Mia
I have all the information I need to get dresses for the military brides. Five of the top wedding gown designers, who are based in or have shops in New york, have agreed to meet with me and sell their stock of dresses from last season at a severely reduced price. I'm over the moon excited!
Now I need to procure someone to make Ana's dress. Thats a tough one. I don't just want anyone, I want someone who can share Ana's vision and fulfill her dream perfectly.
Christian has given me the full use of his GEH jet to fly to new York and back. No commercial flights for this girl!
"What are you up to my dear?" Grandma Trevelann comes into the study and peers over my shoulder.
"I'm organizing my trip to new york. I have meetings with 7 of the most exclusive wedding gown designers to look at and purchase last seasons gowns at a reduced price for our military bride project." I explain the huge mess of papers scattered on the desk.
"Ah yes, "operation dress the bride". The ladies on rhe fundraising committee are very excited and hard at work planning the event. Clever name for it to boot." I love my granny T.
"Ana came up with the name. Mom and I loved it from the start!"
"Yes I know, she's a keeper that one." Granmda says lovingly. Grandma adores all of her grandchildren, but we have always had a special relationship and she has expressed often enough how she wished she had more daughters and grand daughters.
"Can you keep a secret?" She nods.
"Who's telling secrets in here?" Mom comes in, whispering conspiratorially.
"I got Ana to open up about the kind of dress she would only dream of for her future wedding day. Actually, she had a dream a few weeks ago after her and Christian had the most beautiful conversation. In the dream she envisioned the most spectacular dress. The problem is, it doesn't exhist." I tell them sadly. I have spent god knows how many hours scouring every place I could think of and nothing comes close.
"What did it look like dear?" Granny asks.
"Actually, I secretly recorded her description. God she had this far off look on her eyes when she talked about it and the wedding in the dream. She also told me about her wretched mother. The conniving, moronic, stupid bitch. Ana grew up with Marines and never got that loving mother daughter relationship you and I have mom. She's never even pictured her wedding, never dreamed she would find someone special to live her life with! She's such a beautiful person and what she's done for Christian... God I want her to have everything she wants in life!" I explain. Ana's upbringing breaks my heart. I know Ray was aamazing, but, sometimes a girl just needs her mom ya know?
"Can we hear it?" Granny asks.
I play them the recording and the three of us are in tears, holding onto one another like someone just died.
"That is just... just... God we have to get that dress made!" My mother cries. She's so emotional and protective when it comes to her children. She would give us anything just for a smile and never requires anything in return. That's just how deeply she loves.
"Play it again Mia" Granny T asks. She grabs her bag and pulls out a scetch pad and one of her special pencils.
Grandma Trevelann came from old money. Her parents were very proper and believed young women should be accomplished, poised, refined and well rounded. Granny has a mouth like a sailor, is super clumsy, and refined is not in her dictionary. But she is an amazing artist. Every Grey has a ton of her artwork displayed in our homes. No one EVER buys artwork from anyone or anywhere, nothing measures up to her work. People from all over Seattle covet her work, and she just does it for fun or donates to charity for fundraising purposes. She's missing out on a fortune, bless her kind heart!
I play the recording again while Granny draws with precise and clean lines. Like a women half her age, she never falters and produces perfect strokes. Every few sentences she asks me to press pause while she works, then nods for me to play it again. We make it through without bawling this time, only sniffles.
By the end Granny is happy with her work and shows mom and I.
We are all in tears again. It's breathtaking and more beautiful than what we pictured in our minds when listening to Ana's vicid description. The drawing looks lifelike. She even drew Ana in the dress. If you didnt know better, you would think it was a black and white picture.
"Oh mother!" My mom wails and hugs her tightly.
"Too tight now Gracie!" Grandma chuckles.
"Mom, you have always been talented. But this... it's the best work you have ever done!" Mom praises.
"Aww shucks Gracie, I just brought Ana's vision to life is all. Now, when are you headed to New York darling? I'm going to make a phone call and I'll need time to pack a bag. I have the perfect designer for this dress. We are going to get this done sweet girl! You did good getting the information, now let your grandma help with the execution hmm?" She pats my cheek and stands to exit the study.
"Your going too? Wait, whose the designer mother?" That was my question too.
"Sarah Burton. I grew up with her Mama, that sweet girl would do anything for a friend of the family. And making the dress for the bride of "The Christian Grey" ain't nothin to sneeze at!" She air quotes Christian's media nick name. God we had so much fun with that when the media began calling him that. Still do in fact!
"Sarah Burton? Like THE Sarah Burton, the one who designed and made the Duchess of Cambridge's dress? That Sarah Burton?" No fricking way!
"The one and only. She's in New York for some big event this week." Holy frigging hell! She's perfect and a visionary! She could definitely do Ana's dream gown justice!
"Hot damn! Let's go Granny!" I yell.
"Mia!" My scolds my language.
"Sorry mom, but Sarah Burton? Come on!"
"Well I'm coming to. I'm not missing out on being a part of this. The hospital can do without me for a while!" OooHh a Trevelann-Grey girl road trip, hell to the yes!
Grace
We are all packed up and ready to go. I informed the Hospital about my use of vacation days. They were flabbergasted as I never use them. Oh well. They will have to get used to it seeing as my son will be getting married and I'm sure grandbabies will follow.
Oh how I yearn for that new baby smell and pitter patter of little feet again. I was sure Elliot would have produced an oops by now but we have been lucky so far.
Though I wouldn't mind if he had one with Kate. She's lovely and tenacious. That girl is just what my oldest son needs!
All our bags are on Christians jet and we are just waiting on my mother. To get her carry on out of the car, she is fussing with her security about wanting to carry some large dress bag herself. Heaven help us she will fall down those steep plan steps if she carries that! What the heck is in that bag?
Mother finally makes it into the plane and I have got to know.
"Mother whats in the bag?" I'm very curious.
"Take a look Gracie." She settles into her seat while Mia and I open the large bag.
We both gasp opening it and I know exactly what she wants to do. Ana will be so touched by this. The gesture mom is making is nothing short of loving.
"Oh mom..." Mia sniffles next to me.
"I always dreamt of my daughter or grand daughter wearing my dress or having it remade for their wedding. Now don't feel bad Gracie, but I know you had wanted something widely different for yours and Mia I know lace isn't your thing and the dress would never suit a dress like yoi dream of. But Ana's, the lace will be perfect and this dress has plenty to work with."
"Oh Granny its perfect! This is just perfect. I'm sorry it couldn't be for one of us, but Ana will love it more and it will do her more justice than I ever could." Mia embraces her grandmother and they both have to wipe a few tears away.
"Oh, I almost forgot. We will be having tea with Sarah and her mother Lucy tomorrow afternoon. After we chat we will get down to brass tax. She is over the moon and very honored to be making the gown. The only thing she asked for is to be able to showcase a picture of Ana in the dress on the website after the press release goes out. I'm sure she and Christian will agree, making her dress is a big deal. Once they get engaged and the word is out she's going to be approached by every tom dick and harry out there!" Mom says with her hands waving in the air.
Mia
Landing was a shit show due to turbulence, but we all make it through in one piece. We are able to get to Christian's apartment and enjoy a nice dinner made by his New York housekeeper.
As it is so late; Mom, Granny T, and I wash up and head off to bed. The excitement of meeting with Sarah Burton and the other designers here in New York is filling the air.
The next morning, we enjoy a quick breakfast together before hitting the pavement so to speak. We are meeting with the Burton's to get Ana's dress designed this afternoon, but we have several other designers to visit beforehand.
Our first stop is Vera Wang Bridal. Her right hand gal is the one who meets with us and gives us a tour of the shop before showing us a large room where all the dresses for selection are located.
"We have over 100 gowns here for you today to choose from in various sizes, they are all 50% off at this time. Each set of 10 dresses that you purchase we will take 15% off of that group. And this selection over here" she points to a set of a dozen or so dresses.
"Are from our colors collection from the last few seasons, we have pulled everything with a "red, white, and blue" theme for you guys as a gift to thank our members of the armed forces and their spouses." She finishes proudly.
"That's amazing, thank you so much!" I'm in awe. We are going to be able to provide a lot more than I thought! Christian donated a million dollars for me, mom, and Granny T to purchases dresses for "operation dress the bride".
"Enjoy, please let me or one of the two attendants we have assigned to you for today if you need anything at all."
We thank her and begin looking through the mountain of dresses. After looking at each one, we select 60 out of the 100. Some of them were a little too couture, and things I wouldn't even wear. In total, we spend about an hour choosing and spend $20,000 on the 75 dresses including the ones that were donated.
The rest of the morning is spent at Marchesa, Pronovias, and Peter Langner's boutique. We purchase another 240 dresses between the designers, each one donated anywhere from 10-15 gowns each. We have ended up with 352 dresses. Not bad for one morning's worth of work!
Grace
We walk into Alexander McQueen on Madison Square. The front desk clerk greets us kindly and shows us back to a sitting room where Sarah and Lucy Burton are sitting.
"Hi ladies, welcome! Please sit and have some tea, we can catch up and see what we can do about this special project you have in mind." Sarah Burton states.
Lucy gets up and hugs mom, "How are you old woman? Lookin a little Grey huh? Get it, GREY" She chuckles.
"Well I'm not pushin up daisies yet! Nice to see you again Sarah." Mom exclaims and hugs her childhood friend and daughter.
"You too Mrs. Trevelyan." Sarah hugs her back.
"It's wonderful to meet both of you. I'm very excited to hear all about the two projects you have in mind. Frannie told mom that you are organizing a dress donation drive for military brides, which I am extremely excited about because my father is a Ranger in the Air force. I have a TON of things pulled for you guys! The second thing she was a little vague about, she said its a specific design for a special person?" Here we go.
Mia
I am a little nervous about this next part, but Christian said I had too. When Granny T said she was vague on who the dress was for other than it was for a Grey, I totally did a face palm.
"First, I have to unfortunately ask you to sign this for me. My brother said I HAD too." I slide the NDA across to Sarah.
She chuckles and immediately signs then slides it back over.
"Don't worry about it Mia, I sign these all the time. And it's nothing compared to what I had to go through for certain clients." Whew, that's a relief.
"Oh good I was nervous! Well, the dress is for Anastasia Steele. It's important she doesn't find out because he hasn't proposed yet, he will be soon though. It's a long story about why we are going this route and why it's so important. It might be easier just to show you a few things." Mom turns on the recording and then we show her the sketch Granny T made.
"Wow. This…. This is amazing. I can see why your so excited and motivated to do this for her, she sounds absolutely spectacular. And Frannie, this drawing! Can I hire you?" We all giggle.
"I can definitely do this for you! In fact, I will be making this my top priority. This dress is going to be intricate, the detail is elaborate, the changing of fabrics is going to take hand stitching on the lace. And for the bling on the skirt, are we talking crystal's or diamonds? Honestly, crystal's don't catch the light like diamonds do." Sarah explains.
"One more thing." Granny T states holding up one finger, and exiting the room to grab the dress she brought with her.
"I want the lace from this dress for her veil and wherever else on the dress it needs to be, for her something old." Sarah's and Lucy's eyes water, and Sarah has to clear her throat before speaking.
"Of course, that's a beautiful thing to do Frannie. I can incorporate it seamlessly and it saves the leg work of having to find lace that fits the description. I can't believe your wedding gown matches what she dreamt about so well, its really amazing."
Sarah takes the drawing that Granny T made and puts it into a fancy looking scanner. After a few seconds the picture pops up on her screen. We watch in amazement as she transforms the uploaded picture into a real life and in color digital image that can be rotated and manipulated.
"Can you play the recording again?" Sarah asks.
We play it again and again over the next hour. Sarah has a real talent and creates the most vivid and spectacular dress I have ever laid eyes on. When she is finished, everyone has tears in there eyes looking at the gorgeous masterpiece we all created together.
It's decided that since the Grey women will be recreating the wedding of Ana's dream's, Sarah will use real diamonds rather than crystals so that the stones pick up the light of the lanterns perfectly. We work through all of the little changes for the dress, the sizing, when the estimated completion will be and finally the cost.
Holy shitballs batman!
The dress will cost a whopping $550,000! It's more expensive, not to mention more elaborate, than the Duchess of Cambridge's dress she wore at the royal wedding. Though Sarah won't/can't give details, I know about the dress from online articles.
"This dress will be my biggest project to date and I am really excited! Since I will be working solely on this project alone and because we already have the lace needed, I will have it done in 3 weeks. So it will be able to be able to be revealed when the dresses for the charity event arrive in Seattle. Would you guys mind if I delivered it personally? Ana sounds like an amazing person, who has lived through some tough circumstances. Just from visiting with you guys and listening to the recording, I feel personally invested. I would love to see the look on her face and the reaction. In addition, I would like to do an initial fitting to make sure it fits and flows as desired." Sarah explains.
"Of course! We would love to have you. The plan is to bring all the dresses to sort at Escala, Christian and Ana's penthouse, and surprise her with the dress. He will have proposed by then and a date picked out." This has turned out better than expected and I can hardly wait or contain my excitement.
"One more thing. Designing the dress of the future Mrs. "The" Christian Grey is a big deal and I really appreciate the honor. It will be just as lucrative as designing the dress for the royal wedding. That in addition to the efforts you all have made on helping military brides, I want to give you the 150 dresses I pulled for you guys to look it." Omg!
"Wow, Sarah are you sure? That's quite the gift!" "Sarah, thank you so much. You have no idea how much this will mean to everyone!" Granny T and mom exclaim almost at the same time talking over each other.
"You're a true gem Sarah, thank you so much for everything! We would be honored to have you in Seattle for the big reveal and can't wait to see it!"
Everyone hugs goodbye and promises to meet for lunch before we head back to Seattle the day after tomorrow.
This has turned out better than I could have imagined and I just can't wait to see not only how it turns out in real life, but Ana's reaction. We both thought the dress didn't exists, so she would never imagine that I could have procured it.
Sometimes our dreams and imaginations can create things so extraordinary that reality can never measure up. But this time, for Ana, her dreams will become a reality for once.
Well, I guess twice if you count finding my brother.