Finding The Magic Room - A Book Review

A snowstorm almost kept my mom and me at home, but we put on our Michigan driving boots and drove to the bridal store for my appointment to try on dresses.

I had an appointment to try on a dress during a trunk show, and any bride can tell you that the discounts you can find at trunk shows might be worth a few extra minutes of driving time.

We slid our shoes off at the door, ice and snow immediately glistening into puddles in the cozy store, temperature elevated enough to make it comfortable to slide into strapless dresses while frigid weather raged outside.

I had tried on wedding dresses with my friends, but this was my first trip with my mom. I thought I knew what I wanted, and I wanted her to see it before I purchased the gown, though I was paying for it myself.

A gorgeous magazine photograph was carefully pressed into my wedding binder, yet the dress lacked something as I twirled in front of the mirror.

A little disappointed, I started trying on other dresses, including a fabulous, and out of my price range, ball gown that made me feel like a princess-one wearing way too many pounds of lace and tulle.

Seeing my eyes slide to a lovely and simple dress across the room, the sales consultant brought over a dress I may not have noticed on my own. Without embellishment, the strapless gown impressed me with its simplicity and the sheen of the fabric.

There were tears in my mom’s eyes, and she’s not the crying type.

I bought the dress.

April 23, 2005

I can’t imagine how exciting it would have been to try on my dress in the Magic Room, a specially designed room in Becker’s Bridal in Fowler, Michigan, a room designed specifically for women who think they’ve found the gown they want to wear while walking down the aisle.

The Magic Room, by Jeffrey Zaslow, chronicles the stories of several women as they purchase dresses from Becker’s Bridal, a store owned by the same family for several generations.

Not all of the stories found within The Magic Room are fairy tales, not all of the brides live happily ever after, some of them facing tragedy before their weddings and some finding pain after their vows have been exchanged.

Still, Jeffrey Zaslow writes about parents and daughters with a light hand, lovingly telling their tales in such a way that it’s not surprising to learn that he is a father of girls himself.

He also writes of statistics and facts surrounding the wedding and the wedding industry, but the magic in this book is found in the hearts and hopes of the brides Zaslow chronicles within the pages of his book, not the least of whom is Shelley Mueller, owner of Becker’s Bridal, the one who imagined the Magic Room and brought it to life.

I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention the small sense of pride I felt reading The Magic Room, and knowing that a small town in Michigan was the home of such a special place to so many women.

Join the discussion about The Magic Room at BlogHer, where it’s the latest selection from the BlogHer Book Club!   Did you have an "aha!" moment with your wedding dress?

I was provided with a copy of The Magic Room to read and review as well as compensation for my time, courtesy of BlogHer and Penguin Books.  All opinions, as always, are my own.