So on Wednesday morning I waddled my very pregnant self to the airport to drop off my husband and son. At seven months pregnant with twin boys, my summer travel itinerary is non-existent! So in true boy-time style, my little man and his Dad headed up to Northern Maine to visit family without me. As I left them at the airport, my hormones got the best of me. I cried like I was sending them away for months. I felt like I had just put my whole life on a plane. My crying bouts continued throughout the day, although I have to confess I did thoroughly enjoy my trip to Kroger without a three year old in tow. I did my shopping 50% faster and I actually remembered milk AND bread. I haven’t lost my edge!
Thursday morning I woke with a purpose, excited to go to work (because I thought I might stop crying there) and host our Military Bridal Gown Giveaway! When I pulled into the parking lot at 8:30 am I could barely find a space to park. Our boutique was aflutter as brides lined up for their chance at a free gown. The first bride started the line at 5am yesterday. The wait was worth it for all of the brides, as they got their choice of designer sample gowns. The stories we heard brought us all to tears on a number of occasions. So much for not crying at work! But guess what, after the third bride I met and talked to, my I’m-too-pregnant-to-go-on-vacation pity party was O-V-E-R! The stories heard from these women, many of whom were deployed themselves, fixed my little red wagon. My family will be home on Monday. I know where they are. I know they are safe. I can call and talk to them whenever I want. They are not in harm’s way in an undisclosed location for an indeterminate amount of time like the brides we met and their fiances. And I was feeling sorry for myself…embarrassing!
Just a few short stories from the amazingly strong women we met yesterday. There was the lovely bride and her daughter Millie, who celebrated her second birthday here with us yesterday. She smiled for the cameras, and charmed us all in her flower girl dress. Her Daddy is in Afghanistan and we hope he comes home soon!

Then we met Sergeant Tiffany, injured in the line of duty. She has had several surgeries after an accident carrying ammunition caused a vertebrate displacement threatening her spinal cord. She was called to active duty when her son was four months old. She did not come home until he was two, and now she is juggling motherhood, active duty and her resulting disability.

On to the amazing composure shown by our bride Meghan. Her fiancée called right after she picked her gown (literally we were carrying it up to the front to bag it up for her). He called to say he had just landed on U.S. soil,
home from Afghanistan. Tears and goosebumps all around! The stories that wowed us all were too numerous to mention here (they tell me blogs are supposed to be short). Every single bride that we met this week amazed us in some way. The strength and warmth among these women is contagious! Not a single one of them complains, or even really seems comfortable with the recognition. We could all learn a thing or two from this bunch- especially my weepy pregnant self!
The Angels and I are a tired bunch after our Military Bridal Gown Giveaway, but it’s the “good” kind of tired. The kind that comes from the contentment of what you’ve just finished.

We bid farewell to the last bride of the event yesterday afternoon, gown number 48 that we gave away in the past two days. Now it’s time to put the shop back together and get back to reality. Luckily, our reality consists of making brides happy every day! The personal connections we got to make with each bride and her family and friends as we helped her find the gown of her dreams will be cherished by all of us. Not to mention the perspective on our own lives that they unknowingly helped us gain. One more thing on a long list of reasons they deserve our thanks.
~ Jacquie
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