It's always a little risky to shop with a group, but the moms and I were on the same page as the bride, only offering opinions on little details like sleeves or necklines.
"Those drape sleeves are beautiful, but can you lift your arms? You know you're going to want to dance!"
"Isn't that one going to be a little heavy for the outside? It might be hot!"
"I liked the back on the first one, but the front on the third. Is there a dress somewhere that has both?"
"Something doesn't sit right with me about that lace..."
After trying on a number of styles and silhouettes, sitting, standing, dancing, twirling, standing on tiptoes, standing with flat feet, trying on veils and belts and necklaces, bustling and unbustling, she settled on the perfect dress. We all stopped to picture what her day in a few months will be like, squinting to swap the view of the bridal shop with our imagined ideal woodsy riverfront scene. All of us got a little teary, knowing that what looked so beautiful in the florescent shop light will be even more so on a sunny September day.