We were surrounded by wintery London air and in front of tall black cathedral doors. He was down on one knee as I started to realize why we were really there. There was sincerity in his eyes and affection in his words. The BIG question was coming out of his mouth! I SAID YES.

I was going to be a wife and a surprise photographer was there to capture every minute of our milestone together. Once we got home to San Diego from the other side of the pond, it was time to celebrate.

I went through a couple of wedding websites to understand more about engagement parties. I learned that usually your parents or friends host your engagement party, but we wanted to coordinate everything on our own.

We chose a restaurant that could create a chill vibe and didn’t require a minimum purchase amount. We made the menu friendly for vegetarians and meat lovers and balanced with fancy salad and gourmet burgers.

Then one of the most important logistics came to mind: what the hell am I going to wear?

Do I wear all white, a pretty dress, or do I go traditional and wear something to represent my Filipino culture?

Outfit planning 

I decided on wearing a white top and maybe white jeans to keep my look chic but casual. Then my crazy hunt began on Nordstrom’s website.

With my eyes agaze and focus clear, I looked through every page-result with white clothing items. I didn’t want to miss anything falling through the search cracks.

I searched for a perfect engagement party outfit during mornings, bathroom breaks, evening and night.

Fast-fashion brands were always showing up first in my searches, so I would instead try “sustainable white blouse,” “eco-friendly white blouse,” or “white blouse engagement party.”

I was determined to let my ideals play a role in choosing a party outfit, “the perfect” engagement party outfit that is.

Shop in person

A box with a white Reformation blouse from Nordstrom came to my apartment door a few weeks later. The top looked pretty online so I was excited to key the box open and dig through the plastic inside.

I thought I accomplished shopping for an entire outfit way before the engagement party! But the blouse was too long on my arms. Or maybe I needed an excuse to return an expensive top. The white pants came a few days later but were too tight.

I went to UTC mall as soon as I could to return everything I regrettably bought online.

When I stepped inside Nordstroms I thought to myself how coming in person wasn’t so hard after all. I could make time to show up. I also got personal attention from a friendly sales associate. She lined up an entire dressing room with white blouses just for me!

In the end, a beautifully tailored white blouse from Chelsea 28 was the winner.

The blouse wasn’t eco-friendly, but there’s a lot to be said about a piece that fits your body well.

Feeling comfortable with you

I was back at UTC mall a few days later with Mr. Sweet’s mom, this time to find “the perfect” white pants to go with my newly tailored white blouse. I was ready to give up when Mr. Sweet’s mom insisted we check out one last store—Gap! 

I found a pair of white jeans a whole pant size bigger than what I was used to wearing. Regret for not being able to make it to the gym the week before the party was creeping up on me. How/why did I gain weight?

It didn’t matter. I had to remind myself of my goal this year, which is to always accept that good enough is perfect.

The day of the engagement party came and felt like five minutes had passed. Our party was full of good times and Polaroid photos in bad lighting.

My auntie who I hadn’t seen in years was there. Our moms met for the first time. The restaurant was awesome at helping us plan. Everyone seemed to enjoy the food. Everyone took food home. Mr. Sweet’s sister facilitated games that made us smile and laugh.

I look back at the photos and see not just the outfit I arduously put together, but our journey as a couple. Neither was a perfect process, but both ended on a sweet note.

What I wore, with whatever label it had or size it was in, was good enough. And the feeling of being engaged to someone you want to spend eternity with is utter perfection.

I’m not gonna lie, my white blouse covered my pant zipper that wouldn’t close all the way to the top. Time to step up my workouts. Here we go wedding body season!

Thanks for reading!

With glamour,

Rizzy

Details

{ Blouse } Chelsea 28 (tailored), Nordstrom

{ Pants } Gap{ Makeup } MAC cosmetics

{ Shoes } Old, DSW

{ Clips } JCrew

{ Earrings } Old, Nordstrom Rack

{ Engagement party venue } MishMash SD