Chapter 39 - Say Yes to the Dress Bridesmaid - House of Surak - S'chn T'gai T'Shahel
It was mid morning when Mimi stepped out of an Embassy flitter, followed closely behind by T'Shahel, Rachel, Amanda and Sarek. Arev, the pilot and T'Vol remained inside. It was a cooler day than usual but it was still sunny.
They had stopped outside an establishment which had a red brick exterior, giving it a very traditional look. The shop front consisted of four very large windows and a glass door to the left, the door and wood surroundings were painted in a beige colour. The signage was beige with black lettering 'Confetti Bridal.' In the central two windows there were mannequins of a bride and groom dressed in modern and tasteful attire. The door was framed by two massive hanging baskets, one to the right and the other to the left. Sarek noted that the flowers were still alive.
Confetti Bridal was a well established family run boutique in San Francisco, tucked away on a side street near Golden Gate Park. The boutique was by appointment only, for security reasons the Embassy had booked the whole boutique for the entire morning, thus Mimi and her entourage were the only customers.
They were met at the door by a bubbly and enthusiastic bridal consultant. "Hello there, my name is Lucy, I'm your consultant for the day. Who is my bride?" She asked in a slightly southern accent.
"Thats me!" Mimi put up her hand.
"Ok then, follow me and we will go grab a seat."
Lucy started to lead them towards the back of the boutique, natural light was streaming in from the windows at the front giving a light and airy feel. This was enhanced by a number of mirrors which were scattered at various points around the main room. A light solid wood floor added to the airy feel and it also gave the boutique an overall luxurious appearance.
This was the perfect setting for trying on gorgeous gowns, the floor space being more than adequate try out an aisle walk. There were rows and rows of dresses. From classic shapes to more modern silhouettes, vintage, edgy, futuristic, fun and fabulous. Mini skirts, above the knee, below the knee, mid calf, ballerina, ankle and floor length. Lace, frills, soft tones, white, ivory, blush pink, silver the possibilities were seemingly endless.
*'*
At the back there were more windows letting in natural light. Fresh roses and candles gave this part of the boutique a more romantic feel. The entourage sat down on some very comfortable seats, grey, beige and white in various tones.
"Who have you brought with you today?" Lucy looked around at the entourage, intrigued to see two Vulcans in the company. She was sure she recognised one of them.
"My sister Rachel, she's looking for an outfit for the wedding. My future sister in law, Amanda and her husband Sarek. T'Shahel is going to be my bridesmaid."
Lucy smiled. "Ok, so tell me about your fiancé"
Mimi blushed slightly. "His name is Sordd. We met on holiday. He's from Vulcan, he's really handsome and totally amazing." She smiled broadly when saying this, "Sarek is his brother. T'Shahel is his daughter."
"Wow, that's really exciting to be marrying a Vulcan. Nice to meet y'all." Lucy looked round at the group making eye contact with them all. "When is the wedding?"
"Six weeks away." Mimi replied.
Lucy's eyes nearly popped out, "Six weeks!" she exclaimed, "Why have you left it so late to get a dress?
"We only got engaged two weeks ago. We want to get married right away, why wait?" Mimi smiled again.
"Well we really do have our work cut out for us. Obviously you are going to be more limited in your choice. It will need to be something off the rack, for the bridesmaid as well." She smiled kindly towards T'Shahel.
Amanda spoke, "We have a seamstress at the Embassy who will be able to make any alterations if that is required."
"Ok, that opens up the possibilities." Lucy replied. "Who is holding the budget? Is there anywhere you want to keep it within credit wise?"
"My fiancé is paying for the dress's." Mimi smiled again."He hasn't set a limit, but I want to be sensible as it's only for one day."
"That's really sweet that he is paying." Lucy smiled.
Sarek raised an eyebrow, he found it slightly amusing that his brothers actions were being referred to as sweet.
"So Mimi, what kind of wedding gown are you looking for?" Lucy asked.
"I'm thinking about either a ball gown or A-line dress. We are getting married in a church so I want it to be traditional and modest. I also really want it to be white and if possible I would like it to match this veil." Mimi opened up a white box, "It was my great grandmothers." She produced a white angel-cut Cathedral length veil edged with roses.
Lucy had a closer look, "That's really beautiful, the craftsmanship is amazing. We should be able to get something that matches."
Mimi was quite pleased at her reaction. "Mum and Rachel wore it as well, it's becoming a family tradition!"
"Ok then. What about colours and design for the bridesmaid?" Lucy looked towards T'Shahel and then back to Mimi.
"I'm happy for T'Shahel to choose whatever colour she likes, but it can't be green." Mimi looked towards Sarek who nodded in agreement. "I want her to feel comfortable. The dress also needs to be in keeping with what is appropriate for a Vulcan, that means it needs to be modest; probably an A-line, definitely not mermaid or anything tight fitting. Is that correct Sarek?"
"Affirmative." He replied.
"Ok so will we start with the bridesmaid?" Everyone nodded in agreement. "So how about y'all have a look around and then T'Shahel can try on some of your picks."
*'*
T'Shahel came out of the changing room wearing a layered floor-length lilac tulle skirt with ¾ length sleeves. The bodice consisted of delicate floral lace placed over a layer of tulle. She walked over to where everyone was sitting and stood up on the small platform.
Lucy spoke, "Ok, so this is T'Shahel's pick. What do you think honey?"
T'Shahel blinked a few times and looked at Lucy, she was about to inform her that she was not honey, however Sarek quickly intervened.
"What do you think about the dress T'Shahel?" He said, bringing her back onto the subject.
She looked down at the dress, it was obvious that she was not happy wearing it but she was trying to maintain her Vulcan stoicism. "I like the colour and the floral lace on the bodice. But it is not what I thought it was going to be like when I saw it on the hanger. The fit is uncomfortable." She turned around to face everyone.
Mimi spoke kindly, "You don't like it T'Shahel?"
She frowned slightly then shook her head.
"That's ok. If you are not comfortable wearing it you don't have to. You can try on something else." Mimi smiled encouragingly.
Lucy chipped in, "It's not unusual for someone to like a dress on the hanger and not like it when they put it on. Just to gauge where we are at, is the dress Vulcan enough?"
Everyone turned to look towards Sarek. "The length of the skirt is acceptable, as is the high neckline. It would be more appropriate if the sleeves were longer." He replied in a neutral tone.
"Ok, round two." Lucy said, while taking T'Shahel back to the changing room.
*'*
T'Shahel's second dress was a coral coloured A-line cut, floor length dress with ruched bodice and tie waist. She stepped up onto the small platform and turned around a few times.
Mimi smiled. "What do you think T'Shahel, do you like the dress?" she asked.
"The colour is agreeable." She smoothed the skirt material down. "I like the feel of the material on the skirt, it is more comfortable than the previous dress. I am unable to conclude whether the lace bodice or the ruched bodice is preferable." She thought for a moment. "I prefer this dress to the last one." She looked towards her uncle for approval.
"Sarek, is this ok?" Mimi asked.
"The colour is acceptable. The length of the skirt and sleeves are also acceptable." He replied. "The material on the bodice is too transparent, the amount of flesh showing at the neckline is unacceptable, as is the amount of flesh showing at the back due to the v-shaped design. I thought it had been agreed at the start of the appointment that the dresses needed to be modest." His voice remained neutral. He was not being unkind, he was stating fact.
In true Vulcan form T'Shahel stood rigid under the scathing criticism, not that it was her that was being critiqued. Nothing her Uncle had said about the dress was inaccurate, he was speaking the truth. It would be illogical to have an emotional response.
Lucy on the other hand was shocked at Sarek's bluntness. Mistaking T'Shahel's neutral expression as a sign of being upset she thought it best to give her some encouragement. "T'Shahel I think you look amazing! However, by the sounds of it we need to go back to the drawing board. I will ask Gian, another bridal consultant to help us find you the right dress. "
*'*
T'Shahel's third dress was Gian's choice. When she walked out all of the ladies gasped. The dress was absolutely stunning, they could tell without her even speaking that this was the dress. The desert rose coloured dress had a high necked bodice, with small floral appliques and a gorgeous A-line chiffon skirt. It was very flattering and looked comfortable. There was only one problem…
Although there was no expression on her face Gian could tell by the sparkle in her eyes that she loved the dress. (Gian didn't know that Vulcans don't love anything.) He spoke encouragingly. "T'Shahel, what are your thoughts about this dress?"
She looked in the mirror, trying to hide a smile from her face, and turned around a few times.
"This is my favourite colour so far." She spun around again. "I like the flowers on the bodice and the way they cascade down the dress." She ran her fingers over the material. "The belt is more than agreeable. I also like the way the chiffon skirt flows." She turned round to face everyone, but focused on her uncle. "Sa-kuk Sarek?"
Sarek studied the dress. He could also tell that T'Shahel liked the dress, however he knew her father would be displeased. He spoke in a more diplomatic tone than he had previously. "The colour is agreeable and the length of the skirt and the sleeves are acceptable. There is too much flesh revealed around the neck area. Although the v-shaped back is higher than on the previous dress it is still unacceptable." He did not understand why the bridal consultants had not paid attention to the remit.
T'Shahel looked down at the ground, obviously disappointed. She was confused with the emotions she was feeling wearing this dress. She had never felt this way before not even when wearing her ceremonial robes, which were beautiful in a different way. She breathed in deeply trying to maintain her control. She decided there was no logic in trying on another bridesmaid's dress, instead it would be logical to wear her Vulcan ceremonial robes.
Mimi, Amanda, and Rachel looked on with concern.
Lucy came over to try and rescue the situation. "Turn round for me honey." T'Shahel turned around to face away from everyone, inwardly relieved as she was still finding it difficult to control herself.
Lucy continued to speak. "It would be possible to fit a panel in the back of the dress so her back would be covered. Would that work for y'all?"
Mimi spoke hopefully, "I think that would work." She turned to look at Sarek. "Sarek, what do you think?"
"That is an acceptable solution." He replied. "What about the exposed neckline?"
It was Amanda's turn to come to the rescue, she placed her hand on his arm which aided communication through their marital bond. While she was doing this she spoke to the entourage, "We could get a chiffon scarf to match, would that be acceptable Adun?" She turned to look at him in the eyes.
"That would be acceptable." He replied, not wanting to cross his Ashayam.
Lucy asked, "T'Shahel, would you like this dress?"
T'Shahel turned around again, the sparkle in her eyes had returned. "Yes, I would like this dress."
"Yayy!" everyone cheered apart from Sarek and T'Shahel.
It was now Mimi's turn...
*'*
Notes
Sa-kuk - uncle
Adun - husband
Adun'a - wife
Osu - sir