Feeling a bit deflated after my first dress shopping experience.

Aww i'm sorry you didn't have a good experience.

I went to 4 shops in the same day and I got a different level of service from all of them - ranging from absolutely lovely and feeling like the most special gorgeous person on earth to the complete *** shop assistants.

I would say do a bit of research into the shops in your area and make a couple of appointments - I wouldn't suggest 4 in a day though - I was knackered by the end of it!

Perhaps see if there are any other Hitchers in your area who can suggest good shops?

Then on the day wear good undies (always helps if you're spending half of the day undressed standing in front of a mirror!), and do nice hair and make-up for yourself so that you feel nice.

I'd also say to trust the shop assistants when they suggest which styles will suit you - as I ended up going for exactly what I thought I didn't want!

Good luck and it will get better x ?

I went shopping and most dresses didn't fasten up so u couldn't get the proper picture when my boobs were sticking out and not fitting etc. I also had no idea what I wanted so I went to the shops and tried lots of different styles until I found what style I suited. I say go with an open mind as something I thought wouldn't suit me did, and vice versa. I struggled walking in some that we're heavy but struggled more in the fishtail type, I found I couldn't move or sit down. Dresses with a hoop underneath helped as it gives your feet room. Where abouts do you live? X

I live in Sheffield, but I was looking in Newcastle today as I'm home for a few days! Thanks for you replies, maybe a hoop is a good idea x

Which shops did you go to? I know some shops in the Newcastle area, I can reccomend Bridesdream in Walker they are so helpful I know a lot or friends who have found their dress there and me too

I thought i found my dress, really loved it, untill i found another and i knew straight off that was mine, I always thought people just said that when you know you know, but you actually do.

Id also say listen to what the assistants are saying, i flicked through the dresses said erghhh to my dress on the hanger but assistant said youll be really surprised. She was fab!

Id say make a few appointments in different shops and be open minded, try on the things you look at and dont really like.

Good luck hunting, you will enjoy it in the end.

xx

I didn't really know what I was looking for either, I kept an open mind. Luckily the first one I tried on was the one but I still made myself try on a variety of different dresses just in case! I had the opposite problem to you in that the dresses were all 3 sizes too big and I looked like a child dressing up in mummy's clothes! So the photo I have of me in my dress gives me serious wobbles about it because it's right up to my armpits, too big across the front, doesn't suck my waist in like it should etc. if I hadn't have seen that dress I would have also felt really deflated because no other dress felt at all 'wow' for me. I was under pressure too because I had to choose one that day. Just go and try on loads and then narrow it down to the ones that make you feel and look good and go from there. Maybe take a friend and/or your mum next time for another person to help you hunt, I think it was actually my moh who picked out my dress, I might not have seen it otherwise as the shop was bloody huge.

Hey,

I'm sheffield too!! Hi!

Obviously, I don't know what kind of style you like, but I'm not super model either, usually probably wear a 14-16, but I found the samples in most of the shops I tried on it fitted pretty well - worst were the fishtail slinky hipped ones as I am a hippy girl!

Anyway, in the SHeffield area, I wthink I would recommend Emily Bridal, just of Eccy Road (where I got mine from - you need an appointment); choola, on Eccy road - felty it was good service there.

Blissful Daze were quite good too - and I felt they had a different range of styles to some.

Freya Bridal also off Eccy road were good too.

I'm sure I tried on in a couple more too - but can't place them

If you are on a budget then I can't recommend New York Brides in Eckington highly enough, she gets very good quality sample dresses in (so the one you see is the ne you get) and all are generally less than £500 some even just £150 - £200 and in pristine condition when I went.

Feel free t shout if you want any other wedding guidance in Sheffield - been planning for about 18 months now!!

Oh yes, regarding the fit and the weight of them - they are heavy, sme f them, but then mine is really light and easy to move in, so if you don't feel comfortable in aome then don't dispair there are lighter ones out there!

Luckily the first place I tried was great with lovely service. But I visited others that could have scared me off forever if they had been my first experience! Don't worry, just keep on trying when you feel ready again, there are so many places with varying degress of quality, staff, service and pricing that you shouldn't let one bad time put you off this experience.

I got my dress at choola and they were brilliant, made me try on all different styles of dress and mine is nothing like I thought I would choose. I ended up falling in love with a sample dress so they sent it off for dry cleaning and are storing it for me till it is altered in mid 2013, i'm going to visit next week and try it on again, as I haven't seen it since last August. They really made me and my mum feel very special. I only went to Choola so I can't comment personally on anywhere else, but one of my friends recommended Emily's bridal to me for the bridemaids.

Hiya,

Thank you all for your replies!

I looked in Wedding Essentials, Berketex Brides, Leigh Hetherington and Belles Brides above Waltons suit hire. I can't fault the staff, they were all lovely, Wedding Essdntials were especially nice, as we're Leigh Hetherington (which is the shop I tried some on in).

I've got a good list of where to go in Sheffield, heard high praise about Blushes and based on feedback from you all I'll try Choola too. I think I'll feel more confident in Sheffield, even though I'm a Geordie in heart I think I know more places to try in Sheffield Appointments are the way forward methinks!

Hi Darkmoomin, nice to see another Sheffielder! Where are you getting married?

Claire x

P.S love this forum!

Wedding dresses are a complete rule unto themselves in fit. I was bursting out of an 18, and perfect in a 10 when I tried dresses on... I'm usually a 12/14, so at the point where the 18 was way too small and 10 about right, I gave up looking at the size...

Good shops will have a variety of sizes and get you into suitable dresses somehow (modesty panels/clips) - but I had already eliminated fishtail types as I have a thing about the size of my behind and definitely didn't want to emphasise it. I'm in Devon so specific recommendations no use, but don't worry about sizes of dresses unless you're looking to buy a sample and don't worry if one shop can't help - the shop is the problem, not you!

Oh, and the first shop I went to all the dresses felt heavy, but I got used to it by the 8th (admittedly I decided to get a dress made rather than compromise as the dressmaker down the road was a similar price to the dresses I liked but I'm getting a silk dress for that (shops started substantially more for silk!)

Hi,

We're at Wentworth Castle Gardens out Barnsley way.

Have you got a venue?

Oh wow, Wentworth Castle is lovely. We've booked Woodlane Countryside Centre. We wanted a venue we could do DIY and there's a lot if space there inside and out. Also, we've splurged a bit, but really wanted tipi tents for our breakfast and evening do and this was one if the few places with outside space but not too expensive. I'm just starting to think about how we can decorate everything, I'm thinking country garden. I've had a few venue wobbles, but have stopped looking now hehe x

Oh Woodlane is lovely! Was on our shortlist, but just not quite big enough for us. We liked the DIYness of it too. And love the idea of tipis there too!

I have the same problem, none of the sample sizes will fit, especially over the bust, and it's always ridiculous when a dress just creates a shelf- not attractive! I felt the same way when I went to the first dress shop. I'm a UK16, and the only dress that even looked alright was the lone size 14 they had in the shop, even though it wouldn't close in the back.

If you're interested in a fishtail dress, there's no way you're going to find a sample to fit unless you go to a shop with plus size dresses. I'm only interested in natural waist and a-line or ball gown, so they've been able to tie it together in the back and sometimes it looks alright.

The key thing to do is just find out what shapes you like and then try to imagine it in your size. Once you do that, forget the sample sizes. They're ridiculous! I've hated all but one dress I've tried on, and even so I'm having something completely different made to measure for me. And about them being heavy- it completely depends on the material. The best one I tried on was silk organza and it was gorgeous, light, and airy. I loved it!

I'm with Nicalf08! i too was too small for the samples and found it really hard to visualise what it would look like when it fit properly as they never sat right! I actually had an idea in my head of a lovely fitter lace number but I looked grey and old in every lace dress I tried on! My Nana actually picked out the dress I ended up choosing so it goes to show how other people can have a better vision than you when it comes to dresses!

Thanks! I had a panic the tipis would drown the beauty of the venue, but I met the guy there and we paced it out and all seems good! We're not having a massive wedding, so the size was good for us. It still doesn't feel real!

Thanks again everyone who the replies, I won't give up hope yet!