Bridal alterations: My mom had nothing bad to say about the dress. She was charmed by its simplicity. She even went so far as to state that my arms actually DON’T look big in this particular dress. She tried to call my dad to have him come to the dressing area to see me in the dress, and I overheard her tell him it looks very good, but he didn’t want to go thru the hassle and opted to wait outside in the store area. The alteration lady had to bring up my skirt a lot at the hem, and bring in the attached petticoat a lot. I tried the dress on first with that bustier that gave me nice push-up cleavage but also pushed fat up everywhere else, and remarked how I hated the bubble of fat that rises above my bodice due to the bustier. The alteration lady (who was not the lady I spoke to on the phone who forbade me to NOT wear a bustier) suggested that if I’m more comfortable without the bustier, that she can simply stitch in bra cups inside the dress. Really? Off the bustier came and instantly the dress was so incredibly more comfortable, it felt like jammies. Sure I look flatter in the dress now and I had to pay for the cups, but it is worth the smoother silhouette. Due to the loss of excess fabric from the bustier, my dress has to be taken in half an inch on either side of my ribs along the vertical seams. Then they said if I have my veil, they’ll steam it for me and smooth out the wrinkles along with the dress cleaning after alterations. So I just said screw it, I’ll buy my veil right then and there. My mom called my dad in for his opinion, I walked out to the store area in my pinned up dress, and when my dad saw my dress he exclaimed, “So plain?!” My mom said almost defensively, “I like plain and simple.” My parents helped me pick out a veil, and I ended up with a simple single-layer short veil that cost less than the one I was gonna order online, anyway. I was content with that purchase. What I am NOT content with, and grow increasingly salty about, is the fact that my alterations cost more than my bridal gown. I seriously think they ripped me off. I noticed that instead of marking the spot on the alterations ticket that said “Take in or let out sides,” which the price chart in the dressing room listed as “$35 and up,” after some Spanish instruction from another lady, my alteration lady marked “Take in zipper” and wrote $95. I know zippers probably take more work, but they didn’t touch my zipper! Also, the price chart listed hemming the skirt as $75 and up or something like that, and they charged me $150! WTF! I could tell the lady had written $120 and then the other lady babbled something to her in Spanish so this lady then changed it to $150. When the alteration ticket was rung up at the register by the front cashier, the amount for each item was so much that they had to break it down and ring it up as separate items. “Take in zipper” was rung up twice, once with $65 and another with $30. “Alter skirt – hem” was rung up once for $120, then itemized again as “Alter skirt – take in or let out” for another $30. Clearly they’re overcharging beyond what their computer is programmed to charge cuz they did not take in the skirt, they merely shortened the hem which apparently had a maximum charge on the register program as $120. I’m so pissed off right now even tho it’s so many hours later, cuz the more I examine the alteration ticket, the more I feel they deliberately ripped me off. I didn’t even need a bustle done and the price is outrageous. When I went with Mr. W’s niece to a Vegas branch of this same bridal shop, she had the hems done, inches taken out (she’d gained some weight since the dress purchase), and bustles put in, and it came out to about this much or less. I’m so gonna call them tomorrow and have a fit.

Dad’s tuxedo: Mr. W came by my house and picked me and my parents up after we got back from the bridal alteration appointment, and drove us to his tux guy. I can’t believe how suave a man looks in a nice tuxedo. My dad looked instantly younger, slimmer, classier, and richer. He opted for the same Chaps (by Ralph Lauren) tux and vest set that Mr. W and his groomsmen got. He also picked up some nice onyx cuff links/buttons set as well as second set of unique blue stone cufflinks. My mom was so charmed by my dad, in a tux for the first time in his life, that she got this giant smile on her face and pranced over to him, hugged his arm, and said, “I wanna marry you again!” My mom’s gonna look pretty swanky herself in her custom-made mother’s dress, so they’ll make a handsome couple at the wedding.

Mr. W treated us to dinner at some fish restaurant near the tux place, and it was expensive food. My parents split their plate cuz the waitress misunderstood them when they placed their order, but it worked out cuz we were all ridiculously stuffed. I was pretty salty by this time about the alterations cost, so I didn’t even protest Mr. W paying for everyone. Tomorrow is a Chinese festival holiday where we get to eat one of my favorite foods, glutinous rice steamed in long banana (?) leaves, and we’re gonna have a great meal at my grandma’s for lunch, then we’re all going to deliver invitations to the older generation of relatives and family friends to whom mailing an invitation would be an insult. I’m gonna find some time in there to call the bridal place and ask arbitrary alteration cost questions to see how they price me.