my heart.