Real Brides: Arlene

Paul and I first met as Freshmen in college, at George Mason University, in 2008. We were both members of the Filipino Cultural Association, so we developed a close friendship throughout our years there. It wasn't until a few years after graduation that we started dating (2015). We've been engaged since 2020. We enjoy traveling and staying creative together, playing with our dog, and spending time with family. We moved to Los Angeles, California together in 2017 and lived there for about 4 years, before deciding to move back to Virginia to be with our families! 

It was my first ever dress fitting and I chose White Swan Bridal in Vienna, Virginia. I went in wanting a long sleeve dress because I was self conscious about how much weight I put on during the pandemic. So I wanted to find ways to hide areas of my body that I was uncomfortable with. I tried on about 5 dresses that my bridal party picked out and I honestly was getting frustrated that none of them were working out. 

Luckily, one of the staff members talked me out of the long sleeves (because it would not be flattering given that I'm so short!) and pulled this dress off a mannequin. It had lace and layers of many intricate details, which I absolutely adored. I could only imagine the amount of time and work this design took! When I tried this dress on and I saw myself in the mirror, all of the imperfections I thought I had, had all vanished. This dress made me feel so beautiful and showed me that my body was perfect the way it is (on top of that, it fit within my budget). This was the reminder I needed after 2 years of the pandemic. That's when I knew this dress was the one!

Photo Credits: Nadine Nasby Photography