My sister and I grew up watching episodes of TLC’s Say Yes to the Dress and fashioning “wedding gowns” out of white throw blankets. Whenever I get to work on an edition of inRegister Weddings, my mind immediately flashes back to those idyllic Friday evenings when my parents would leave the house, and we would transform it into something much more magical.

Using a pair of copper coffee tables as pedestals, we would convert our living room into a makeshift bridal studio. With Randy Fenoli as our guide, we draped cotton blankets and made veils out of tissue paper. We accessorized. We modeled. And most importantly, we dreamed about the day when it was no longer a dress rehearsal; when we would walk through the doors of a real bridal salon—Kleinfeld, maybe?—and lay out our list of “must-haves” and “non-negotiables”—forget about the budget, though.

Many years later, when that day finally came for me, my priorities when it came to my wedding gown had shifted from strapless and sparkly—à la Pnina Tornai—to long-sleeved and understated. However, as a seasoned Say Yes to the Dress viewer, I knew not to be close-minded. I tried on every style and experimented with different looks. My family cried when I came out in a gown that did not check even one of my previously set-out boxes: a strapless gown fully adorned in intricate lace. Was this the one? Had I been entirely off-base?

While sleeves are quite popular now, when I was dress hunting many years ago, there was but one dress in the store with the long sleeves that I desired. “You’ll be hot,” the sales associate remarked, noting my October wedding date and beach venue. “I don’t care,” I explained.

I begged to try on the singular sleeved option, and from the second I slipped it on, I knew. I know, it sounds cliché. But those girls on that television show, well, now I didn’t think they were embellishing when they bawled their eyes out as Randy added a veil.

While I didn’t cry—at least I don’t remember shedding a tear—I did feel a sudden sense of calm. Wedding planning is stressful, but not always for the reasons you might think, like budget and design decisions. A lot of the load comes from a desperate desire to please the other people in the room, whether because you want them to be happy or because you think they just know better. Of course, taking advice isn’t wrong. But my rather idealistic recommendation is to block out the noise and follow your heart.

I walked out of that store a few months later with my long-sleeve wedding dress in tow. I loved it then, and I love it now. Was I hot on my wedding day? Yes, absolutely. But do I regret my decision? No, I do not.

Saying yes to the dress, or any other aspect of your wedding, is best done when it comes from a place of authenticity. Be yourself, and no decision you make will be wrong. Well, at least that’s what looks nice written on this page.

Here’s to all the yeses that guided the brides in this June Weddings issue and all the yeses that are currently being said as other local couples prepare for their own walks down the aisle. Randy, and the rest of the Say Yes to the Dress team, would be proud. I just know it.

Looking forward,

Riley Bienvenu Bourgeois

Editor