Rosa Clara dress

I just had a look - it's a gorgeous dress, perfect for a winter wedding!! I can see how it could be a little unforgiving with it being quite fitted with minimal detail on the front.

However, I'm sure your mum and MIL wouldn't have let you purchase a dress that you didn't look your best in. Regarding the photo your MIL took, if she took it when you weren't looking, she may have just got a bad angle? Go by how you look i in the mirror, not a dodgy picture! That said, it might be worth posing for photos so you can see what the back looks like, as that can be hard to see in a mirror.

With regards to the weight loss, make sure you check how late you can get alterations made, as you don't want to have the dress hang on you because you couldn't get it altered in time.

Invest in some good control underwear, and wear them when you go for dress fittings.

Regarding jazzing it up, if you decide to go for a split, I personally think a side one would look best, and please,please, please make sure you get a reputable dress maker who can advise on how the material will cope and where to make the slit sit. Also bear in mind that if you lose weight, this could alter how the dress falls, and where the slit will be, so it may be best to make that change at the last minute. N.B I'm not a dress maker, so don't quote me on this, but it makes sense in my head!

Before you take a drastic action like this, why not shop around for a nice belt to jazz it up a bit? There are some beautiful bridal ones with diamante and such. Or consider a long, statement veil?

Also, are you having a bouquet? Because for your photos and ceremony, that will break up the outline of the dress a lot too.

I'm sure you look lovely in the dress as you are, and will absolutely glow on your wedding day, but I completely understand how easy it is to get these sort of hang ups - I get them most days! Listen to the people around you, and try not to get hung up on one badly taken photo.

Hope this helps!! X

Thank you for such a lovey reply!! Xx

I've googled the dress and it is lovely, but I think it's one of those dresses that will look COMPLETELY different on a 'real' body so I couldn't honestly tell you my thoughts without seeing you in it. It would be helpful to see the picture of you wearing the dress if you're comfortable sharing it online?

Either way, I would say that you had a 'good feeling' when you first wore it so putting it back on may put your mind at rest and remind you why you chose it. I would recommend going by yourself to retry it though, as then you can concentrate on what you think rather than having other people's opinions clouding your judgement.

I know from other women on these kinds of forums that many second guess their choice of dress but most do overcome this. For other women though, they end up with a second dress and are much happier for it.

That's a very chic dress, nice detail on the neckline. Although I liked Meghan Markle in her dress, and it was right for her, I had thought it was a bit minimal, whereas with this one, the beading adds interest.

This might be one of those occasions where you should probably get another opinion from somebody you would go to for fashion advice, like a sister or good friend, or maybe even your future SIL if you have one and get on with her? Having somebody else OK the dress might put your mind at rest.

Losing half a stone is a very reasonable aim. (I'm always a bit skeptical of brides who buy dresses several sizes too small, and say they're going to lose 3 stone or whatever!) 7 pounds is doable. I lost 10 pounds in just over a month round about March (had a diabetes scare but that's a long story!) I slimmed my belly down, the only problem being now my spare tyre is bigger than my belly, lol.

I would try and lose the weight asap so you can try the dress on and see what it'll look like when you walk down the aisle. Pick a month when you are least likely to be tempted to cheat. A month or a few weeks when you aren't planning on going away, no parties are coming up or anything. Plan what you are going to eat, count the calories (I had about 1200 a day and I had one 'cheat' day, which was for me Saturday).

Good luck!