WHAT REALLY HAPPENED WHEN I COLLECTED MY WEDDING GOWN

Two weeks ago, an email I’ve been eagerly awaiting popped into my inbox. Filled with excitement and nerves, I read the words ‘your wedding gown has arrived in store, please call to make an appointment to collect your gown’.

I couldn’t believe it – six months had passed, and I was finally able to see my dress once again.

DREAM DRESS NERVES

In the hours leading up to the appointment I felt all kinds of excited nerves. I could barely remember what the dress looked like from my original appointment, so it felt as though I was about to see it for the first time.

With my mum, sister and bride squad in tow, we made the venture into the city centre to Eleganza Sposa.

After a short five-minute wait, I was whisked into the fitting room to try on my dress. Seeing it hanging up on the hanger for what felt like the first time, I couldn’t help but feel underwhelmed.

PERFECTION PRESSURE

‘Is this the gown that’s going to make me to look the best I’ve ever looked?’, ‘Is it ‘wow’ enough?’, ‘Will it make everyone think positively about my choice as opposed to critically like we often so harshly do?’.

So many things were running through my head that I honestly didn’t know what to think. Before I knew it, the curtain had opened, the big reveal was happening and, before I could stop it, tears came flooding down my face.

Unsure what was wrong, my loved ones questioned if I hated it. I absolutely didn’t hate it, but I honestly didn’t know what I thought.

The built-up nerves, pressure and lack of memory was overwhelming and it had to come out in some way.

THE RIGHT FIT FOR ME

Thankfully the tears only lasted a quick 20 seconds before I walked over to the mirror to analyse the dress.

After a few additions were added and when it’s eventually sized to perfection, I know it will be the perfect dress for me.

It took a while for me to warm up to the dress, but I now remember why I choose it the first time around. I want a dress that’s effortless, romantic and fits my Tuscany destination wedding and this gown ticks all the boxes!

RE-BALANCING

Looking back, I think the pressures that come with buying a wedding gown had taken over. The desire to find something that everyone will love as opposed to something that I want was imbalanced.

And, most likely, spending thousands on a gown will undoubtedly make your question your choice. I actually have a history of doubting big purchases – it’s something I’m working on!

Now that the gown is firmly in my possession (well, my mum’s), and I have pictures I can look back on to remind me of what it looks like, I feel so much happier. I know I’ve chosen the right dress for me and can’t wait to wear it down the aisle to marry my love.

THE HONEST TRUTH

I wanted to share my honesty in this experience for anyone who’s like me and puts unnecessary pressure on themselves.

I think there’s a picture painted within weddings that picking up your gown will be the most magical moment that will make you feel more beautiful than ever before.

This might be the case for some people, but if it’s not for you – don’t worry! I love my gown and I know Liam will too and that’s all that matters.

I've found "The One"

The deed is done.

The dress that I’ll walk down the aisle in come next July has been purchased and I can’t quite believe it myself. Only a few days ago, I thought about writing this blog post but with a completely different angle in mind. Having ventured out on my first day of dress shopping with my full bridal squad (sans one) I was ready to declare that my wedding shopping experience had ‘just begun’. Little did I know at that point that my dress was waiting for me in somewhat of a familiar setting, ready to purchase just a few days later.  Oh, how quickly things can change.

So, before I get onto the juicy stuff let me rewind it here a little for you, going back to my first day of dress shopping with the girls and my mum last weekend.

With the date in the diary for a few weeks, I made sure to make most of having (almost) everyone with me. I scheduled four appointments 1. Anne Priscilla 2. Susanne Christyne 3. June Bride 4. Melle Cloche with just enough time in the middle to cheers with a prosecco and grab a bite to eat.

Here’s a rundown of my experience with each.

1. Anne Priscilla

-       The staff in the store were incredibly welcoming, helpful and seemed to really listen to what I was looking for. They let us have fun – asking each of the girls to choose one dress for me to try on. My stylist also picked out a few crackers and it was her choice that was the front-runner for me. At the end of the day, the Watters gown that I tried on in Anne Priscilla was current front runner.

      2. Susanne Christyne

-       If I’m honest, we weren’t overly impressed with the experience at Susanne Christyne. Although the girl who worked there was very friendly, the dresses she pulled for me to try on were completely wrong, despite showing images of what I liked. Having only tried on two gowns, we decided this store wasn’t for me and didn’t want to waste the girls time so politely departed.  I do think however if you have a set visual in your mind of the style of dress you’re looking for and you can’t find it – this shop may be for you. Customised dresses are their thing. It just so happens I didn’t know what I was looking for at that time.

      3. June Bride

-        I’m very familiar with this store after my sister found her gown here back in 2013. Since we last visited the store has had a revamp and looks great. As soon as I walked into the store I was excitedly impressed by the styles of dresses they had on display. Although I didn’t find the one for me I’d highly recommend June Brides for the girl who’s looking for something modern with ‘glam’ in mind. 

      4. Melle Cloche

     Last but not least was Melle Cloche. Funny story, I actually pass by this store every day on my way in to work but up until this point I hadn’t taken much notice of the stock they had on display. On first impressions it looks like a relatively small shop but don’t be deceived – they have a really lovely space downstairs that’s perfect for a catwalk show.

After the day ended, knowing that I probably hadn’t found ‘the one’ just yet made me feel a little deflated. It’s silly really – I actually had a feeling before the day even started that I wouldn’t find my dress – but knowing that this was true made me feel a little disheartened. Essentially, what I’m trying to say is don’t feel stupid for feeling sad if you don’t find your dress right away – it’s natural.

Fast forward a few days to when I received multiple text messages from my cousin Naomi telling me that I MUST attend the Martina Liana trunk show that was running at Eleganza that weekend. After popping in store for her own dress fitting, my cousin got a sneak peek of the dresses that would be on display and was in complete awe. After seeing a 4-second Snapchat of what the gowns looked like I too was in awe and before I knew it, I was booked in for 9:15am that Saturday. The excitement was real and immediately had the feeling that I was going to find my gown.

A trunk show event offers a completely different experience to a normal shopping day at a bridal store. I’m going to save the details of this for my next blog post as I fear this post will be ten pages long otherwise so do stick around 😊

But my dress, let’s talk about that. Like most other brides, I’d like to keep the detail of this to a minimum as, let’s face it, it takes away some of the excitement of a bride walking down the aisle. What I will say though is that my dress isn’t super-fitted, or big and puffy – it’s somewhere in between. It fits absolutely perfectly with my venue and is romantic, whimsical and effortless. I think it’s the perfect balance between being sweet and under-stated sexy but I’ll let you guys be the judge come next July. It’s also not too heavy which is ideal for an abroad wedding. I hope that gives you a little feel of what I’ve went for 😊

Although I left with just one dress, every single one I tried on was absolutely stunning and I’m the designers new big fan. As Anna, the store manager at Eleganza said, “She just knows what a girl wants,” and I couldn’t agree more.

xoxo