by Danielle Peyton
I had watched five hours of the show “Say Yes to the Dress!” Five hours! I sat in bliss drawn in by women of all different shapes, sizes, and backgrounds as I watched each one search for the perfect wedding dress. The process was nearly the same for every woman… They came in with a list of criteria, a group of supporters, and the wish to find the dress that will make their wedding into a fairytale.
There is something in a woman’s nature that has most of us dreaming of this dress from our first encounter with princesses. Not all of us, but many of us have within us this need to shop! Whether you browse at thrift stores, bargain shop at your local mall, or only splurge on the nicest things, most women can connect with this need to look for, and purchase, something that will be just exactly what they need!
And so, perhaps, in a woman’s life time, the wedding dress might be one of the biggest and most important purchases. What bigger statement does a woman have to make then the one she makes on the day she walks down the aisle and marries the man of her dreams.
I think a wedding dress holds so much power in our lives for so many reasons. And by the time I was on my 10th episode of the show, which captured the quest for one, I began to consider truly what a wedding dress means in the grand scheme of things.
You see each of us is born with this desire that needs to be filled, more profoundly a need to feel beautiful! And a wedding day, is the day that a woman should feel her absolute best. All eyes will look to her as she walks down the aisle. Her dress will reflect so much of her! We see in a dress a woman’s style and personality! But beyond that, I believe, what we search for in the perfect dress might be the very thing that we search for, and long for, in a dream love.
With this very obvious connection on my mind, I asked my friends this basic question, “What is your perfect wedding dress?”
None of us are in the process of wedding dress shopping, or even close for that matter, but as girls who like to dream of love, I could not help my curiosity. Each of their answers were thoughtful and detailed, and each reflected so evidently their personality… and I think too what their hearts desired not only in a dress, or even in a man, but in love.
I pondered my list of dress criteria. Words like simple, classic, and comfy followed. Of course, these were all the things I know I need in a future love. I added words like fun and unique, and a little edge. Too, these were things that describe the love God calls me to seek out in my life.
The last thing I added on my list was, “makes me feel beautiful.” This was perhaps the most obvious and yet the most profound. Of course a girl longs for a dress that will make her feel beautiful. But beyond that, I believe the heart of a woman longs for a love that ultimately, above all else, makes her feel beautiful, and special, and treasured, and loved.
A woman dreams so much of this perfect wedding dress that they will not settle for anything lower than their expectations. They will wait, and search, and drive from store to store until they find the absolutely perfect dress for them. Yet the beauty that you find in a wedding dress only lasts for one day! Sure, your wedding day might be your moment in the spotlight, but it will not last forever. So while you dream of lace, pearls, and dresses of white, dream too of a love that can fulfill those desires in your heart.
A wedding dress is fashion’s way of making a girl feel beautiful. I believe that none of us should settle for a man that does anything less. The love God calls us to seek in marriage is God’s way of reminding a woman she’s beautiful, worthy, and precious too.
You would shop forever to find the perfect dress, do not be discouraged, do not give up, and trust in God to help you find not only the perfect gown, but the perfect man to marry in it too!
You are beautiful.
What is your perfect wedding dress?
“I’m Danielle. I’m 27. I describe myself as creative, dedicated, and painfully shy until you get to know me. The past few years I have been on a beautiful journey of faith, finding out who God is calling me to be and discovering a beautiful community of Christian men and women who push me to live more boldly for Christ. I know in so many ways my journey is just beginning and I can’t wait to see where He takes me next!”
You can read more from Danielle at her blog.
