What To Wear?

WHAT TO WEAR???

9th April 2017. My first dose of dress shopping and I was late! Yep, that's right I was late as I had got the time wrong :\ and the most annoying thing was my best friend who is always late was actually on time! That was a first! And now that is her ammunition against me for future references. So after arriving late to my first shop, I was in a bit of a fluster as I rushed in. My first shop I went to was called Hannah Elizabeth Bridal. Yep I know, very fitting!! A small bridal boutique near Southampton which was overall very pretty and a sweet little shop. I don't know if it's a normal feeling but I felt so overwhelmed. I was handed a small teacup and saucer with three pegs and were to choose the dresses that I would like to try on. I didn't know where to begin and I hadn't even thought what I was actually looking for. 
There were so many as well, loads of different shapes and styles. I picked three and tried them one by one however, with each dress there was always something that just was not right. Don't get me wrong, they were all lovely but none of them were me! I wouldn't say I'm fussy, I just know what I'm after and I found each dress had something missing or too much going on. I ended up trying on six I think in the end and although there were a couple I liked, they weren't quite right. I have posted a couple of sneaky peeks below as they are nothing like the dress I will be going for and also I have helped my friend out many times with her bridal dress designs, so a picture of me in a wedding dress is hardly a new thing for anyone to see.
I really liked Hannah Elizabeth Bridal but I think overall it didn't have the dress that I was after but I would highly recommend. 
Because I was late to this appointment, it made me late to my next one as I had booked them back to back :/
So the next shop I visited was a small shop in a quiet town called Romsey. I felt like when i booked an appointment at this boutique, it was a bit of a last minute decision with little hope of it actually having anything I was looking for. Earlier in the week though, I had purchased a bridal magazine and was pleased to see that this small boutique had actually been named in the top 10 bridal shops in the UK!! Which made me excited to see what they had.
As we entered, we had a little wait until the group before us finished which meant we had time to have a little look at the dresses in the section we were in. Not just that but we also were given champagne!!! Just what everyone wants! I've heard a lot actually that very few places actually do this and the previous boutique didn't, so this was a bonus!!
Looking around, there were a lot of dresses in what I would say, blended in and had no character. I mean I'm not some sort of dress snob at all and in my eyes pretty much all dresses are pretty but sometimes I feel they all kind of blend into one. I like to see something different, something that everyone will remember and not your standard wedding dress. Probably because I'm not your average person :P
In that time, I had already chosen a few that I wanted to try. We were taken through to the other room where even more dresses were hanging up and I was able to choose from all of them which ones I wanted to try. We were taken upstairs to a sweet little room, you know that saying 'Don't judge a book by it's cover'? That was this shop!! From outside, it didn't look amazing but inside and what it had to offer was way more than I had expected.
The first dress I tried was the first dress I was drawn to as soon as we got there and I LOVED it! As soon as I tried it on, all the previous dresses had gone out the window, I had forgotten all about them and that was when I realised that you do get a feeling when you find the one! I did not want to take it off and the accessorising the lady suggested to go with it was lovely. This was when I also noticed that actually my mum is open to some quirky ideas, she is very traditional so I found this so surprising. She best get used to the quirkiness because there is more coming her way!!!
I think I tried on two other dresses but neither compared, so I ended up putting the first one back on. It was me, there was just a couple of small details I wasn't sure on, but details that we could work with to make them right.
I didn't make my choice there and then and I still haven't decided on my dress, it's still early days really. I'm in no rush!
I always said I would go with an elegant timeless design but since I have been engaged, I've decided it needs to be a dress that sums me up and fits who I am, and no i won't be wearing some form of gym leggings and a sports bra on my wedding day :P however, imagine those killer moves I could pull in my gym wear!! High leg kicks and some serious dancing queen struts! So no decisions have been made and I will be going to a couple more shops before I make any decisions!

I like doing bullet points so I'm going to add some key things to think about when choosing your dress below ;)


  • Choose a dress to suit you! Your wedding should not be a show, it's your marriage and it should represent you! Just because it's a formal event, doesn't mean you have to be out of your comfort zone.
  • If you don't want to wear a dress...DON'T!! I saw the nicest jumpsuit which I am seriously considering for something, I just don't know what yet! Lots of females don't like wearing dresses and dresses are seen as the 'norm'. They are not, wear what you want whether it be a dress, a skirt, a suit, a jumpsuit or even your gymwear :P if that's what your comfortable in!
  • Which moves me onto wearing something that you will be comfortable in. Maybe I watch too many of these 'My Big Fat Gypsy Wedding' programmes, but I could not think of anything worse than being in pain, uncomfortable or wearing something I would rather just get out of. 
  • Be adventurous! Play around! Don't be afraid to stray from the 'typical' wedding dress.
  • It's true on the whole when you find the one feeling, not that I have decided yet but I definitely got those kind of feelings in the second boutique and quickly realised that actually I was all wrong in my thoughts with the first dresses I tried. Trust your instincts and don't settle.
  • Take honest friends. I mean my mum came out with some comments which were cringey but they all weren't afraid to say 'No' and tell me their feelings. At the end of the day it is your choice of course, but it's nice to know you have honest opinions rather than everyone just saying 'Awww that's lovely' when you look like a toilet roll holder. 
  • Look Around! Research bridal designers and try different shops. 
So yet again no decisions have been made but it is in the pipeline, I have a couple more shops to visit before I make a decision as I would really like to work with my very talented friend Tara Bradley-Birt Atelier in making my wedding dress. I will post a link to her instagram and website below so go have a little looky at her amazing designs!! I have also attached some of my favourite designs of hers!!



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