If you want to know the very best way to buy a wedding dress, ask a bride who has.
By the time the honeymoon is over, the wedding presents have been delivered and the professional photographs have been edited, how did they really feel about the dress they chose to marry in? Did the benefit of hindsight bring a renewed sense of conviction that they made the perfect choice – or had some unwelcome doubts started to creep in.
Jade Beer interviewed seven brides who all married at Tythe, a beautiful working farm and barn venue in Oxfordshire, to discover why they fell in love with their big day look – and whether they remained that way.
Let’s be honest, there is a lot to consider when it comes to buying what might be the most expensive dress you ever wear. Is there enough room in it for you to enjoy the wedding breakfast you spent months choosing? Are you going to feel too restricted by your dress, as Sammy-Jo was, when it’s time to hit the dancefloor? And how can you make a confident decision when you didn’t grow up dreaming about your wedding dress?
The brides we have spoken to have been incredibly insightful when it comes to dispensing advice to other women following them down the aisle. Over the seven interviews, we covered everything from how you choose a dress when your taste is widely different to that of your partner. Because while, yes, it’s you wearing it, presumably you would hope they like it too. How do you match a designer’s dress to your own distinct personality? If you want to really embrace a bridal look that feels a long way from your day-to-day style, how can you avoid feeling like you’re wearing fancy dress?
The very honest advice from these seven women will truly help behind the curtain at your bridal appointment. One woman chose the first dress she tried on; for another it took thirty different dresses before she was satisfied she’d found the one. Rebecca admits to getting it wrong entirely and had to absorb the expense of buying a new dress that looked nothing like her original choice. Don’t miss her story to see how you can avoid making the same mistake yourself.
Lucinda explains why it’s never a good idea to rely on the snaps taken at a bridal appointment and why looking at the shape of pieces in your everyday wardrobe can really help narrow down the choice. As a bridal fashion stylist, did she find the search any easier?
We’ve also asked when it’s best to rely on gut instinct and when to lengthen the search. Whose opinion should you be listening to in the fitting room, especially when no one can agree.
And how can you make your choice of dress feel completely personal to you? Don’t miss Frida’s story for the answer to that often-asked question. As someone who has worked in the fashion business for several years, she also solves the mystery of how to make a bridal corset more comfortable.
‘All of the brides featured in our series offer their best piece of advice to nearly-weds and also share one favourite image from the day – the one that proved they had made the best choice with the dress,’ says Emma Deeley, the owner of Tythe. ‘There’s nothing like hearing directly from a woman who has been through the process to help fine tune your own thinking. This really is a series of interviews not to miss.
Every single woman ended up buying a dress that was in some way different to what she originally thought she might wear. These women also placed huge emphasis on how they would feel in the dress and not just what it looked like on them. So, give yourself permission to be fully open minded too. Who knows where the dress search will take you then.’
Annabel View all Annabel’s articles
Founder of Love My Dress. Passionate Podcaster and Editor. Annabel lives in rural North Yorkshire with her husband and business partner Philip, their two daughters and menagerie of furry hounds. She loves photography, meditation, walking, being outdoors and star gazing. She is fierce when it comes to championing talent within the wedding industry and when she’s not working on Love My Dress, she supports her husband Philip in the running of the family’s sustainable flower farm and floral design business, Moonwind Flowers. In 2013, she became a published author.