How many bridal shops did you visit?

Hi, fortunately i found "the one" in the first shop i looked in.. if i had been unsure i would have tried every shop unitll i found it lol

xx

ONE! and was the first dress too!

I visited 5.

Berketex Oxford Street - hated it. Dresses were really grubby, service was formulaic and patronising, even the staff looked grubby.

The Bridal Store, House of Fraser - good experience. Lets of dresses, nice staff, big changing rooms, excellent lighting. Lots of accessories to try on.

Pronovious, Harrods - excellent. Huge choice (although not much for a lower budget), plenty of champagne for my sister and I, spent a lot of time with you. Dresses stunning and well looked after.

Stephanie Allin, Chiltern Street - beautiful boutique. Lots of accessories and beautiful dresses. Proper 1 on 1 service where they shut the shop. Loved it. Found the one.

Bojangles, Romsey - stockist of Stephanie Allin dresses. Beautiful little shop with a few different designers. Great owner, Claire. Tried 'my' dress and ordered from there. Nothing was too much trouble.

Hi ?

Firstly I would say don't forget that there are no set 'rules' and everyone is different so what works for one won't always work for someone else!

But I made appointments at 4 different dress shops on 2 different weekends.

I ended up buying the first dress I tried on in the first shop. I had that "its the one" feeling but me being me I wanted to make sure! The other shops weren't a waste of time because trying on lots more dresses just confirmed for me that I wasn't going to beat the first dress. I probably tried on about 20-25 dresses altogether.

HTH

4...However, I tried on dresses in only one shop - all the other shops made me feel really uncomfortable!

Although I didnt buy the dress from the shop (got it online) I found the style in the first 5 styles I tried. and if I had have had the money - it would have been the second dress I tried on...I tried it on twice!

One shop, and the first and ONLY dress I tried on, I ordered!

I also bought the first dress I tried on in the first shop I went into, I did visit 3-4 other shops just to be sure though, and tried on maybe 15 dresses in total (including a gorgeous Jenny Packham one, just for the hell of it - waaay out of budget!!).

From my recollection I visited 7 shops before going back to 2 of those then deciding on "the one" I tried lots on from big Hollywood Dreams to slim line, classic elegant dresses to OTT ones (too much bling & too many petticoats lol).

Don't stress though everyone is different - I was torn between 2 dresses a Justin Alexander one and a boutique that designed and made dresses- this is the dress I went for in the end and never regretted it - I'd love to wear it again ?.

Tracey x

I went to House of Frasers and tried on one dress which I promptly decided to buy. I do wonder if I made the right choice but I look at my dress and I love it all over again.

Went to one shop and bought the 5th dress i tried on. It was exactly the opposite of everything i wanted, i wanted simple white and not 'puffy', I got ivory, very sparkly and diamonte and with a full skirt and train and i adore it...can't wait to wear it.

I only went to 3 and in the 2nd one I never even tried a dress on, the people were horrible and rude.

I got my dress in the 3rd shop. It's gorgeous but I saw another dress I liked so I am having a very small alteration done to the one I bought which will make it similar to the other one i liked (the other one was out of my price range)

Same as me, all the things i said I didn't want rolled into one perfect dress. lol.

Me too! Weird how that happens isn't it. I tried on the 'ugliest dress in the shop' and looked the most beautiful I have ever done in my life. I also only went into 1 shop - any more and I would have been way too confused. Plus dress shopping can get a little tedious after a while.

I went to 3 shops and found my dress in the second shop. I tried on about about 20-25 dresses I think.

I went to four in total - but 2 of them twice. Got my dress out of the first shop but the dressi fell in love with was discontinued so got a new gown by same designer.

I dont believe in 'the one' dress - I wanted sparkles, I wanted 'hitch ups', i wanted a full skirt & a train - and I got a dress that ticked all my boxes and made me feel like a princess - I cant wait for it to come in & I get to try on my own dress.

Ooh well you've got lots of exciting times ahead!

I visited my third shop on Saturday and it was by far the best. First shop wasn't an appt just walked in and tried on 4 dresses, I had in my head that I wanted taffeta, big rouched and all "swishy"...tried on dresses like that and they didn't do anything for me! My friend got me to try on a tulle dress and after that nothing compared...

2nd shop, we took my mum along...so in my head it was all sorted, I wanted the biggest tulle number I could find...problem mum hated them, said I looked like Jordan LOL...kinda killed the idea!

Tried on so many dresses that day that I could have cried. The lady in the shop wasn't that great, didn't suggest any at all and I really thought I would never find a dress that looks good on me.

On Saturday we went to All That Glitters in Shirley, would recommend to all. Ladies in there were lovely and the dresses...WOW! So I tried on my first Maggie Sotteros and left being torn between Maggie's Nora and Chantel by Hollywood Dreams...both completely different but loved them both!

Cannot wait until Saturday to try a few more on...think I'll be making my decision then!

Good luck!!!

x

Just goggled them - the Nora by Maggie is stunning!

I went to two. The first was the most horrendous experience of my life and I was really upset about the thought of going to my second appointment in the afternoon. Luckily my Mam persuaded me to go through with the second appointment and it couldn't have been more different. I was made to feel like a princess and had a great time. I bought the first dress I tried on in that shop, which was the first dress I had managed to get on (had a panic attack in the first shop as got stuck in the dress as she just handed it to me and said there you go, see what you think before leaving me to try it on myself - with no help at all!) In the second shop I still tried a few more dresses on after that first one but although I liked them, they just didn't compare. Went back to the original dress in that shop, put on all the accessories and knew I had to have it. Ordered it then and there! :-) Still smile thinking about it. Can't wait to go back next month bridesmaid shopping as can have a sneaky peek at the sample dress!

I was having panic attacks at the thought of trying dresses on - thinking nothing would fit and I would look a big fatty in everything I tried. So the intention was to get me over the phobia with a stress free no commitment day of trying dresses, but I ended up buying one the same day!

Just wanted to ask Cricket Bride about Pronovious - i'm desperately trying to track down one particular dress to try on and not having any joy with local suppliers so think I may have to resort to a trip to London. Do they have the full selection? I notice on the website there's a section in Harrods & a store on Bond Street. Also - what sort of price range are you looking at? Don't wanna go all that way and find i can't afford it anyway lol. Thanks! xx

Nora by Maggie is lovely x

Thank you for your replies ladies xxxxxxxxx

Five! One in my lunch break, more for fun with other colleagues who were getting married, then I arranged 4 in one day, one of which we walked in and walked out again as it was rubbish! Saved the best until last, was called 'Just for you bridal', had soooooo much choice and nice service, was really good!

OoHH :-/ Erm at a guess 25 shops maybe more! Probably tried 200 dresses Lol. Just couldnt find the right one!

I have used the same shop for my first marriage, and this one.

The shop has been there as long as i could remember, so i figured they must be doing something right!

Each dress i've owned has been by Forever Bridals, which i knew they stocked so for the first wedding i found the dress online and they ordered it in.

2nd marriage i knew what styles worked for me, so went in just to try two similar ish dresses on (similar to eachother, not similar to first wedding). xxx

I went to three, although didnt try any on in the last shop as it was a specific designer and none of them were 'me'.

My dress was the first one I tried on in the second shop! I tried on 5 in the first shop and 9 in the second.

I managed to narrow it down quite quickly as to what kind of dress i wanted.

I went to 3 shops but tried on about 15 dresses.

In the last shop the wonderful lady picked one out for me after Id tried on a few with no luck and when she first handed it me on the hanger I turned my nose n but she insisted I just try it on and then WOW I fell in love!!