I have never been the girl who dreamt of her wedding. Choosing entrées and desserts, perusing themes for a wedding cake, picking the perfect venue with a waterfall background, taking pictures in a gazebo–these were tasks I knew would come but never longed for. Of course, for every young lady in love, the wedding dress is most important. It is the key to the dream wedding, the fulfillment of one’s fantasy, the one aspect that will set any young bride apart from her guests and her bridesmaids. Still, no vision has really popped into my head. However, whatever I lack in the bridal gene, my sister makes up for. She is content to plan my wedding, from the flowers to the napkins at the reception. She is also the one who has had her dream dress planted in her mind from the day she knew what marriage was, and her white wedding obsession has further been consummated by TLC’s hit television show “Say Yes to the Dress.” Despite my aversion to planning the day of a lifetime, I have been sucked into the program as well. I quickly learned that wedding dresses are addictive.

For a half hour, you can watch bubbly, fashion-forward women with perfect manicures and beautiful lipstick (in some cases) sift through racks and racks of designer gowns gilded with tulle, beads, sequins, lace, ruffles, silk, taffeta, and clusters of shiny ornaments that probably cost more than I would like to know. The show highlights the importance of a wedding for women, who predict their set wedding day to be their one and only. It is their one day to shine. Somehow, through this show, I understand the wedding mania. So do the consultants at Kleinfeld Bridal. They not only know the wedding business, but know what styles flatter each client that walks through the door. They understand what can make each bride happy.

I suppose I never looked at wedding dresses and suits as a substantial part of fashion, but then I think about how many bridal magazines there are. I start to remember that Vera Wang, one of the top fashion designers of our time, is probably most famous for her wedding collection. Even J.Crew, known for its clean-cut, ready-to-go-boating pieces, has a wedding collection! Where have I been? I am constantly poring over the ready-to-wear lines, focusing on clothes I can wear to class, to a club, or a party. I seem to have neglected the white dress I will wear, granted my future husband is somewhere waiting to sweep me off my feet, a few years from now on that special day every female talks about.

I think TLC’s decision to put on a show solely based finding the perfect wedding dress on the air was a smart decision. Like every other aspect of fashion, personal taste is always crucial. When it comes to wedding dresses the options are diverse just like any other article of clothing: empire-waist, mermaid, princess, sweetheart, strapless, lacey cap-sleeves, and long or short trains are just a few examples of the styles women dwell over daily. However, when it comes to wedding dresses, I appreciate the fact that it is an article of clothing almost every one aspires to wear one day. It is the one image of fashion every woman possesses; it is the universal piece of clothing that captures every one and anyone’s attention. We all want the wedding dress, personal preference aside. Kleinfeld’s definitely understands that, as they make it their goal to get every woman to leave with a dress in their custody.

Now, I know this partly from experience—one of my closest family friends left with a gorgeous gown from Kleinfeld’s not even two weeks ago. Let me assure you, this was a girl dreading the dressing room. She came with an economically-savvy budget and a simple idea of what she wanted in her mind. Yet she found the ideal gown (she even got to take a photograph with Keisha, one of the consultants from the show)! Seeing her dress and how beautiful she looked in it, I started to realize: I actually do want this day to come, and fast. Finding a wedding dress and planning a day centered on it seems like more fun than I could imagine. I’m not even thinking about the guy I’m supposed to saying “I do” to—I just want to wear a sweetheart-shaped gown. After watching a little bit of this show, you’ll be planning your future wedding plans without even knowing it, which is a scary feat for a college student with no money. One can dream, however, and look at this show for inspiration in the meantime.