Anyone had a problem with wedding dress shops in essex?

Can I ask what size you actually are? It's just many bridal shops are targetted to the sorta 6-12 size range and if you are a lady of more generous proportions it might be worth looking for a specialist shop that deals with more normal sized women.

Essex is a big place - roughly where are you?

Sorry to hijack the thread but can I ask toniwise which shops they were in hitchin? I am planning on going dress shopping there in a couple of weeks. I have googled and come up with three - white wardrobe, mogandavies, and expressions. Which is the one you would reccomend? x

Hello,

Thanks for your replies. Im a size 14. and im near thurrock.

I cant believe that shop didnt want your push chair in! Im glad you found a better shop.

I got my dress in special occasions. It was 5 years ago but they were great. I'm a size 18 and it was never mentioned or an issue, they also had the dress I wanted £200 cheaper than pronuptia

My In-Laws live in Laindon!

I went to confetti and lace - they were nice enough but nowhere near as nice as the place i ended up getting my dress from. I dont think its the shops that cause the bad experience, but more the people working there!

Hi hun

I live near Thurrock too... South Ockendon. I went there and didn't like it much. Ive ordered my dress from Matchmaker in Brentwood. There is also a lovely shop in Hornchurch. I wouldn't bother with Lakesides shop, they were very rude and quite stuck up...and expensive.

When and where you getting married? xx

Avoid Confetti & Lace like the plague. The stress and upset they caused me in the weeks running up to my wedding was unbeleivable and I wouldn't want anyone else to have to go through that.

In brief:

1. If you need alterations they charge a flat fee of £165 REGARDLESS of how much alteration you need. That could just be for taking the hem up.

2. The 'seamstress' doing the alterations never comes into the shop to see a bride in the dress, instead the shop staff pin you and relay messages and then hope for the best.

3. On my final fitting 2.5 weeks before my wedding my dress still didn't fit me after 3 months of alterations and peculiar lumps had apeared on seams that were meant to sit flat. The bust was gaping about 3 inches. I had to take the dress away as I wasnt going to risk it any longer and had to find a couturier who took one look at the dress, and found pins sewn into seams, seams not sewn in straight lines. She said it was a mess and two weeks before my wedding had to take the whole dress apart and sew it together from scratch and it was then only ready for a fitting the day before my wedding. Thank god for her, she worked miracles. She said she had never seen such poor workmanship on what was a beautifully made dress and couldn't beging to fathom how a seamstress could make the alterations if she hadn't even seen me in the dress.

4. The 'torsolette' (basque)I had been talked into buying (which was absolutely unnecessary) which they then 'looked after' for me during my fittings was given to me in a blue carrier bag to take home. When I took it out it was covered in blue dye from the cheap carrier bag and it was by a pure miracle I didnt get any on my dress. I then noticed a coffee stain on it too and blood spots. ? (why are staff drinking coffee near bridal wear?) or for that matter bleeding all over it.

5. The wrong veil was ordered and had to be reordered two weeks before the wedding which was meant to be on a 7 week lead time. So I actually had no idea if I was going to get it or not for the day.

6. On my final fitting I was assured it would pressed and ready for me to take home. The way it had been pressed there were creases in it that had not been there before and I never managed to get them out properly.

A complete cowboy outfit who certainly talk the talk on the first appointment and that's where the good impression ends.

I also live in Laindon and have ordered my dress from Bellissima in South Woodham - really would recommend them!!

Trixylou - I wanted to go to Confetti & Lace but couldn't as they don't do weekend fittings; sounds like I've had a very lucky escape! Thanks for your post, I'm sorry you had such an awful time with your dress but it has potentially saved me a nightmare x

Omg i cant believe you had so many problems with your dress!!

I feel sorry for you. How does such a big shop get away with selling things in that mess! Lucky you found someone who could fix your dress up though.

I had heard a few complaints about confetti and lace but nothing that bad.

Thanks for the warning!

x

Definately avoid Confetti and Lace - I went in to find flower girl shoes and as I walked in they pointed out the prom dresses to me and ushered me that way! I was 25 at the time, about 10 years too late for a prom dress. Found it very rude they didn't even enquire what I was after, just made their own assumptions and looked down their nose, until they realised I was after spending a lot of money when they changed their tune - too late for my liking!

Aww thats not fun...

If you are really struggling hop over the bridge and come and see us in Faversham or Dover, promise you wont feel that no dresses are going to fit. our average order is a 16.

We see a lot of you lovely Essex brides, and love seeing smiling faces after a good trying on day

Good feedback on the Confetti and Lace as well ladies. They do some of the same brands as us so its good to hear independany feedback

I went to The Bespoke Wardrobe at Danbury to look at Stewart Parvin dresses and they are beyond lovely. Small shop & very, very knowledgeable. Didn't buy with them in the end as I found a dress I preferred elsewhere. Would highly recommend them though.

Is the special occassions shop people are talking about in stanford-le-hope? if so, i went there with my sister to look at dresses and we were sooo unimpressed. the place stank of smoke, looked run down and no one was there to help us. I would avoid this place like the plague!

Belissima on the other hand, was recommended to me and i loved their service. i was desperate to buy a dress from there, but they didn't have one that i liked!! I went back there to buy my shoes tho! Fantastic service, really knowledgable staff and they actually made me feel at ease. big deal for me as i've always been worried about my body shape and they made me feel so confident!

I actually got my dress from Brenda Lorraine in the end, they've been really helpful so far. hoping this continues!!

xx

OMG just wanted to say this sounds AWFUL!! Hope it all worked out ok in the end! xxxx

Hi there,

i had problems,i found a dress i feel in love with on the net then searched where i could go to try it on, so i phoned a shop in southend on sea and arranged a date to go.

when i arrived they didnt even have the dress i was there for 3 hours and didnt like any of the dresses.

then my daughter pulled one of the rack so i tried it on and feel in love with it.

in the shop i went to i had the opposite problems all the dresses were a size 12 or up and on my measurements they said i needed a size 8 which would need taking in on the waist but was too small on the bust, so i orderd the 8 and then stressed all eveing about it,got up the next morning with a magraine and went back to the shop and order a size 10 which was taken in, go with your instincts...... it all worked out fine in the end but stressing is what i do best.

you can view my dress on here under real wedding tina and michaels story.......my advice is to book a few different dress shops and try on as many as you want you will know what you like no matter what size you are or will be everybody has a style in mind...but most of all enjoy trying lots on youll know which one is right for you youll just know dont ask me how you just will..hope ive been of some help x