Hello, I’m the bride. My name is Doormat.

Guest post by Johanna
Original photo by Ben Askew, used by Creative Commons license
Original photo by Ben Askew, used by Creative Commons license

I have only been working in a bridal salon for near a month now and already I have seen some appalling behaviours that seriously need to stop. I have seen far too many people come in and out of my store who have let themselves be walked all over by family members and loved ones. It isn't right.

A wedding is a day in a couple's life that is to celebrate their joining of lives — a beginning to their marriage. Yes, it is an excuse for some to get dressed up all fancy, but seriously, that is not the point of the day. The day is to declare the start of your union, to show your dedication and your love for one another. You need to celebrate it how you want.

So fuck Aunt Martha and her desire to see you in lace and satin from your chin to your fingertips. You wear whatever the hell you want, even if it is a beaded belly dancing outfit.

This isn't the day your mother gets to feel like a bride again, she's already had her day once (or twice or thrice) it is your day. Don't let your mother force you into choosing a dress that she feels is more appropriate to her liking. I don't care if she is financing it. If you are giving someone money as a gift, once the gift has been given you have no right to declare what it must be spent on. I am so tired of seeing girls come into my store with their heart set on a specific dress only to be guilted into changing to something else.

Also a planet sized fuck you to those who come in with the bride and comment on what they should be doing about weight and what they think they should wear for their body type. So often I get the line from the bride, “I really love this style but I don't think it would ever suit me.” Y'know what, most of the time they try it on anyway and they rock that dress like a superstar.

I don't want to see another beautiful woman be told that they're too broad chested for this, or have swimmers arms, or look too gaunt in the chest. Be confident, or at least allow me to strangle the critics with my Swarovski crystal beaded shawl.

It pisses me off when I hear of parents giving ultimatums to the bride and groom. If they can't set aside their differences for a single day without commenting on it and putting you through stress, then they shouldn't be there in the first place. Or as an alternative, I hear tying them to a chair and gagging works nicely.

My job is to help you feel special. I try my hardest each and every hour I am there. It makes things awfully difficult when I'm fighting against the entire family.

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