Brides of Tampa Bay, unite! We deserve a better wedding dress experience.

Two years ago, I was there. Crammed into a stable-like dressing room at David's Bridal. Wearing a corset that felt like a body diaper. Feeling ginormous under mounds of taffeta and florescent lights.

Everything about it was wrong, but nothing more so than the dress sizes. Why, why, why are wedding dresses made twice as small as normal dresses? Is the industry in cahoots with Jenny Craig? We starve, sweat and suck belly for months to look perfect. The reward: Darling, you need to try that in XXL.

Not me, baby. I kissed David's Bridal good-bye and never looked back to see the train stuck in the door. I went the boutique route for my wedding dress. Not only did I get to wear a size six, I also saved moolah. (Admittedly, I had no interest in looking like a cupcake. Women who dream of being fairy princesses may have no choice but to shop bridal stores.)

I wanted vintage glamor. My instincts guided me to regular dress boutiques, where my dreams came true at Georgette's in Hyde Park Village. I found a formal slip dress embossed with pearls and light sequins. With a lace wash over a bare back, and just a hint of a train, it was love at first sight. And the dress cost less than $500, at least half the price of standard bridal fare.

Like snowflakes, each bride is unique. But here are some tips for finding the dress and wearing it right:

• Don't ignore the back. It's all people see during the ceremony. Having attended a wedding where the bride went low-rider, I have three words of advice: No, no and NO. You really don't want guests wondering if you're wearing panties today.
• Careful with the hairspray. My wedding day was emotional. By the evening, everything looked like an Impressionist painting. I thought it was the lack of sleep, nerves, tears, etc. Then I decided to take out my contacts. Voila! My vision was restored. In hindsight, spraying that gallon of superhold in my hair must have cast a film over my contact lenses.
• Spanx, baby! I have worn them once, on my wedding. Spanx are not sexy, but I will never regret the freedom to enjoy a slice of wedding cake. This is the beauty of married life: When you have 50 years together, there's always a minute to "freshen up." The groom never has to know that you weren't wearing lovely undies all day.

~ Deal Diva Letitia

(Photos: My dress!)