The Wedding Dress Diet is On

Must Lose Weight

Days to go: 11 months, 9 days.

The lady in the shop reliably told me that I 'just need to tone up a little bit’ while my mum kindly let me know, ‘You need to lose at least a stone.’

So, the wedding dress diet is on.

There’s an App for That

I’ve been using my phone to help me lose weight. There are a number of App's that I’m using:

	The three main apps that I’m using are My Fitness Pal, Ultimate Weight Loss Hypnosis Lite and Target Weight. They’re fairly good apps and in combination they’re really helping me to think about my weight and exercise regime.
Target Weight keeps track of your weight changes but it’s important to remember that your weight will vary from day and your weight will go up as well as down. I’ve got to admit, I was a bit disappointed that my weight went up after I’d got it down, but it could just be the time of day.
Ultimate Weight Loss by Hypnosis is fantastic! I’ve only listened to it a few times and already the thought of having a chocolate bar does not appeal to me and when I’m thinking of a snack I think of the bananas I have in the kitchen. It’s mainly about changing habits to make sure that you’re still being healthy but at the same time losing weight.
My Fitness Pal keeps track of what you’ve eaten during the day and how many calories you have left. It also allows for any exercise you do. It’s been telling me I’m not eating enough calories but that could be because I haven’t recorded them properly in the graph.

So there you have it. I will be losing weight until September when I’m going to get measured for the dress. I am hoping that it’ll work with all these supports and all the determination I have.

My Blog, Explained

My Blog: Explained

I’ve had fantastic support from my regular blog viewers but I was wondering if everyone has had the opportunity to use my blog to the fullest.

Parts of My Blog You  May Not Have Used!

The Pages:

All my blog posts are sorted into topic areas stored on these pages. If you’re looking for something specific you can quickly flick to that page to find what you’re looking for.

Twitter:

Twitter is an invaluable resource for sharing ideas and opinions through the internet. I try to use other people’s Twitter posts to inspire blog posts or to track back to their ideas. Twitter is full of photos and inspiration for the new bride planning her wedding.

If you click on any of the links on the Twitter widget it will take you to their Twitter posts so that you can read their information.

Comments

Comments are really valuable feedback for anyone, let alone a blogger! I can make sure I focus my blog on the issues that are interesting you and I can provide valuable feedback. The comments allow for a more interactive experience. 

Followers

Finally, please follow my blog! You will receive instant updates about any new blog posts and you will be the first to read any interesting wedding advice.

Spreadsheet Update

New and Improved Spreadsheet

It was getting difficult to fit all my information into my spreadsheet so I tweaked it a little and have come up with this!

Free Online Spreadsheet to Download.

Changes include:

I’ve added itemised totals to the total section of every page. If you’re like me, and several people are helping to pay for your wedding, such as your inlaws or your parents, you may want to keep track of what everyone is paying. For me, it’s so that I can really appreciate what people are contributing to help give me the most beautiful day possible.

I’ve added a splash of colour with this To Do list. Using colour instantly lets you know what has been done and the columns for adding amounts you’ve paid out also lets you know what has been completed. 

I have added this sheet where you can instantly see who is able to attend your wedding and who isn’t. This makes it much easier when sorting out your table plan.

I’ve split the costs down into a lot more detail.  As I’m going through the planning and paying process before my wedding day, I’ve found there are hidden costs that I didn’t include in my original such as the hoop that goes under the dress and a breakdown of the wedding favours.

I’ve also put in keeping a record of the gifts bought for members of the bridal party, parents and anyone else you’d like to honour with thanks on your Big Day. (I think I should probably honour everyone I’ve spoken to in the 2 years before the wedding just to thank them for putting up with me!)

Unromantic

It is a bit unromantic to be counting every penny you’ve spent for your wedding, however in this economic climate, just keeping track of your finances is a very sensible idea.

If you use this spreadsheet or make one of your own, try to keep track of your spending.

Veils Explained

Everything You Need to Know About Veils

Choosing the right veil to go with your dress is almost as difficult as choosing the dress itself! You want one that matches and looks right with your dress, one that doesn’t detract from your over all look but does add something special to that moment as you walk down the aisle.

The History of the Veil

It’s not clear if the wedding veil is a religious symbol in Western, white weddings or not. In the Olden Days, women wore their hair long and flowing as a symbol of their virginity. In Roman times, women wore brightly coloured, often red veils that were very big and full. They were worn to ward off evil spirits. Later, in the 19th Century, women wore a veil as a symbol of modesty.

There’s an example in the bible of a girl wearing a veil where the father tried to trick the groom into marrying his fiancé's sister. So, they have been around for a long time.

At a Christian marriage in the UK, the bride must remove her veil just as she reaches the altar as the vicar must be able to see clearly that the people he thought he would be marrying are standing in front of him.

Veil Lengths

Fascinator Veil This veil would be worn as a clip, slide or on an Alice band in your hair. It would only cover the face.	Shoulder Length Veil This is the shortest length veil that it’s possible to have without the veil being a hat.
Elbow Length Veil As the name suggests, this veil comes to your elbows. The entire back of your dress is still seen.	Waist Length Veil This veil stops at the waist. A veil like this is good as it obscures any tan lines you may have.
Fingertip Length Veil This veil comes a bit longer and will hide detail on your dress. However, if you have a sparkly veil it’ll add detail.	Knee Length Veil Again, this veil will cover your dress but the right veil will only enhance your dress.
Floor Length Veil This veil goes all the way to the floor and will cover the entire back of your dress.	Chapel Length Veil This veil will come slightly longer than the average dress and will trail behind you.
Cathedral Length It certainly makes a statement, the cathedral length veil is very long and trails behind the bride.	Royal Length Veil The longest veil before Princess Dianna was 20 feet, Princess Dianna’s veil was 25 feet long.

For a complete guide to veil lengths see The Wedding Veil Shop.co.uk.

The Right Veil for You

My suggestions are as follows:

• If the veil doesn’t feel right on you, it’s too long, or too heavy, or too short, then it’s not the one for you. You want to feel comfortable, emotionally and physically, in everything you wear on your wedding day.
• If there is a lot of interesting detail on the back of your dress I would suggest elbow, waist or finger tip length veils as this will best show off your dress. I would also suggest a plainer veil as this will keep the focus on your dress.
• Alternatively, if your dress is a bit plainer you could go for a bit of detail in your veil, either lace detail or some diamante sparkles.
• When trying on your veil, try to do your hair in a similar style as to what you want on your day as this will give you a better idea of how you will look on your day.
• Be prepared to shop around for your veil. Some veils cost anything from £60 - £200. Your bridal shop may suggest an expensive veil but you might be able to find it cheaper elsewhere, or a very similar one. If you have the name and number of your veil, you might even be able to buy it online!

My Veil

I chose a finger tip length veil with a touch of sparkle. I really fell in love with a Swarovski with dangling diamantes. It was gorgeous, but it didn’t look right with my favourite dress. I wanted something that enhanced the prettiness of my dress, not something that took the attention away.

I’m really looking forward to wearing it!

I Have Bought My Dress!

Today I Bought My Wedding Dress

I still can’t believe it myself!

Mum and I returned to one of the previous dress shops we’d visited and tried on the two dresses I liked. I tried on the one I wasn’t that keen on, and I did look quite slim. It hid all my lumpy bumpy bits and it was pretty. My head started to sway slightly. I liked the organza and I liked the little flower embroidery. It was a light and floaty dress. It was nice.

Then I put on my favourite dress and that was it. It was beautiful and sparkly and floaty and the train is long but not too long. I thought I looked slim and tucked in and my lumpy bumpy bits were all hidden!

In an attempt to convince me that the first dress was better, the lady in the shop held the first dress up against my dress. And then she revealed my dress underneath it was like being bopped by the fairy god mother’s wand. I felt like a princess!

Even better, we had the benefit of a 20% discount so that my dress, plus a veil and hoop, came in under budget! Bonus!

I would love to share some photos of it with everyone but I will keep The Dress a closely guarded secret.

I have bought my wedding dress! Wow! It’s still sinking in!

Good Luck!

How to Bring the Best of Luck to Your Wedding

As a bit of quirky fun, the geniuses at English Wedding said, ‘Grooms should always wear their brightest pants for good luck' and that got me thinking what other good luck charms are available for helping the happy couple enjoy their day to the fullest?

At my chief bridesmaid’s wedding, she was given a bunch of lucky charms to carry after  the ceremony and I was wondering where these traditions came from and what do they signify?

Good luck charms developed in the Medieval times. People then were very superstitious and sometimes these superstitious made their way through to modern day.

At friend’s wedding she was given a horseshoe, a rolling pin and a wooden spoon however there are many more ….

Horseshoe

Legend has it the 10th Century Archbishop of Canterbury, Dunstan, who was a former blacksmith managed to outwit the devil. The devil was thought to have asked Dunstan to shoe his hoof. Dunstan had realised his customer was the devil and nailed the shoe on as painfully as he could. The devil begged for mercy. Dunstan agreed to remove the shoe on condition that the devil agreed never to enter a place where a horseshoe was hung over the door.

The horseshoe is also thought to help with fertility. Horseshoes would be presented to the bride and groom and they were often displayed as cake-toppers. In order to retain the good luck the horseshoe should be hung upside down with the shoulders pointing upwards in a U shape otherwise all the luck in your marriage would fall out. (From WeddingChaos.co.uk)

Rolling Pin and Wooden Spoon

The wooden spoon originated from Wales. It was given to a lady by her admirer. A man would need to show both the woman he loved and her father his intentions. The carved spoon would show he was good with his hands and so he could work the fields and provide for her and the carved heart would be to show his affection for her.

If she keeps the spoon then this would indicate that her heart belonged to him. (From WeddingChaos.co.uk)

Traditionally both the rolling pin and the wooden spoon were made from wood then painted white or silver. Nowadays they are often made from plastic. They symbolise good cooking skills in the bride and is again presented to the bride by a child.

Silver Sixpence

Traditionally, the silver sixpence is placed in the bride's left shoe. It was during the reign of Edward VI that the sixpence was brought into circulation and the Victorians incorporated it as part of the wedding tradition. The bride was presented with the sixpence by the Lord of the Manor but it became more customary for the father of the bride to present the sixpence.

The bride or her father would place the coin in her left shoe in the hope it will bring her marriage a lifetime of wealth.

Confetti

It doesn’t just look good in photos, confetti is lucky too! In Pagan times rice and grain was usually thrown at the bride and groom to represent fertility and continuity. This has been adapted to paper and dried petals.

The Day You Marry

If you’re getting married on a Saturday, as I am, unfortunately it’s an unlucky day according the to the rhyme:

Monday for health, Tuesday for wealth, Wednesday best of all, Thursday for losses, Friday for crosses, Saturday for no luck at all

Flower Girls

Happily, a flower girl is incredibly lucky! In olden times as the bride and her party walked to the church a little girl would throw flower petals in her path to ensure good luck and ward off evil spirits.

Keep Your Eyes Peeled!

If you spot lucky omens on the way to the wedding, that will also bring luck to your marriage. If you see a rainbow, have the sunshine on your back, have your path crossed by a black cat or be greeted by a chimney sweep then you are in luck, however I’m not sure how lucky your dress will be if greeted by a chimney sweep.

Unlucky omens include seeing a pig, hare or lizard, seeing an open grave or seeing Monks or Nuns as that would signify infertility and dependence on the church.

A Silly Bit of Fun

Of course, these are silly traditions developed by superstitious medieval people who believed in magic but there’s no harm in embracing the traditions just to cover all your bases. Or not, however you choose.

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)

The Invitations

Just had a really good meeting with the invitation lady. Is she a stationer? That makes her sound like she's WHSmiths. Not sure what you call people who make wedding stationary. It was a good meeting anyway, and I think I will like the new and improved invitations more! I hope h2b will too!

Staggered.com

Brilliant!

My h2b and some of my friends, and I have discussed this problem many times: What to do when a zombie attacks?! For all the information and points you will need to consider, check out staggered.com. As Staggered points out, it’s important to work with your partner and become a zombie smiting team!

1. Find a safe place to hold out
   I would suggest somewhere with sewage drainage, somewhere you could grow crops or rear animals, and somewhere with very big, very secure walls!
2. Weapons!
   Zombies are traditionally killed by destroying the brain. The easiest method for this is shooting them in the head. Guns aren’t really abundant in the UK so finding somewhere to get guns is essential. And ammunition. Without ammunition guns are very un-streamlined stones. Sharp knives too, as cutting the spinal cord at the base of the neck also works to stop a zombie.
3. Quarantine!
   When other survivors start hearing about this safe place you have, you will be inundated with refugees. Make sure you have an effective quarantine system before you admit any new survivors.

Follow these three simple rules and you will survive any zombie apocalypse! But make sure you read staggered.com’s article too, as without that information, you’re stuffed!

KT Bridal

I Went to…. KT Bridal

I cannot recommend KT Bridal enough! The level of service we received was outstanding and the lady who helped us was fantastic! 

They have a lovely range of dresses and a range of bridesmaid dresses and the people who work there are fantastic.

There are no hidden costs. They are happy to store your dress for you until the day before your wedding free of charge. Any alterations are extra but there are no surprise costs. The price you pay is the whole and complete price.

The show rooms are luxurious and comfortable with a thick red carpet and a beautiful room to get changed in.

This bridal shop was by far my favourite however the dress I liked the most isn’t the one for me. However, it is worth asking a favourite bridal shop if they can order the dress you do like so  that you can buy it from them. It can’t hurt to ask.

I had a fantastic time at KT Bridal. They also own Balloon Expressions who offer chair covers and balloons for weddings, who are fantastic as well! KT Bridal and Balloon Expressions are featuring at a wedding fayre at Buckatree Hall Hotel, The Wrekin, Wellington, Telford, Shropshire. TF6 5AL on Wednesday, 4th May, 6pm until 9pm - Free Entry to the Fayre.

I would strongly suggest visiting KT Bridal to feel like a princess while trying on dresses!

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!

Mix ‘n’ Match

I Went to… Mix and Match

We went to Mix and Match this morning to look at wedding dresses and some mother-of-the-bride dresses. My friend bought our bridesmaid dresses from Mix ‘n’ Match so I knew the shop and how to get there.

We were a little early so mum began trying on some of their Linea Raffaelli which are some beautiful occasion wear and wedding suits for mothers-of-the-bride.

Mum looked absolutely fantastic in this Linea Raffaelli. Mum was after a purple suit because she would like to have an outfit that matches the wedding colours, however this gorgeous silver suit really complimented her figure and looked fantastic!

I thought we’d found a fantastic dress for mum!

I tried on three different dresses that were absolutely beautiful. I had the upstairs changing room all to myself and I was able to look through their exciting selection of dresses.

Well worth a look!

Plus One

The Plus One Problem

Recently in the BBC, they have reported on the plus one problem. It was actually my h2b who found the article. It’s about the Royal wedding invitations, the Royal couple are not inviting partners for all their guests.

I can understand that.

Sort a rough guest list before you find your venue

The guest list has been a problem for my h2b and I as well! We made our guest list before we started looking for a venue because we needed to know how much space we needed. The average number of people we could invite at most of the venues we went to in the West Midlands was 60 – 80 people with more people able to fit in a marquee. 

For our wedding that’s at least 20 too few! Assuming everyone we invite can come.

We searched and searched for a venue that would be able to fit all our wedding guests! We didn’t want to knock anyone off the guest list because we felt that if people were happy and kind enough to come to our wedding, we should try to get them in! Especially as a lot of our guests will be travelling from all over the country and from abroad.

Copy the Royal wedding?

According to the article, a lot of people are feeling put out that their partners haven’t been invited to the Royal wedding. But what is the etiquette?

Usually, if a couple are married, engaged or live together then it is customary to invite the partner. But what if you’ve never met their partner? What if you don’t like their partner?

For our wedding, numbers are tight. We chose the biggest venue we could find but numbers are tight. I have lots of cousins and because my h2b has lived all over the world, he has a lot of friends. We want everyone to be able to come!

What I think

My personal opinion is that if the guest knows someone at the wedding, I’m not going to invite partners. For example, I have a few friends from university coming to the wedding and as they know each other, I’m not going to invite their partners. I’ve met their partners and I think they’re really nice but we’re just so constricted by numbers. If it turns out that we have space and can invite their partners, I’d give them a call to invite the partners. However, if I invite someone who I realise doesn’t know anyone else at the wedding, I would put ‘and guest’ on their wedding invitation. No one wants to be sat at a wedding or a reception not knowing anyone.

I don’t think people mind. I think that wedding guests, especially if they’re already married, are well aware of the problem with numbers. I think that if people are put out by the invitation then that’s not very fair. Making a guest list is difficult enough as it is without wanting to upset someone!

The authority on etiquette, Debrett's, says traditionally, if you were not known by the bride's mother, you did not get an invitation. That would dramatically shrink our guest list and make things much easier! lol

The cost

A ‘plus one’ can cost the bride and groom anything over and above £100, would you want to spend that kind of money on someone you’ve not even met?

Can you ask to have a plus one? 

If you’re feeling really shy about going to a wedding on your own, aware that you won’t know anyone, should you ask to take someone? There is no harm in ringing the couple, explaining your situation and asking for a plus one. Some etiquette people think that this is the height of rudeness but I think that with all the planning in a wedding, this may have been over-looked so there is no harm in asking. However, you must be understanding if the bride and groom say there is no wiggle room!

I have had to ask two of my best friends to leave their currently unborn babies with babysitters! While the babies wouldn’t cost me anything at the reception (they’d actually save me money!) they would take up a seat. As we’re squashed as it is, I’ve had to ask for the babies not to come. I felt awful saying that, the babies aren’t even born yet!

Guest lists are difficult. The best thing to do is hope for understanding friends and family and invite who you really want to be there.

Sensitive Bride to Bride Information

How to Have a Tinkle While Wearing Your Dress

This is a touchy subject. It might be something you’d ask your dress maker but it’s not something us girls talk about. However, after spending on average between £400 - £800 on a dress that you’ll only wear once, you don’t want to pee on your dress!

It’s difficult enough to pop to the ladies when you’re wearing a long dress, but in a dress with a train, corset in which you have been tied, zipped, tucked and squeezed, it’s even more difficult! And you’re most likely to need the toilet on your wedding day with reception drinks, table drinks, toasting drinks and all the drinks your friends and family will buy you to help you celebrate.

Here are some tips on how to use the loo without dripping on your dress:

• Use your hotel toilet!
  If you can, nip to the loo in your hotel room if it’s near your reception venue. It’ll be more private and you’ll have more time and space to relive yourself. 
  
• Bridesmaids are brilliant..
  If you’re really stuck and have to go, and you have a bridesmaid who is amazing, you could ask her to come with you just to hold your dress out the way. But this is something very personal so make sure you ask the right person. Maybe your mum would be best?
  
• One last tip!
  Finally, one last tip from ProjectWedding that seems to have worked for brides all over! Face the toilet!
• If you can’t use your hotel room toilet, go in the disabled toilets. There will be more space for you to manoeuvre. Even if you’re in a slimmer fitting dress I’d suggest the disabled toilet as you can never have too much room!
• Remove your underwear so it’s not just around your ankles, it’s off completely.
• Walk straight forward, so you are straddling the toilet, and sit down that way. The train/back of your dress will now be away from the toilet, so you won’t get them wet or dirty.
• Lean forward before peeing. That way, even if you drop the front of the dress onto the seat, you will not pee in its direction.

Using the toilet is a touchy subject, no one wants to talk about it but if you follow the advice here you won’t have to worry!

An Element of the Orient

A Bit of East Meets West

Last year my friend helped me to find a double happiness paper stamp. Double happiness is a Chinese ideogram which represents a happy marriage. It features highly at a Chinese wedding, it may appear on the invitations or the napkins. At my soon-to-be-sister-in-law’s wedding it appeared as bunting in our hotel suite. And it is always red.

My h2b is Chinese and I wanted to include an element of his culture in our English wedding. The only thing is, red is not one of our wedding colours.

I’m not sure if it’s unlucky to have double happiness in any other colour than red but we were thinking of having it in our wedding colours.

We have been searching for the paper they make sparkly table decorations out of, the double sided sparkly card, sort of plastic. We cannot find it anywhere! So, we thought we could try double sided paper instead.

The double happiness-es would be scattered on the tables along with the crystals and glitter. Hopefully it’ll add a little bit of Chinese culture to our traditional English wedding.

A Day of Dresses

How I Got Really Stressed and Over-whelmed!

Wedding dress shopping is supposed to be fun, it’s supposed to be something you do with your friends or your mother, bonding and having fun. I got really stressed and over-whelmed.

I am a very decisive person. Usually decisions don’t take me very long. I’m an impulse buyer. 

However, when choosing a wedding dress I went all to pieces.

I was a bit shy when I walked into the bridal shop. I’m not used to rooting through racks of dresses and to be honest, it’s difficult to know what to look for. I knew what I liked in the pictures but I wasn’t  sure what would suit me. What I really wanted was for the lady in the shop to choose all the dresses for me, but we had to start somewhere.

I think going to the bridal shop with a good idea with what you want is a good start, but I wanted to be open to something that might not be my taste but does make me look amazing.

This is why I was open to trying on a fish tail dress. It was a beautiful dress but it was not me. I’m a curvier bride with quite a young face. While I do think curvy girls can wear anything we like, I don’t feel the fish tail dress made me look as stunning as I want to on my wedding day.

So fish tails were out!

Once the lady in the shop understood my style, she began suggesting different styles for me. That was when I started to relax.

Chatting with the lady in the shop also helped. It was good that I have an interest in weddings as I was able to talk about Four Weddings, Bridezillas, Don’t Tell the Bride, Wedding House, Big Fat Gypsy Weddings, The Wedding Diaries and Wedding Babylon. She was also able to impart some of her experience of other brides.

However, I left the first shop very unsure and feeling as if I hadn’t found The Dress yet. 

Mum, chief bridesmaid and I then went to lunch and very carefully didn’t talk about anything to do with The Wedding.

It was then to the next bridal shop. This was one that chief bridesmaid had been to before when she began her search for The Dress, so this brought back fond memories for my chief bridesmaid. She and mum made themselves comfortable on the gorgeous leather sofas while I got down to my undies.

They had a huge selection and mum and chief bridesmaid seemed to busy themselves with looking for  more and more dresses for me to try on.

But nothing clicked with me, nothing said, ‘This could be The Dress.’ I started to get quite disheartened. I thought the dresses I tried on were beautiful but they just weren’t me!

It was as if I liked bits and pieces from each dress but I couldn’t find a dress that had everything I wanted. I even tried on a huge dress that wouldn’t have looked out of place on Big Fat Gypsy Weddings.

Normally very decisive, I was unable to make a decision! Unheard of!

The whole experience was really over whelming. I was excited but nervous but unsure about the dresses, I was thinking about what h2b would like to see me in and this image in my head I’d had about my perfect dress was starting to drift away.

Until, chief bridesmaid picked out two last dresses. The lovely lady in the shop could see I was getting a bit distressed and she said that these should really be the last ones. I was grateful.

The last but one dress I tried on after a long day of wedding dress shopping felt like The Dress. It had the shape, the sparkle, the quirk, the something that made it speak to me. I immediately went from tired and stressed to giddy and excited as if a switch had been flicked!

I didn’t want to take it off! I was walking around in it, trying sitting down in it, hopping around the bridal  shop like a kid on Christmas morning. I was smiling! Mum and chief bridesmaid were smiling!

However, we are going to keep looking just to check that we’ve made our final decision. Apparently, I’ve  been told that it does take more than one day of wedding dress shopping to find the perfect dress. How the men on Don’t Tell the Bride manage it is beyond me!

What I achieved during my day of wedding dress shopping are:

• I prefer a fuller skirt so the hoop is in
• An a-line silhouette suits me better rather than a ball gown silhouette 
• I can wear a sweetheart line without showing too much boob
• Fish tail and fitted dresses are not for me
• I need a dress with a bit more sparkle or detail or with something unusual to it

Successful day I think!