Disappointing first dress shopping experience

Please dont be down about it, that clearly wasnt the shop for you.

The right shop will have really helpful ladies who will listen to what you want and advise you truthfully. Where abouts are you? xx

Oh no. AniaF, don't be down. There are some shops out there that just want your money and have poor sales people. I agree with Max, the right shop or the better shops, will have really helpful people.

I had some awful shopping experiences and got put in one of the "big" princess dresses, which I said I didn't want and as I thought I just couldn't pull it off. The shop I bought my dress from were fantastic and put me in a princess dress (at my request) and the owner and myself laughed and she said I looked awful in it......which I did and she told me that she couldn't let me buy the dress as it just didn't suit me. The dress I had on at that point was possibly twice the price of the dress I bought.

Good luck,

Enjoy it.

I agree that some shops are a bit poo and others really make the effort to make you feel welcome. I went to a couple where you were just left to look and no one seemed really bothered at all about me. The shop I found my dress in were very helpful - the lady sat with me and discussed budget, likes/dislikes, the venue and theme of the wedding and then picked 6 different dresses for me to try. The last was the one I picked (that she had had in mind from the start!).

When looking for BM dresses I had the same - when I found the dresses that 2 of my BMs wanted, I asked the assistant to take their measurements so that I could come back when my 3rd BM was free and not have to bring the other 2 for measuring (the shop was a bit of a mission away, with having to pick up all 3 BMs). As I wasnt putting a deposit on them just then, she refused to take the time to do it. Taking the time to be friendly or helpful doesnt cost anything, but some shops just arent bothered.

Keep trying and you will find a wonderful shop (And of course your dress!)

That is pants! I remember the first shop i went into, all their dresses were a size 8 and as a busty 16 i had to hold them up in fromt of me and those i could wriggle into looked awful because they weren't on properly or done up. and none of them even were close to the image i had in my head!!

my second shop was a lovely lady but she was advising me to go for the complete opposite style i wanted and as her dreses were quite pricey, she was over cautious of them and me trying to gt in them!

the 3rd shop (by this time i was contemplating forgetting my 'ideal dress' and going back to the drawing board or a dress maker) i was a little put off by the dreses in the window but the ladies were so nice, they had dresses in bigger sizes and those that were a little small she just encouraged me to keep wiggling! ? and on the rail, i found 'The One'!!

dont be disheartened by your first shop, and dont be pressured in to a style you dont 100% love! and fits into your budget! remember you can always go to a dress maker who will make exactly the style you want to fit your shape!!!

good luck with your hunt! x

Thanks ladies, i'm in London if anyone can recommend a shop in or around that area. I had considered going to a dressmaker, but for some reason I think that it would lack the excitement of finding the dress already made. I think it would have been better if I hadn't decided I was having this one dress, a bit hard to do when it's the only dress i've seen so far that would fit my requirements though.

I bet if you post your requirements on here, lots of ladies will be able to suggest other dresses that you might like I have already bought my dress but hasn't stopped me enjoying looking for dresses for other people

Well my requirements are quite restrictive I think, I need something that isn't low cut and either has little sleeves ( http://www.maggiesottero.com/dress.aspx?keywordText=grace+kelly&line=m&keywordType=any&page=0&pageSize=15&style=J135 for example) or has thick straps. They had me try on a strapless dress with a bolero over it in the store, and I found I wasn't overly comfortable with that. Of course i'm open to looking at dresses that can be permanently altered to suit without it looking so obvious that it's been done, but it's hard to judge how possible that would be by myself (and again, that shop would have told me anything is possible to get me to buy it!)

Also, the more I think about it the more I don't want to get a dress made, I've been trying to convince myself but it's not really working. So i'd rather go to an infinite number of shops and risk never finding anything than go to a dressmaker and risk not liking the final product even though it's been made to fit what I want, that makes sense.

Hi AniaF,

I bought my wedding dress from a shop in Richmond its called Silhouettes here is the website - its not a great website but honestly the service and variety of styles in brilliant! http://www.bridalandeveningwear.co.uk/index.html

HTH Jen

Hi AniaF

Know lots of ladies have given your their support already, but just to let you know my first experience was lame too. But it got better; friendly shops are out there.

Also, each time I got a little bit closer to deciding what suited me - so each time I went shopping I felt a little better than the last one. Until I found one that made me feel beautiful!

Hi, just wanted to add support too - don't let it spoil what IS and WILL be a wonderful experience and so much fun! That shop sounds like a nightmare - others aren't like that. I tried on lots that did nothing for me, though I wasn't sure really at all what I wanted so did try on lots of different styles, maybe do this even if you are pretty sure what you want/need, bet you will be pleasantly surprised x