STILL STANDING. M.G. Crisci

out of the red-faced owner; she issued a full refund.

      With just a couple of weeks until getting hitched, I scoured the surrounding towns to find another bridal store. As things turned out, the gowns were even better, and they cost a bit less!

      Next problem, the makeup artist decided to cancel without an explanation, which led to another last-minute save by yours truly. As the hiccups continued, and the August sunshine turned to vicious downpour, every day leading up to the wedding, my stress level rose. In the end, I calmed myself with the belief that it was better for things to go wrong before rather than after being married.