Update: A-Dressing the Issue

So the beautiful dress didn't work. In consultation with an friend/expert it would have been a LOT of work to overhaul, plus the quote I got for altering was well out of my price range. I didn't have the heart to try to fix it myself taking the high risk of butchering it altogether. Begrudgingly, I returned it, somewhere out there is a size eight person with a fantastic dress.
So on with my QUEST! I have since tried on so many dresses I have permanent price tag imprints in my armpits! I turned to the internet for more options and at last a shimmer of hope. I found another dress which I am hoping is perfect, it is a similar shape to the prior but shorter in length (like me!). I consulted four different size guides to help select the right fit before pushing the order button. I have never bought clothes online before- so this is unexplored territory.
I always imagine myself as a laid back no-big-deal kind of girl. Then these events show my true colors as the over-thinking-worry-wart I am. Inevitably, I will arrive at the wedding and think "why did I make that such a big deal?" I think I am just excited at the idea of a truly formal occasion. Not fake formal like the prom where, sure you're in a nice dress, but you are still drinking out of red plastic cups, and jump dancing to overly loud music that makes your ears ring all the way home. I guess I want to see if I really clean-up-good, or if should just stick to the paint overalls.