Tricks to Deal with IBD as a Bride

Being a Bride often includes an amazing Groom (or Bride), a wonderful group of friends, a jaw-dropping location, and a Wedding Gown.

When choosing a wedding gown, there are many issues to consider. Bathroom breaks are not always on that list of considerations. For many brides, a handful of bathroom breaks does not warrant any say in choosing a wedding gown.
But what if the gown-wearing individual has a 'bathroom disease'??
Being a Bride with Crohn's Disease, Chronic Pouchitis, and just general inflammation throughout the intestines, bathrooms are an essential part of my existence. So, when choosing a wedding gown, bathroom breaks become part of the conversation.
On bad days, really good days, really stressful days, really exciting days, my bathroom breaks will be anywhere between 12 and 25 times throughout the day. So - that's what I need to prepare for.

Here's the problem.
I can also be a bit of a princess.
I wanted the poofy gown. I wanted to feel like a Queen. So I tried to figure out what the best option would be:
• A big enough skirt to fit a massive hoop skirt underneath to be easily lifted over my gown?
• The Bathroom Buddy under-skirt?
• Wearing Depends under my wedding dress (like I did for my Grad dress) just in case I couldn't make it to the washroom?
• A dress that is easy to get in and out of and a dedicated bathroom stall so I could get dressed and undressed every time?

I fell in love with a Mikado Silk gown from a designer I love. I had dreamed of that dress for a few years already. It was an A-Line dress with straps and a low back, buttons, and pockets! 
So I had to come up with a system.
A beautiful friend gifted me a gorgeous kimono at my Bridal Shower that I brought with me throughout the day and at the reception (packed with extra medications, my Epipen, my medical information, some hair pins, flats for dancing; essentially an emergency kit).
Each time I needed to go to the washroom, I brought that emergency kit bag with me. I undid the back of my gown (which was a zipper hidden by buttons), slid off the straps, and put on my kimono. As I stepped out of the gown, I was covered enough (for the women's washroom), I hung the dress on a hook above a locked fire exit door beside the last bathroom stall and went to the washroom. I didn't even need help each time!! Then, when I needed to get back into the gown, I crawled in from underneath with my kimono still on, then replaced each sleeve with the gown's strap one at a time, then got zipped back up (or zipped myself back up).
It was a modest way to make sure that
A ) No one saw anything they did not need to see.
B ) No one else HAD to be there (since I went a dozen times or more throughout the reception).
C ) I didn't have to try and fit a big dress in a little stall.
D ) I did not need to wear Depends.
E ) I did not have to try and lift an entire dress over my head... and then try to freshen up with all of that material still drowning me.

So - ladies with IBD - if you are looking for ways to make the bathroom breaks easier and less conspicuous (instead of having all of your bridesmaids in the stall with you to help), find a dress you can easily step in and out of, bring yourself a lovely kimono to cover up, and take your necessary bathroom breaks in peace and relative comfort.