should I cancel dress shopping?

Hi,

Is this the only store you are going to? Are you going to this store for a particular reason? Like they stock something you are after? If there is no particular reason then personally I would cancel and book somewhere else or find another stockist if you are looking for something in particular. . You shouldn't be made to feel like that when are trying on dresses. It's so much fun and all the dresses make you feel special so why be made to feel the way you are feeling? Losing 5 stone is a tremendous achievement and you should be able to try on dresses that show your slimmer figure! I went to one shop with my sister that was like this and she couldn't get half of them past her legs! It was ridiculous! There are plenty of shops that stock dresses in sizes over a 12 because more people can try them on. They just clip the back together. I actually started my search in Wed2B just to suss out cheaper dresses and they actually stock dresses in every size.

Good luck with your dress search and I hope you have a fabulous time trying them all on! xx

Well done on your huge weight loss! That is truly amazing. My wedding dress wasn’t in my size when I ordered it. I think it was an 18 and I’m a 20. However the right dress will look fab no matter whether the sample dress isn’t in your size. Wedding dresses come bigger anyway. My dress that was made to order ended up being a 22 because of the way the measurements fell so you might find they fit ok anyway. I would definitely second going to a few more different bridal shops. Also you will get a vibe from the staff etc whilst you are there and you may find they’re not who you want to be dealing with anyway. Good luck x

Hi!

Thanks for the help, it's mainly because it has the most designers in one space that I want to try on and that I love. I'm just worried they won't fit properly, however do most wedding dress shops come with the extra piece of material on the back they can attach? I'm even more worried because it's a boutique shop in London. I just think because it's the first time I'm more nervous.

It is my first try and it's also a wedding department store, I spoke to my mum and bridesmaid and they've both agreed if we can't try on the dresses we can always look at everything else!

Thank you for the help x

I'm a size 14, and I'm going to share my experience at the two bridal shops in London that I've been to. I'm naming names to in hopes it will help you make a decision.

First shop I went to was David's Bridal in Stratford, the consultant straight up told me I was too fat to be a bride. Every dress I said I liked she told me would never fit me, and there was no point in me trying it on. She was also helping another bride, who wanted a two piece outfit. The consultant put the other bride in the dresses I liked, ignoring the other bride each time she said it wasn't what she wanted. The consultant put me in dresses that on someone else I'm sure would be lovely but not on me, they weren't my style at all. I wanted lace and she didn't let me try anything with lace. When I complained they didn't care, they even called me wanting me to go for another appointment as I hadn't purchased a dress. When I again complained and asked why they thought I would buy a dress from somewhere that told me I'm too fat to be a bride, the response was "you could still buy accessories from us, or bridesmaids dresses"

I didn't go dress shopping for a year, we hadn't booked the venue so it wasn't a problem to push the date back. David's Bridal knocked my confidence and self esteem so much

The second shop I went to is a small independent in Walthamstow called Suzanne Harrington Bridal, she makes bespoke dresses, the store is very small and I didn't fit in all the sample dresses but Suzanne was amazing and not once did I feel bad about myself. I've ordered my dress with her, and it's completely custom, I got to pick every detail and it's still cheaper than any of the dresses David's Bridal put me in.

If you think the store you're booked in with will make you feel bad about yourself in any way, then I would cancel, most bridal consultants are amazing, but if you get a bad one, it will tarnish the experience. If you think you can cope with dresses being a bit tight, then go to the appointment, especially if you booked with them because you wanted to try a specific dress they stock

As a size 18 also in the process of losing weight, I completely understand your concerns, my main fear was going to a shop and them having nothing I could get over my thighs! I obviously can't speak for every boutique but I visited three near me in south London/Surrey and really enjoyed the experience. Yes they were mostly size 12s and 14s and they weren't a perfect fit but I could easily get them on and the ladies in the shop really helped me visualize how they would fit when in the right size.

Another nervous bride here. I’m a size 16 generally post babies so have a proper mummy tummy. I’ve lost 11lb and want to lose another 4 stone before my wedding in April 2020.

I have booked appts with 3 dress shops... David’s bridal in Stratford, Farnham boutique and aurora bridal in north cheam, surrey.

i have large hips and thighs and so scared dresses won’t fit over them

I visited Aurora Bridal and had a lovely experience, ultimately ended up going with a dress from Surrey Brides in Weybridge but the sales assistant was lovely and never felt out of place being slightly bigger