First day dress shopping!!

I went to two shops then popped back to the first and bought it. It only took one day. Nice and easy. Have fun.

Have fun ?

I didn't go to any shops before I found the one! I kept seeing it in pictures for BHS so ordered it and after a few alterations it was perfect.

I have 409 days to go and went dress shopping for the first time last weekend! I was convinced it would be an easy task...... I’ve changed my mind and colour theme completely haha!

Keep us updated, eeeek im excited for you

I did this! Didn't try any others on at all!

It's never too early for dress shopping ?

I went to 3 different shops and tried on about 20 dresses before I found THE dress. It was good fun but blimmin hard work getting in and out of all those dresses!

Enjoy!

I must have visited about ten different shops and tried on loooaaaads of dresses! It took me a while to find the one I finally went for, which actually ended up only costing £650 so was cheaper than the other dresses I tried. I only discovered the decent price after decided on it :-)

It was a cream ellis bridals dress but was a while ago now. I got married in December 2007.

Enjoy dress shopping. Have fun and try on different styles along with your fave styles!

I visited 3 shops and tried on about 25 dresses (i tried some at the NEC wedding fair). I found mine online then made a special trip to the shop to try it. Fell in love but then i didn't buy it until a few months later after googling it a million times.

You aren't too early. I'm still 388 days to go and ordered mine a few weeks back.

I dont think its ever too early to start looking and trying dresses on - its all part of the fun and excitment of being a bride to be!!!

I currently have 619 days to go (thanks Hitched) and am going dress looking / trying on for the first time on 10th Aug. I am going now as I am worried the style of dress won't be in stock or discontinued next year so would rather look now. I did try an dress on from Debenhams Bridal bit on Monday while on a shopping trip with friends, it was in the sytle similar to what I want and I loved it on, not in love with it but at least I now know the style I have my heart set on does suit me. However I still want to try on dresses that are the opposite so I can enjoy the experience for a while!! LOL

Happy shopping this afternoon!!!! Like the other ladies say - keep us posted!!! xx

I went to two shops to just get an idea around the same time as you, I was told so many different things. All I wanted to do was find the shape that suited me best and then go from there.

1st shop, they were completely and utterly unhelpful, all the dresses were dirty and covered in fake tan...after the 2nd dress I tried on I just said no.....in my head if they cant look after their own, they wont be looking after mine!

2nd shop FAN BLOODY TASTIC!!! .....she was brilliant, I told her my troubles and she chose a few different styles, my MIL to be & MOH picked out what I thought to be a bloody awful dress. "go on try it on...PLEASE, just for us" they said....."FINE!! BUT IF I DONT LIKE IT I'M NOT WEARING IT END OF DISCUSSION" I hated it .......... turns out that dress looked amazing on me, and made me cry those happy tears 3 times!! I placed the order the following Saturday. I Cant wait until November so I can go see it again .

Even if you hate it on the rail try it on, you never know

You will have so much fun! I am getting married 7th June 2014, and went shopping in February. I really wasnt planning on buying a dress straight away, I wanted to be sensible and go to lots of shops and try on lots of dresses. But I ended up buying the 5th dress I tried on in the 1st shop! I love it, cant wait until its in and can go and try it on again

xx

So far I've been to five shops. Found many 'nice' dresses but nothing spectacular I just HAD to have. I have 4-5 more shops appointments to come in the next month so fingers crossed. I've been looking a lot at Maggie Violet on the web so looking forward to trying that one on next week. It just might be the one.

I went to 10 shops (although went to one of them twice!) before I found my dress. I absolutely loved the whole experience and could have gone on a lot longer, although I was starting to wonder if I'd ever find a dress that I was sure I wanted!

I only visited one shop, but to be honest I only went to keep my mum happy! Really enjoyed trying on all the dresses, but i knew it was kind of pointless as I already knew I was going to have my dress made for me.

I had such a specific idea of what I wanted that I was never ever going to find it in a shop.... just tooooo fussy. Finally saw the finished dress 2 days ago and was over the moon with it :-).

I should probably win the prize for the quickest dress choice in the history of wedding dress trying. I had seen a few designs I liked on their website and went to try them on. In 15 minutes I'd picked the one I liked and it was bought and ordered! I didn't go to any other dress shops and the shop I did get it from wasn't even a bridal shop - they made bridal dresses alongside normal dresses. Some would say I should've gone to a proper bridal shop and tried on dresses in case I found something I didn't expect but I've always known what I wanted so it seemed silly to go anywhere else!

I only went into one bridal shop to look at BM dresses then ended up hanging around to try a few dresses on for a bit of fun, then found the one!

Thanks for all your replies ladies - I love hearing about everyone's different experiences!

I'm not sure about you but I found the whole experience completely surreal - I think it just felt strange that after 28 years was finally trying on dresses. Both shops were different and like some, I tried on about 15 dresses the vast majority being "nice" but nothing that made me think "this is the one". Im actually quite pleased, I really enjoyed the experience with my mum and want to continue while it is enjoyable and I am in no rush.

Have booked my next appointment for next weekend and will be able to go with my bridesmaids this time, and I am much clearer on the style I think suits me as quite a petite bride! While the big gowns look stunning when I am stood on a stool not so good at 5ft2!

Aww I'm so excited for you it sounds like you had a fabulous experience.

I am absolutely itching to go looking at and trying on dresses now, but I am holding off a little bit longer until we have at least seen some venues (first visits are booked in for this week so I don't have long to wait really!)

I'm hoping to get married in 2015 so have a lot of time, but I have a really clear idea of the things I would like for our wedding. I get a bit irritated sometimes as if I mention starting planning, one of my colleagues in particular is quite dismissive and will almost scoff, "you've got ages" "you'll change your mind" etc. but I just laugh it off. At the end of the day, I'm 27 and being a huge girly girl (into fashion and makeup since about the age of 7!) I just KNOW what styles will suit me and the kind of dress I will end up buying. So I don't see the need to wait ?

Keep us updated with how you get on with your shopping, I'd be interested in the styles you're going for as I am also very petite and 5ft2, so one thing I worry about is long dresses drowning me (I'm leaning much more towards tea length or very fitted floor length to avoid this).

For me it was the first shop, 6th dress, I was pretty much decided on the 4th I tried on, right price, looked ok, in fact didn't want to try on number 6, as I was happy enough, but the shop assistant (they really are good you know ? ) made me try it, and there it was, happy tears aplenty, didn't want to take it off, loved it to the depths of the oceans and the heights of the stars!!

That was last October, I waited a few weeks to see if I could pick one up second hand but in the end agreed to buy the shop sample as it was a bit cheaper. Went back in May to try it on again - to be sure, and still loved it, found it even more of a wrench to take it off, as by that time I had my shoes & headband!!

And so I have my first fitting next weekend - I too am a short-ar*e!! 5'1 so there's lots to be taken off the bottom but it'll still be blummin gorgeous! Can't wait for next month to wear it for the whole day!!

Loved this reply Doddyclaire, I am hoping for those happy tears when I try the one on that is just right......maybe this weekend, maybe in another few months.

Hope you enjoy your dress fitting, see if you can get a flash for us?! I am super keen to see what style you went for - us short-ar*e's need inspiration!

Just trying a bit of a flash for you....hope it works!!

Gorgeous, I love it! Definitely thinking fitted over the waist and hips then a bit "flarey" is the way to go!

Thanks Gemini, I had hoped to shed the back fat & bingo wings but time has really crept up on me! LOL!!

I found my dress in the one and only shop I went to and it was actually the first one I picked up (although I tried others on afterwards in the same shop just to be 10% sure).

I got mine about a year and 3 months before the date of my wedding. Buying it so early made me have doubts but I tried it on again last weekend and love it even more now!

Make sure you flash us a pic when you find the one!!! ?

The first dress I saw online, in the shop I was going to try dresses on..was the one I fell for. I saw it in the shop on the hanger and I loved it. So I booked an appointment to try it on. Smitten and I wanted it so bad.

My mum was put under strict instructions to not let me get the first dress I fell for. I renowned for falling for the first thing I see....

So 2 weeks later we go to York and 3 different shops. I try on 21 dresses in a day. I am knackered, and guess what? not one compared to the one I first fell for. What a waste of time! I suppose at least I know now, and just proves I know best ?

So next week I'm trying on my dress again, the one I wanted from the start, and paying the deposit.

I'll get there eventually!

I started looking for my dress 11 months before my wedding although I wouldn't say it is too early. I must have visited 6 shops and it was in the last shop I found my dress and it was cheaper than the others my advice would be don't buy a dress until you use the L word

MultiCat thats exactly what happened to me, I arranged to go shopping with my mum one weekend and with my bridesmaids the following. I ended up buying my dress with my Mum, and was going to do what you suggested and try lots on with my bridesmaids without telling them which one I had bought. But I was so worried they would say something negative about my dress I ended up telling them over lunch just before we went in! I think they were disappointed but when they saw me in it they said I had made a fantastic choice. This was back in February, I'm now waiting patiently for it to come in so I can put it on again!!!