Lifestyle | Wedding Update – Picking THE dress

Hello Beauties, how are you? It’s been a couple of months since I last wrote about my up and coming wedding and as a lot has changed since then I thought it was about time I updated you all! This is also the reason why things have been a little quiet on my blog.. the wedding is definitely taking over my life and as there were a number of things we had to get arranged before Christmas every spare moment has been spent researching or meeting people!

So last time I updated you (read the blog post here) we had picked our wedding date (19th September 2015), found our venues, chosen our Bridesmaids, Maids of Honour, Page Boy and Ushers and booked our photographer and car. This ticked a lot of boxes but there is still a huge amount to get done so next on our list was my wedding dress (eeeek), save the dates and table decorations and theme.

So far the most exciting part of the wedding planning has been dress hunting. I had a good idea of the style of dress I was looking for after spending lots of time researching online but when it came to the actual shopping at first it was still pretty daunting and overwhelming. I went to four shops in total, all of which had to be booked weeks in advance and offered a completely different experience, some of which were better than others.

The first shop I went to had recently been awarded the best Bridal Shop in the UK and the experience was incredible. I was treated like a princess the second I walked in the door and my mum and two Maids of Honour were also made to feel equally as welcome and comfortable. On arrival we were guided to our 

own room and treated to bucks fizz and nibbles while I was asked some questions about our wedding so our adviser could get an idea about what I wanted and the theme of the day. The room was amazing.  It was huge and there were large ornate mirrors surrounding it, bird cages, flowers and beautiful girly details. It was very pretty and delicate, perfect for a wedding dress shop.

Once the lady had all my details we selected some dresses and the fun bit started. The room was huge and divided by a large curtain so every dress I tried on I could see first before standing on a block ready for the grand reveal to my loved ones. It made it extra special and was a lot a fun! I can’t go into details about the dresses I tried on because quite a few friends and family read this blog so I don’t want the suprise reuined or anything getting back to the groom but after trying on about ten dresses there was one that stood out for me, the first one I tried on. 

Even though I loved first dress I’d tried on I was still keen to go to some other places so I could be sure about my decision. The wedding is 9 months away and I needed to make sure I picked a dress I would still love and want to wear that far down the line. You may wonder why I was shopping this early. It’s because wedding dresses can take up to six month to be made and then you should allow three months for fittings so according to that schedule things were tight although I guess the later could be a little more flexible if necessary.

The next appointment was a week later but the first dress remained very much at the front of my mind. Unfortunately my experience at the second shop couldn’t compare to the first. The customer service wasn’t anywhere near as good and I wasn’t made to feel special in the slightest. In fact the whole thing was very rushed and impersonal so I didn’t feel comfortable at all and this made a big impact on the dresses I tried on. I didn’t get the wow factor so the search was still on. Dress number one was still on my mind although something was niggling at me about it so I was 100% sure it was the right one.

The next appointment was the following week and was much more positive. The shop wasn’t as pretty as the first one but the staff were really friendly and welcoming so I had a nice experience there. At this shop I had the opportunity to sort through the dresses with my mum and we selected about twelve I liked but I tried on more than this over the two plus hours we were there. This time my Maids of Honour couldn’t make it so it was strange not having them there to join in but my dad popped in which was lovely. I tried on lots of stunning dresses in different styles which I liked and could see myself wearing on my wedding day but I didn’t get ‘that’ feeling people so often say you get. I’d been told that you just know when it’s the right dress and although I liked the dresses I just didn’t get that feeling which panicked me if I’m honest! 

The last dress I tried on was a slightly different style but beautiful and became a big contender for the very first dress I tried on (at the first shop). I couldn’t decide which I preferred as by this point I had started doubting the first dress a little so I was pretty confused! We decided to book another appointment so my Maids of Honour could pop along and I could try the dress on again with a clear head. It sounds strange but although it’s a lot of fun no one tells you how exhausting wedding dress shopping is. Spending over two hours getting in out an out dresses is very tiring and emotions are high too so you end up being both mentally and physically exhausted. It’s a big decision.

The following day I was due to return to shop number three with my Maids of Honour but before that we were due to visit a small boutique that funnily enough I had been told about when we first got engaged by two separate friends. This boutique also had dresses by two of my favourite wedding dress designers I’d found when first doing my research.  I’d decided the night before to cancel the appointment and just go back to shop number three because I didn’t want to get even more confused but in the morning I decided if I didn’t go I may regret it so off we went to shop four… and thank God we did.

All the dresses I tried on there were stunning but there were two that stood out from the crowd and without doubt outshone all the others I had tried on. One of these was my dress. This meant a change in the plan again. I alerted my Maids of Honour I’d found ‘THE’ dress and within minutes they were on their way (how amazing are they?!). It’s strange to describe but you truly do get that ‘That’ feeling everyone told me about. Even though you try on lots of beautiful dresses, the more you try on the easier it gets to rule some out and then you just know when you’re wearing the right one! We celebrated with some champagne and I have no doubt I’ve picked the right dress… I love it. Now I’ve got to wait six months until it’s made and I get to try it on again!

Sorry this post has been very long but I wanted to go into lots of details about my wedding dress shopping experience as it was incredible and a once in a lifetime experience. I loved every second of it. 

The next things we will be looking into will be a videographer, wedding stationery and decorations for our rooms and tables.

What do you think of this blog post?

Check out these great blogs by my lovely advertisers:

Pink Champagne: Beky Lou

Pink Panther: Dulcie’s Beauty Blog,  A Scottish Lass, Topdraw Fashion,, Lisahh-Jayne, Tania Michele, Miss Danielle

Pink Pearl:, Scottish Stef’s Nail

To advertise with Kimberley’s Beauty Blog find out more info here