Finding The One

Falling in Love

This post is not about meeting your h2b, it is about finding your absolute perfect wedding dress!

That feeling when you put on a dress that makes you feel special, that makes you smile, that you don’t want to take off – ever – is a very special feeling and not one easy to describe.

It’s starts in your chest as a warm fuzzy tingle, and spreads straight up to cause the break out of a huge smile across your face.

That special feeling even inspired the name for Love my Dress.com blog!

I famously went to 7 bridal shops and tried on a total of 28 dresses before finding the perfect one. I went to lots of different bridal shops, some were large chains and others were small family run boutiques.

UPDATE!

I Just Saw My Bridesmaids’ Dresses!

The bridesmaids dresses are in! I was really worried about the colour but I really like them! They match the colours of all the other items at the wedding, and the wedding flowers too!

Here’s a sneaky peek at three of the dresses. The colour isn’t quite right because of the lighting at the shop, but it’s close enough.

I hope my bridesmaids like them. Lilac isn’t to everyone’s taste, but they did choose the style of dress.

As I said in a previous post, I chose two styles of dresses and gave my bridesmaids the option of choosing two different dresses but the all chose the same, which was fine too.

I really do hope they like them. I’m really pleased with how they turned out. I was really worried they would look almost white but they were very strongly lilac. I just hope they’re not too pale for my bridesmaids.

Anyway, sooooo exciting! I text h2b to tell him I loved the dresses and he said, ‘everything is falling into place’ and it is! Yay!

A History of Wedding Dresses

Where Do They Come From?

Your wedding dress is going to be one of the toughest decisions you make as you plan your wedding. I went famously went to seven wedding dress shops and tried on a whopping twenty-eight dresses before falling for The One!

Along with your christenings and funerals, your wedding is the one time you will be seen at a special public occasion. Historically, these kinds of public events have required special outfits.

Origins

Colour, style and ceremonial importance of the wedding dress varies from culture to culture.

The Middle Ages

Marriage in the Middle Ages was more to do with sealing the relationship between two families, towns or even countries. It was expected that the bride would dress in suitably as befit her position.

Brides were dressed in fine fabrics and amazing jewellery (given as part of their dowry) to display her family’s wealth and importance. Brides usually wore bright colours, velvets and furs, to display wealth.

The purpose of the wedding dress was to say, ‘I’m richer than you.’ The bride rarely chose her gown but was given it, sometimes in her family colours.

Over the Centuries

Brides continued to wear fine dresses made from expensive fabrics that followed the height of fashion. Brides from ordinary families wore their Sunday best.

7 Bridal Shops, 28 Dresses

Down to the Final Three!

On Tuesday, we are going to try on the final three dresses!

I never thought the decision would be this difficult! I’m normally a fairly snappy shopper. I do prefer to try on clothes before buying them but that’s as long as it normally takes me. This five day decision making process is very unlike me!

However, I am very much looking forward to Tuesday because it means I’ll be able to try on my favourite dress again!

The problem is, the shops in which my favourite dresses were found wouldn’t let us take photos! I’m not sure why they wouldn’t let us as the dresses are on their websites but it does mean it’s difficult to for me to compare these dresses to ones I have tried on.

I have printed out some of the pictures from different dresses so that I can compare how I looked in each dress and how much I liked the dress, trying to find which style suits me. When I saw one photo of a dress I don’t want but like the style next to a dress my mum likes, it was easy to see which was more flattering.

My criteria for a wedding dress are as follows:

• Sparkly
• Lace up back
• Floaty
• Skirt coming out from the hip and not from the waist as to accentuate my curves (‘cause I have plenty of curves)
• Sweetheart neckline
• No ruffles, a straight skirt

Lots of dresses meet this criteria but not all of them have everything. And ruffles are really popular at the moment! I have nothing against ruffles, my best friend wore a beautiful taffeta dress with lots of ruffles and she looked stunning! They’re just not me. It’s good to be aware of what suits you but also be open to trying on alternatives just in case you really like them!

I’ve not included photos of any of the three dress, mainly because I only have a photo of one of them, but also because I appear to be fiercely superstitious, and with such a high rate of divorce, I don’t want to risk showing any part of the dresses I’m considering just in case my h2b idly glances at my blog!

But hopefully, by Tuesday, we will have made a decision! Yay! :o)

You Dress

How to Put On Your Dress

While trying on dresses at the bridal shop you will usually be asked to dive into your dress. I imagine it’s a bit like going through the rabbit hole!

However, with your hair done nicely and makeup on, diving through your dress will not be the best of ideas.

Here are my tips on how to safely put your dress on without ruining your look!

1. Ask for any tips or advice from the bridal shop
   They are the experts and will know the best way to get into your dress. Listen to their advice and follow that.
   
2. Pop your dress on, then take it off
   
1. Before you’ve had your hair done or your makeup done, pop the underskirt on (if you have one).
2. Then ask someone to help you dive into your dress. They will need to put the dress, top forwards, into their arms so that you can dive into it.
3. Don’t fasten the dress up, push it down your body to the floor.
4. Push the underskirt down as you push the dress down, so that it falls around your ankles.
5. Then step out.
   Now your dress is ready for you to step into it once your hair and makeup is done.
   
3. When you’re ready, step in
   Once all your makeup and everything is done, step into the space you left when taking off your dress, and pull it up with your underskirt. Make sure everything is comfortable and then ask someone to zip you up, button you in or tie you in.

My main advice would be to follow what the ladies in the shop say, however if you follow these steps you are sure to get into your dress without messing up your hair!

Good luck!

Bridalwear by Francesca

I Went to … Bridalwear by Francesca

A last minute appointment, we made it just in time to try on some dresses at Bridalwear by Francesca. Diane was fantastic and really listened to what I wanted. She gave us heaps of very valuable advice as she could see I was getting a bit over loaded.

Francesca had a wide range different dresses, all different colours and designs.

We pretty much had the room to ourselves and was able to focus on finding a dress that was right for me.

Dianne suggested three different dresses for me, as we had already had a fairly clear idea of what we were after, however we did pick a dress that was slightly different.

Francesca did offer to price match on a different dress that I’d liked from another shop and there was a limited time discount on some dresses on the day we went although to take full advantage of that we’d need to pay the full balance on ordering.

I was advised to visit Francesca by a friend who also bought her dress there, and my advice is also to give them a visit!

Kiss xx

I Went to …Kiss xx in Lichfield

We were driving through Lichfield and decided to pop into a bridal shop. Fantastic idea! I’m really glad I did!

We went to Kiss, a gorgeous bridal shop in Lichfield. We didn’t make an appointment but just popped in and the girl in the shop was really accommodating! 

By this point, we had already looked at quite a few dresses and had a really clear idea of what we wanted. Out of the really fantastic selection they had a the shop we picked out one dress and tried that one out.

The lady in the shop spent a lot of time with us and chatted about loads of things. She let me borrow some shoes for so that I could look in the mirror at almost the right height.

The dress I tried was completely beautiful and I really fell in love with it. They had a fantastic selection.

Well worth a visit!

The Dress - Some Tips

If there was only one thing that would be the focus of your wedding, one thing that stands out above all others, it will be your dress. People will gush and coo over it, talk about how it suits you and how well it fits you, it will be the centre of attention as much as you are.
More importantly, it's how the dress makes you feel. Do you feel comfortable and a princess in your dress? Here are some tips that I've put together to help choose a dress: 

Dress by Benjamin Roberts

• Start looking early, but not too early. If you start looking a year to nine months before your wedding you will have lots of time to enjoy the fun of trying on dresses, relaxing and having your pick of dresses. If you're having a bespoke wedding dress made, try not to leave wedding dress hunting any later than six month

• Collect pictures from magazines and the internet of the dresses however it's important to be aware that dresses look one way posed on a model in a magazine but very different in the real world. I tried on a dress that I loved and I later saw in a magazine - I wouldn't have chosen that dress from looking in the picture in the magazine but it looked fabulous on. 

• Make sure the gown you're going for suits the ceremony you're having. More 

  

  Dress by VEROMIA 

  importantly, have the dress you want, but also be mindful of your venue. Church or religious weddings tend to have the bigger dresses with a train, civil ceremonies tend to have the more slinky dresses. But saying that, my sister-in-law had a gorgeous slinky dress for her church wedding to my brother and she looked amazing so I think it's more important to have the dress you want. 

• Work out a rough budget for your dress. There's no point falling in love with a £2000+ dress if you only have £500 in your budget. If you're like me, once you've fallen for a dress, no other will compare. And if it cost £20 or £2000, you will work hard to have it. 

• Make an appointment. Some dress shops will let you walk off the street but it's best 

  

  Dress by Tia by Benjamin Roberts

  to make an appointment so that you can be sure you'll have all their attention and you won't be sharing the mirror with another bride. Some shops such as Princess Brides, Staffordshire dedicate a whole floor of the shop to you and give you a glass of bubbly! 

• When choosing someone to take to your first try on, take someone who will give you an honest and frank appraisal of how you look. We don't want brutal honesty, but a clear, decisive opinion will help you get an idea of what suits you. I'm taking my mum. She has a keen eye on clothes that suit me, but she also has her own very definite ideas of what my dress should look like. While I value mum's opinions, I will be firm over what I want.

• If you're aiming to lose weight for your wedding, remember to let the lady in the shop know. Maybe a lace up back would be the way to go? That would cut down on the need for adjustments.

• It might be a good idea to go with a strapless or a flesh coloured bra and underwear when trying on your dress, just to give you a more accurate idea of what you'll look like on the day.

• Things to ask the shop include payment plans, can you pay in instalments? Will you need to pay a deposit? Are alterations extra? Will they keep the dress at the shop for you or will you need to take it home? How long will the dress take to come in? 

• Don't keep looking after you've chosen your dress. Once you've picked it and put down the deposit or paid for it, don't look at or try on another dress. You will only torture yourself.

Choosing a dress is one of the most enjoyable parts of planning your special day. Make the most of it.