Stars, Stripes, and Cinderella
I believe every girl deserves to feel like a princess at least once in their life. Maybe twice if you count your wedding day. However, this was not my wedding day. Instead it was the Marine Corps Ball. Now if you have never been to one, let me just start by saying this event is meant to be very formal. I'm talking dress blues as far as the eye can see and gorgeous evening gowns.
In high school I never went to my prom, I was never really interested in it. I was more focused on graduating and getting off to the college of my dreams. So when my boyfriend Kelden asked me to be his date to the ball my excitement immediately took over. I soon as I got home that night I went straight upstairs to tell my mom.
I quickly started looking for a dress, I found a couple online that were ok but nothing that made me want to drop everything I was doing and go get it. The next couple weeks consisted of going to dress store after dress store. Still nothing was popping out at me and screaming "Courtney I am your dress." I was just about to give up hope. I
thought I was going to have to settle for something that was below my expectations... when finally- I found my dress. The one I had been waiting for, the one that had everything I was looking for. It's a gorgeous black, strapless, sweetheart neckline, floor length dress with lots of sparkles. I mean, what girl doesn't like sparkles?! I purchased the dress, now I just had to play the waiting game of getting to wear it for the ball. The anticipation was killing me. I had a countdown going for weeks.
Finally the day of the ball arrived, the day we would pack our things in the car and drive to Las Vegas where the ball was being held at the Paris Hotel. I had a hair appointment in the morning at 9am before heading off Vegas. After all hair isn't the easiest thing to do ever. (At least not for me it isn't)
When my hair was finished she let me look at all angles of it and to say I was in love with how it came out would be in understatement. After my hair appointment came the long 3 and a half hour drive to Vegas.
We made it to Vegas, checked into our hotel (the Luxor) and from there got up to our rooms and I did my make-up because something told me I wouldn't have time for it later. While doing my make-up Kelden got a call from a couple of his marine friends, and they told us to meet them for a snack a Hooters.
So we went, and boy am I glad that I went, because meeting some of them before the ball really calmed my nerves due to the fact that I knew I was going to be meeting a lot of people on this night!
The view from outside my hotel room!
After Hooters it was time to go back to the Hotel and finish getting ready. Remember how I said I did my make-up a little earlier in the day because I had a feeling that I wouldn't have time for it later? Well that feeling of mine was right because 2 other Marines came and got ready in the room as well.
At last came the time for the boys to put on their blues and for me get dressed. After what felt like months of waiting I finally got to put on my dress that made me feel like a princess. I stepped out of my room and that is when he saw my dress for the first time ever. His jaw practically dropped and he told me I looked beautiful. I could not have asked for a better reaction.
After months of anticipation for the ball to be here I felt like it was done and over with so fast. So fast that it felt like a blur. We got there and took pictures right away, then made our way to our seats for the ceremony and dinner. Dinner consisted of a salad, steak, chicken, and mashed potatoes. It was so yummy! After dinner it was time for dancing. I had a blast and even acquired some blisters from the shoes I was wearing because of all the dancing. We ended with a slow dance to "Still Fallin" by Hunter Hayes and next thing I know we were back at the hotel. I was still in awe of everything I had just experienced, from the ceremony to the food, to the dancing, and even meeting new people. The most amazing part of the night was that my boyfriend never stopped reminding me of how beautiful he thought I looked.
Dancing.
