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Curious June 2023 Worcestershire

Massive crisis of confidence in my wedding dress

Sarah, 16 of May of 2022 at 09:41 Posted on Planning 0 21

I need a good talking to!

I bought my dress from Wed2b last August and had 'the moment' that you hear about. I absolutely LOVE my dress!

Since I bought it I have tried it on again at my seamstress appointment and am aware it needs taking in at least 2 dress sizes and needs around 7-8" taking up on the length. There is soooo much fabric in the skirt its dragging all over the floor.

I started watching loads of episodes of Say Yes To The Dress and felt very upset with myself about the amount of tattoos I have on my back and how garish they look. I am in the process of having two removed already for the wedding (one on my wrist and one behind my ear) I really did get myself worked up & very upset at how they will look on the day.

I asked my FMIL if I could pop the dress on at her house and her to take pics of my back with and without my veil so I can see how bad it looks as I have a year to potentially get some of the back tattoos removed. Anyway putting the dress on at her house has knocked my confidence in being able to move in the dress.... there is just endless amounts of fabric! It's literally everywhere and kept clinging to my legs and was hot and sticky.

I haven't ever tried the dress on with the underskirt and hoop which I am told will help keep the fabric away from my legs and bring the fabric out more and I am aware that the dress is not fitting me properly at all right now either size or height. I looked at myself in it and simply cannot get my head around what it will be like when it's all been altered.... Someone please tell me the underskirt and hoop will really make a difference?

Also back to my problems with my sister and not sure if I can rely on her on the day at all let along to get me in the dress, it's a corset back and I am really worrying it will be added stress and she won't be able to do it properly. Has anyone had experience in changing from a corset back to a zip back? I'm not sure a zip would hold up the weight of the dress. Smiley sad

Pics below of my tattoos and how visible they are with and without veil and me in the dress currently. (I am stood on a box in the shop in this image so the length doesn't look as bad)


Massive crisis of confidence in my wedding dress 1


Massive crisis of confidence in my wedding dress 2


Massive crisis of confidence in my wedding dress 3

21 replies

Latest activity by Leanne, 20 of June of 2022 at 14:05
  • Charlotte
    VIP April 2022 Wiltshire
    Charlotte ·
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    And Breathe! It is perfectly normal to have a little wobble, so dont feel bad. firstly, STOP watching SYTTD, The dress you have picked is stunning, and you look beautiful, tattos or no tattoos! In terms of changing the back, it may be possible but I dont know if it will give the same sillohette or change the look too much. My MOH watched a few videos and it was actually easier to do the dress up than she thought, I also had my make up lady on standby as she has helped many a bride in to their dresses, so that may be an option. It will definatly help with the feel etc once it has been altered and you have the hoop and skirt on. I would also say wearing tights/stockings will help with the sticking to the legs, as it will give a smooth finish, I didnt want to wear them but glad I did as it felt much nicer and the dress didnt stick to me. Regards the tattoos, this is entirly up to you, personally I dont think they look bad, if you are wearing your hair down and once you have the veil on they are not that noticable and they are part of you, but if you do feel they are too garish then you could look at removal. Try not to over think it, is hard as I get that right now you just cant envisage it fitting, but it will once the seamstress works their magic

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  • L
    Dedicated September 2023 Derbyshire
    Lizzie ·
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    I think you look gorgeous, and I love the veil. Corset tops are quite easy to do up, so don't worry too much about that. It looks like it's a bit like a shoelace (cross over from side to side and tighten), so I'm sure you will be fine.

    The underskirt and hoop will make a huge difference. I've experienced it myself - skirt looks flat and silly without, then boom! Underskirt on and I'm ready to take on the world!

    You'll be grand. xx

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  • Sarah
    Dedicated October 2022 Swansea
    Sarah ·
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    Your dress looks utterly beautiful on you now - that's before it's altered for the perfect fit. Step away from 'say yes to the dress' and detox from any show showing someone twirling about in the perfect dress for a bit if you can! The right underskirt, fitting and shoes WILL all make a huge difference to the weight and movement of the dress on your frame. That veil is so pretty and ethereal on you - no tattoos show at all through that so try not to worry. Having a chat with the make-up lady and trying out some cover up make-up for tattoos sounds like a great plan if they might affect how you feel on the day. Once you've done alterations try practicing the corset back with your sister a few times to ease your stress and get familiar with it. If you are having hair/make-up people on the day it may be worth seeing if they can help with the corset too - they might be used to helping out brides with the finishing touches so worth an ask as a back-up plan! You have chosen a stunning outfit - and still have plenty of time to perfect your look so you feel as happy and comfortable as possible on the day.

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  • Yorkshirelass
    Super July 2022 Surrey
    Yorkshirelass ·
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    I second what all the other ladies have said! And I was expecting your back to be totally covered with tattoos, not what you actually have which isn’t bad at all! I watch lots of Say Yes as well, I think it’s just something we Brides do to ourselves. Lol
    And as for the corset, they are quite simple to do up- like shoelaces as someone else has said. The dress looks good already in my opinion! Stop giving yourself a hard time!
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  • Ajx
    Dedicated April 2024 West Yorkshire
    Ajx ·
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    The dress is stunning and you look wonderful as it is, that's before all the alterations! Try not to worry, I know it's easier said than done, but the tattoos are not visible through the veil x

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  • Adele
    Savvy March 2024 Durham
    Adele ·
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    I think you look lovely in the dress ❤️
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  • R
    VIP July 2020 Monmouthshire
    RomanticGreenStationery27135 ·
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    1) You look absolutely stunning in that dress - and you are going to look even more amazing once it's properly fitted and altered

    2) The hoop will make a huge difference

    3) Have a trial run doing the dress up before your wedding day - and have someone else available as backup too!

    4) I am someone who HATES tattoos of all kinds and yours don't bother me at all. So I doubt very much they will bother anyone else. The one going up the middle of your back actually echoes the patterns in the lace, like you picked the dress to match it! (And they are really unnoticeable through the veil anyway)

    5) Stop watching Say Yes to the Dress!

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  • S
    Savvy June 2022 Greater Manchester
    snowshine123 ·
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    Hi Sarah - my fellow Bryn bride! As all the other posters have said - the dress is beautiful on you and I cannot see much of your tattoos on the back (as long as you leave your hair down and veil on)! I think we have the same veil as well! Haha!

    The underskirt and hoop definitely helps with keeping the fabric away from your legs. Did you buy the wunderskirt? I'm planning on wearing tights to also help with this (and also helps prevent thigh chafing X-D). Yours will be hemmed at the right length, so you should be ok with walking in yours. I have to be careful with mine, as mine is an inch or so longer. You will find there's a lot of material at the bottom once you have the wunderskirt though, but it does really give the ballgown silhouette. I would just play around with the wunderskirt and cut out any material if needed.

    Your makeup/hair lady should be able to help you into your corset. I'm not having any bridesmaids, but will have my sisters so will ask if they can help me into it - otherwise my makeup lady says she's happy to help!

    You're right, there is a lot of material but I think the tulle is very lightweight and it does give off this vibe. I feel like I'm walking on top of a cloud!

    I'll give you 1 tip though - get a lint roller. The amount of head hair strands that I find on the tulle is unbelievable and I do malt. The tulle is very static lol. I tried on my dress again a couple of weeks ago and then I went round the skirt and picked up hairs before leaving it in my dress bag.

    It'll all work out in the end, and like you - I absolutely love my dress and cannot wait to wear it! Smiley smile

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  • S
    Savvy June 2022 Greater Manchester
    snowshine123 ·
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    No problem! I've got the A line underskirt. If it helps, this is my photo of the front of the dress with the shop's underskirt. So you have an idea of what it will look like when it is fitted to your figure :-)

    I've had the shoulders straps shortened, as the dress wasn't sitting on my natural waistline and a bustle added.

    Massive crisis of confidence in my wedding dress 4


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  • Michelle
    VIP July 2024 Cheshire
    Michelle ·
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    Can i just say wow love this you look amazing xx and the tattoos look fine but if your sure about getti g rid of them then do it and leave say yes to the dress for someone else your dress will be perfect once you sort it out xx💗
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  • Michelle
    VIP July 2024 Cheshire
    Michelle ·
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    I totally get you glad you put say yes to the dress on hold and once your tattoos are removed you will feel so much better in your self xx can i ask a cheeky question does it cost a lot to get them removed i have one on the bottom of my back big mistake got it wrong with what it was meant to be would love to get it removed xx💗
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  • Michelle
    VIP July 2024 Cheshire
    Michelle ·
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    Thanks for the advice i got the chinese animal of the year i was born on my back lets just say it wasnt the right year i was born so means nothing to me at all i got a snakes but it should have been a horse lol this is mine excuse tje fat hanging out xx💗Massive crisis of confidence in my wedding dress 5
    X
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  • Michelle
    VIP July 2024 Cheshire
    Michelle ·
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    Anyway once you have had all your hair makeup and the dress is on you will feel amazing xx💗 thats enough about tattoos xx
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  • Michelle
    VIP July 2024 Cheshire
    Michelle ·
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    I kbow but its horrible anyway the dress will be amazing when your all sorted you will have to let us know xx💗 good luck and thankyou x
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  • S
    Savvy June 2022 Greater Manchester
    snowshine123 ·
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    Thank you! :-D I was standing on the box in the photo, but I'm keeping the length as it is (it costs too much to take off, for the sake of an inch or so). I am wearing heels but they're only 2-3in or so. The hoop will definitely help keep fabric away from your feet, so should be able to walk fine despite the masses of material lol. I was also told not to look at the floor when you're walking as more likely to trip over, look straight ahead :-)

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  • Joanna
    Beginner July 2022 Nottinghamshire
    Joanna ·
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    Like others have said breathe.... I went through exactly the same wobble. I loved it when I tried it on in the shop but when I tried it on at home after alts I was hugely underwhelmed and felt like I'd wasted my money and wanted to buy a new dress. At the time I was also watching loads of SYTD and I don't think it helped.


    However, yesterday I tried it on for the first time with an underskirt £20 from Amazon!) and it made a HUGE difference. I went from feeling like I was just wearing a long dress to feeling like a princess! It really does made a massive difference (my dress is A line).
    Your dress is stunning and it really suits you, with tattoos or without! I think there is so many wedding dress styles, all beautiful in their own way, but you can't wear them all sadly! I think it can give you dress regret and doubts if you keep looking at other dresses (I did this and it really made me feel I'd made the wrong choice). You chose that dress for a reason and you are going to look AMAZING 🥰😍🥰
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  • PhotographybyBillHaddon
    Super January 3000 Leicestershire
    PhotographybyBillHaddon ·
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    In my experience from photographing bridal prep a corset back is usually an item that causes the most stress and time so although straight forward on paper are not quite so easy to do on the day- when the pressure is on.

    As others have said get her to have a little practice before the day.

    I always ask my brides if it is a corset back and if so to just allow a little more time than they thought.

    I would say that the wider the lace the longer it takes as it should be as flat as possible. There also always seems to be a last minute debate on how they want the end - a knot with the excess tucked down inside or a bow - and then how big the bow. One thing I have also noticed is how much lace you get, sometimes if it is tucked in you would be tripping over it.

    Tattoos - I know not much use on the day but if my couples want me to I can remove them for the photos. I have to say that I have seen makeup covers but they have not been very successful in lasting all day.

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  • Sally
    Beginner April 2022 Worcestershire
    Sally ·
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    Hiya, i can totally understand where you're coming from! I bought a Wed2be dress and with it sitting there over a few months you start to have a wobble and think maybe i should've shopped around more. However I tried to remind myself that just because things looked good on other people / on the hanger, it didn't mean i'd like how they looked on me.

    If you have the underskirt, can you just try this on - no dress. and walk around a bit and see how far away it stays from your legs. I had an underskirt and had no issues with the dress or underskirt hitting on my legs, it also lifted the height of the dress. Ended up with small 2 inch heals to match the height and then some chunky sparkly vans for dancing later on and managed having a bit of extra length without too many problems.

    Just try and relax - i know it's easier said than done!!

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  • Ostira
    Dedicated October 2023 Durham
    Ostira ·
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    The dress is stunning and so are you! I have stopped watching SYTTD and Curvy Brides because I feel like it does add that bit more stress! My sister got married years ago with a back tattoo and she had a strapless sweetheart dress with no veil, she looked beautiful. The tattoo is part of her personality and so it didn’t ruin her look at all. I think your tattoos look beautiful with your dress but it is completely up to you if you remove them. Either way, please don’t stress! You are beautiful, so is the the gorgeous dress you picked x
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  • J
    Curious August 2022 Gloucestershire
    Jacqui ·
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    The dress looks gorgeous on you and the tattoos are part of you so embrace them not hide them Smiley smile x
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  • Leanne
    Dedicated September 2022 West Yorkshire
    Leanne ·
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    Oh is that the Bryan? If so really wanted that one but I left it too late
    You look stunning
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  • Leanne
    Dedicated September 2022 West Yorkshire
    Leanne ·
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    Oh you lucky lady, you do look wonderful:-)


    It's OK I managed to get the RenellMassive crisis of confidence in my wedding dress 6
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