After 18 years with the most patient man on earth, we finally decided to get married. Spur of the moment. At a Bikeweek Biker Wedding. On Saturday the 7th.

That gave me 19 days.

So I panicked. Twelve dresses ordered online in one night. Five of them were white, and every single one looked ridiculous on me. I'm just not a "white wearing person." Some people glow in white. I look like I'm wearing a tablecloth.

So I gave up on tradition and started looking at colors. Blacks, jewel tones, anything with personality. That's when I saw this black sequin dress on my screen. Sequins, lace top, kind of floaty skirt. Read a bunch of reviews, shrugged, and hit "buy now."

It showed up two days later — along with two other dresses I'd ordered just in case.

Tried the other two first. Fine. Nothing special. Then I slipped this one over my head, pulled it down, and it just… fell into place. Perfect fit. No tugging, no weird bunching.

I stood there in front of the mirror and cried.

My search was over. Two days to spare.

Here's the thing about sizes. I'm 5'4", 165lbs, and I hate clingy clothes. Normally if I wanted something tight, I'd grab a 10 or 12. But I ordered this dress in a 16. Why? Because I have a 40DD chest and I wanted room in that lace top. And it worked. The dress fit like it was made for me — not baggy, not suffocating.

The skirt is this silky, flowy material. Shorter in the front so you don't trip, with a little mock train in the back. When I walked, it floated. When I turned, the sequins caught the light like crazy. Someone at the wedding told me I looked like I was glowing. I think that was the sequins. But also maybe the happy crying.

I didn't use the ribbon belt that came with it. Just liked the natural seam at the waist better. You don't have to use every piece they send you. That's a shopping tip right there: ignore the extras if they don't feel like you.

Another thing — built-in lining. This dress had one, and thank God. I didn't have to worry about wind or weird angles or my "secrets" showing. Just me and my new husband. And like 200 bikers.

We rode motorcycles after the ceremony. Down Main Street in Daytona. And the dress held up. No weird sitting wrinkles, no sweating through the fabric. It's soft, breathable, has a little stretch. I wore it all day — before, during, after — and never once wanted to change.

Quality was solid. You could tell someone actually made it right.

And if you're hunting for a dress — wedding or not — here's what I learned the hard way: don't force white, size up for comfort not for the number on the tag, check for lining, think about what you'll actually be doing after the ceremony, and don't be afraid to toss the belt.

Or wear it. Whatever makes you cry happy tears.