It’s so exciting, you’re getting married!!!

But before we jump head first into booking those bridal appointments and getting into all kinds of panic. keep reading…

Now don’t get me wrong, wedding dress shopping can be terrifying and it can be over the top exciting! I have brides that have thought about nothing else but their wedding dress since they were tall enough to use their Nan’s net curtains as a veil and then others that fill with utter fear and dread at the mere thought of trying on a wedding dress, let alone buying one!

Staying calm and being logical about the whole experience is going to save you so much time and beleive me your stress levels will thank you for it; (aswell as your bridal party!) so before you even think about stepping foot inside a bridal boutique there are severals things you need to take into consideration…

Firstly… when and where will you be getting married?

I mean, come on, I know this seems obvious, but I promise you, you would not beleive the amount of brides that have booked an appointment with me not knowing this vital piece of information! Until you know when and where you are getting married, you are not going to be able to make a decision on your wedding dress, or at least it’s not going to be an easy decision to make. Again, I know this sounds completely obvious but as with our every day wardrobes, different times of the year are going to dictate what you want to wear… a high neck gown with long sleeves may not be what you want for a wedding at the height of summer and the same applies to your venue, beautiful outdoor ceremonies aren’t perhaps going to be the easiest event to pull off if you are wanting a gorgeous winter wedding!

Once you have made that decision, it’s then time to get some serious research going. I honestly can’t stress this enough and tell you how important this is! You need to think long and hard about your every day style, think about what works for you and your body, how that could translate into a wedding dress and more importantly (and very often overlooked!) how YOU want to look on your wedding day. This isnt about how mum sees her little princess or how your bridesmaids have always pictured what you would wear on your wedding day. Take your time with it, have a good trawl on Instagram and Pinterest, look at different designers and their styles, find a boutique that feels like you, speaks to you and who you are! If you find a designer you love they will nearly always have a stockists directory on their website for you to be able to find your nearest boutique, or if not get in touch with them! If there happens to be a particular dress you have fallen in love with, please please please check with the boutique to see if they have it or can at least loan it from the designer for you, I cannot tell you how many times a bride has told me about a dress she loves, almost exactly halfway through an appointment, only to discover I could of got it in for her!

Also if someone has recommended a boutique to you, or you know of a friend of a friend bought their dress and had an amazing experience, make sure you research the boutique, if they dont have the styles and feels you are looking for, then you are just going to be wasting their time and more importantly your own! Just because someone else loved them, doesn’t mean that you will!

Now that you know what you are looking for and you have found somewhere that’s giving you all the feels…

**Now this may well be THE most important piece of advice that I will ever give you and I cannot preach how important this is enough …**

Choosing who comes with you to do your wedding dress shopping is of the upmost importance.

You need people with you that will 1. be supportive of your decisions and 2. add fun to the experience, not take it away.

More than 2 or 3 people giving a whole variety of different opinions can more often than not be massively overwhelming! I mean, contraversial but, it is absolutely, 100% ok not to tell anyone that you are shopping for your wedding dress! Shopping for your wedding dress by yourself, completly on your own is perfectly acceptable and don’t forget, that is what I am here for!

So… you’ve finally gathered your #bridetribe after 100’s of whatsapps confirming availability and you’ve got that date in the dairy, you need to make sure you are ready for that appointment. Now this is an often over looked thought, and maybe I’m partly to blame as I perhaps havent stressed this enough but over the years of many many bridal appointments, I cannot tell you how important it is, to come to your appointment in perfectly fitting underwear! I’ve said it a million times and i’m sure i’ll say it a million times more, The right pants can solve a whole host of problems!

You are going to want something that is 1. fits perfectly (which will often mean going up a size or maybe 2) and 2. should be nude, seam free and high waisted. Seam free and high waisted is going to give you a really lovely smooth silhoette and anything other than a nude colour is going to be visable through some gowns!

Sample dresses NEVER fit 100% and an awkward pair of pants on show is sometimes very hard to overlook especially if the dress isn’t in the right size. (Mums and Nans can sometimes find this really hard to get past!) A strapless bra can sometimes also be helpful, but to be perfectly honest, depending on the dress, chances are it’s going to get in the way and we’ll end up whipping it off at some point!

Now, my last piece of advice to you and I’m not gonna lie, this is going to seem a little random, but this has happened several times in the last 6 years so bare with me…

Don’t get drunk the day before a bridal appointment!

It’s potentially going to be a really long old day, especially if you have more than one appointment booked! You’re going to be in and out of dresses, chances are it’s going to be warm and you’re going to be in a fitting room with your bridal consultant/stylist (whatever you want to call her!) which again chances are, isn’t going to be the most roomiest of spaces. I wouldn’t wish hungover shopping on anyone let alone hungover wedding dress shopping!

(I mean would you anyway?)

Not only do you NOT want to feel like shit during your appointment, you’re gonna need to be able to think clearly about the dresses, how they make you feel, remembering how you want to look on your wedding day, what your fiance might think etc. there’s going to be a lot running through your mind, you don’t want to be distracted by the fact that you’re in desperate need of a Greggs, I mean it goes without saying you want to be able to remember your appointment right?!

and how are you possibly going to be able to celebrate that Yes with a glass of bubbles when you are hungover af?

Heres to finding the one!

All my love