I was on vacation in Maine last week and had hoped to post a “happy memory” swimsuit photo like Darlene and Tina did, but it turned out to be too cold (and later rainy) to go to the beach or lakeside.

The last day of the trip.
The last day of the trip.

But then at the end of the week, my boyfriend surprised me with spending the weekend at Mohonk Mountain Resort (in New Paltz, NY) to celebrate my birthday, which is this week. The weather was absolutely perfect and we ended up swimming a couple of times, so I made sure to snap a “happy memory” photo while there:

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Excuse the funny face; the sun was in my eyes and my guy always takes shots from a most unflattering upward angle.

Hmmm and do you spy anything additional in this image? Note the odd placement of my left hand. Here, I’ll zoom in for you:

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It’s an engagement ring! Yep, the trip wasn’t really for my birthday after all, it was so he could propose. Now I’ll always have a really happy memory associated with wearing a swimsuit! (The one above, by the way, is the Freya Fever sweetheart top and boy short bottoms.)

So then you must know what comes next, right? Wedding dress shopping! And after that, the hunt for appropriate lingerie. And along the way, writing about it for Hourglassy! I’ll be starting with a trip to David’s Bridal with my mom in a couple weeks.

But even after flipping through a few bridal magazines, browsing online, and watching years of the TV show “Say Yes to the Dress,” I still have no idea what kind of dress I want to wear.

I like vintage and want to look a little offbeat. I definitely don’t want a poufy cupcake dress. I’m open to experiments in color, length, and texture. And of course I want to flatter (maybe flaunt?) my assets. Also, nothing backless. Much as I’d love to show off my entire back tattoo, I need to be able to wear a bra. No stick-on cups, no depending on the dress to hoist me up, and no BS built-in bra. I want to be comfortable and be able to dance and move all night without needing adjustment.

I also may be seeking a second, more casual dress. My fiance wants to get married a.s.a.p. so I can get on his health insurance (as a freelancer, I don’t have insurance), so we’re tentatively planning on having a legal ceremony with just immediate family at my parents’ place in the upstate New York countryside this fall (as in, two months from now), with the actual wedding coming a year later. I figure I can also reuse the more casual dress for the rehearsal dinner of the wedding. I still want it in white or ivory, but will not be paying a “wedding” price for it. So you’ll get to read about adventures in both off-the-rack dress shopping and wedding gown shopping.