The A-Team

The most important part of dress shopping after having an idea of what you want is your team. Now assuming you don't live in the Bay Area and have the option of inviting me along, you will need to pick out some friends or family to go with you. Here are some things to keep in mind while picking your team:

• Shopping is supposed to be fun, so make sure to have people that will make it a fun experience and who know how to laugh

• Only bring people who will be utterly honest with you. The sales women are there to make the sale, they will always say you look great if they think you like the dress, you need someone who can say "Your ass looks fat" or "you look like you've been devoured by a ruffle monster."

• There is a lot of truth to the saying "Too many cooks spoil the broth." If you bring 8 people with you to the dress shop that is 8 different people you are trying to please, 8 different styles at war, 8 different opinions you will want to factor in. This is where dress shopping becomes overwhelming and unfun.

Many brides will want to have the quintessential experience of shopping with their mom, sister, future mother-in-law, best childhood friend that they used to play bride with, and any other number of people that fit this situation; if these people don't your A-Team that's OK. Schedule a shopping day with them, just one, use it as a way to get started, start seeing yourself in different dresses, different looks, go in knowing that today is not the day I'm looking for The Dress, today I am looking at dresses and sharing this moment Grammy Lily. Now you and your A-Team can take on the wedding boutiques of the area searching for The One.

I have a confession to make.

I was born with a super power. This power allows me to help other women find the perfect dress, especially wedding dresses. As we are currently heading straight into wedding season I was asked to share my gift with the world, so here I am, trying to translate something that just clicks in my head into words other people can understand.

You're probably asking what makes me so qualified to help women find The Dress, the answer is nothing, except that I'm really good at it. It's an amalgam of working in a costume shop for a few years and seeing how different things looked on different people and the fact that, to this day, I love to play dress up. Day to day, give me jeans, a t-shirt, and a pair of flip flops, but oh my should you see my closet; more dresses than I know what to do with.

Well here we go.