My first time to be ninang sa kasal. In a cousin-in-law's wedding in faraway Rosales, Pangasinan. The confirmation came a week before the wedding. Great. Seven days for a dress.

If I had been male, things would be simpler. All I'd need is a clean barong, pressed slacks and a pair of shiny shoes.

It would be simpler too had I been fifty-ish, five inches taller, and 10 pounds lighter.

As I am none of the above, finding the dress was complicated.

I didn't want to be overdressed. I didn't want to look matronly. (With a ninang dress, I'd look like the little girl who played dress up and put on mom's makeup.) I also wanted something re-wearable... sometime, when I become ninang again, perhaps?

In my mind I pictured wearing a dress like these --
But found no such luck after hours of searching in Glorietta, Landmark, Sari-Sari, X and Cinderella in Makati one hassled Sunday. There had been dresses -- great looking ones, but they were too long, not of the right color, didn't fit or were simply too expensive and hence, impractical.

I tried again the next day, in Megamall. The first two rounds with Mike were as unlucky as my foray in Makati. I found something similar to my dream dress but the store didn't have my size. Boo-hu-hu! Mike didn't have the stamina nor the taste for shopping, so while he wasn't actually complaining I felt like I had to make a decision and was getting tempted to buy a dress that looked okay, but one I didn't really like. (It was beige, empire-cut, where I looked dawdy and pregnant.)

We took a break, had dinner, and I sent Mike away to rest his legs while I tried a second time.

And then that's when I found this dress in the SM department store. Just the right color, re-wearable. The length was alright too. (I could pull the skirt up or have it shortened anyways.) And guess what! It cost less than P2,000!

For P140 more I bought a yard of dope-dyed fabric (same material and color --gold-- as the dress) which I had made out into a shawl.

See? There's value in never giving up. :)

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BTW, I turned out to be the youngest and sassiest looking ninang at the wedding. :)