What Brides want you to know before you start shopping... Pt.1

So a while ago I put it out on Instagram for my gorgeous Brirides to tell me one thing they wish they knew before they started their bridal dress shopping, and here we are with Part 1…

Wedding dress sizes are different to normal clothes…
So this one is true, Bridal sizing is very different to the High Street and just like the High Street and all shops being slightly different; so are bridal designers. The way to get past this is to not get fixated on the numbers, wedding dresses will fit you in a different way to your normal clothes, and you know what, the number doesn’t matter! What matters is the dress fitting you and you feeling the best you’ve ever felt!
How much alterations could be…
When deciding on your budget, you should always remember to include your accessories and of course your alterations. Now again like designers, all seamstresses are different in what they charge and the way in which they work. On average Bottom Drawer Brides have paid between £200-£500.
That it’s OK to not find the perfect one straight away…
Of course it is. Not finding your dress at the first appointment doesnt mean you’re never going to find THE DRESS, It might mean that you’ve not found the right boutique for you, maybe you’ve been looking at the wrong styles and now we need to go back the beginning with finding whats right for you, your shape, and your style!
The yes moment doesn’t always mean tears…
So I will never know where this comes from, who said that we all have to cry to know that its the right dress? Some people just aren’t like that. Yes your wedding dress is an emotional purchase rather than a practical one, but that doesn’t mean you have to have the beauty pageant reaction, you might just know in your gut that it’s the right dress for you.
Don’t try anything on out of budget its not worth it…
100 million percent, if you know without a doubt that you cannot stretch your budget then do not try the dress on. You’re only going to disappoint yourself when you fall in love with it and can’t afford it!
Delete the photos of you in the dress, you don’t need them…
No you do not! A photo of you in your dress that probably doesn’t fit right, with no make up and hair done taken on an iPhone is not going to be the same as the professional photos you get back of you on the wedding day. You need to remember how the dress makes you feel, not be looking back at unflattering photos.
That you should think about all elements of the day, eating dancing etc
So yes in the boutique, you wont be moving around in the same way as you will on your wedding, but there are lots of things for you to consider when finding the one. We all love a gorgeous fitted dress but if you’re wanting to throw some serious shapes on the dancefloor is a fitted gown the way to go?
The only thing that matters is what YOU love…
Read that one again, the only thing that matters is what YOU love. It doesn’t matter what mum thinks, your maids or even what I think. All that matters is how YOU feel.
Wild cards aren’t always a bad idea, they could be the one…
The moral of this story, make sure when you shop you try and keep an open mind. Being so focused on a particular style/shape/design could end up in broken hearts!
That it doesn’t matter if it looks good, it needs to feel right…
This is something that I say in the boutique all the time, It doesn’t matter what anyone thinks. Of course we all want the dress to look amazing but if it doesn’t feel right and you cant see yourself walking down the aisle or having that first dance, then it’s not the right dress for you!
You don’t have to cry to know its the one and no one else has to either…
Like I said with No:4, tears don’t mean its the one not crying also doesn’t mean it’s not the one! Some people have emotional responses and others don’t, there’s no right or wrong response to finding your wedding dress!
That I could shop by myself…
So for those of you who have already had the pleasure of shopping for your wedding dress with me, you will have heard me say, I’m never going to let you buy a dress that you don’t look good in, I want to know that when you are walking down the aisle you look and feel amazing! So long story short, you can always trust me, so if you don’t want to shop with your nearest and dearest you don’t have too!
That you shouldn’t put so much pressure on yourself, when you know you know…
Read that again my lovelies, read that again! You should not be putting too much pressure on yourself when it comes to finding your wedding dress. You’ve heard all those stories, “I didn’t expect to find my dress today!” “I can’t beleive I found my dress at the 1st appointment!” “I thought wedding dress shopping was supposed to be hard!” This is what happens when you do the right research and go into your appointment with a beautifully open mind!
Trust your gut!
Noone can ever tell you how you feel, regardless of what me, mum, the maids say about how you look, saying yes has to come fom how the dress makes you feel. It might be that your gut says to say yes right away or maybe your gut’s telling you to take your time. whatever it tells you, that is the right thing to do!