Trying on dresses for first time! Advice and Manc/Cheshire recommendations please!

Strapless bra, pants you're not afraid to show off in public, i suggest hair down (straight or curly, whichever you're leaning towards for wedding) then take a big clip so you can instantly change hair to half up/down or all up and tuck a little veil clip in too. Wish I had taken one of these to every shop, one provided one for me and it really helped. Have fun and enjoy it.... I really miss the dress shopping experience now! x

I will defo recommend Love bridal in Altrincham. Emma, who owns it, is lovely and made it such a special experience for me.

I would recommend the white closet in didsbury, although it depends on your budget- the dresses in there are amazing but pricy. I found the perfect dress and blew my budget in there but you only live once right?! It's a really lovely experience as well- the girls are lovely and the shop is laid out beautifully.

I would avoid bride to be by Hannah Lois unless you're a size 10 I'm a size 14/16 and hardly any of the dresses I wanted to try on even went over my hips. The girl told me to put on the dressing gown in the changing room and come out to try find something else but it was a size 8 slinky thing that didn't meet in the middle haha. Felt like an elephant and just went home in tears. Think it's a bit unacceptable to have sample sizes so small- I didn't have that problem in any of the other shops I tried so it's not me- so glad I didn't try there first! They do have a limited plus size collection though but non of them were my thing. Anyway rant over. They got points for being nice though, and for giving us Buck's Fizz.

Anyway, all of the advice above is good- especially about some kind of clip to whip your hair up- wish I'd remembered to do that. I'd say enjoy it but I must admit I find it nerve wracking too!

I would recommend:

- love bridal, altricham

- white closet, Didsbury

- the wedding and prom dress boutique, stockport (although this is an outlet)

- sense and sensibility, great moor

- the Cheshire wedding boutique, knutsford

and tips are: easy to change out of clothes, hair clips/bobbles, nice undies, don't take too many people with you and try on some random picks that you would never go for...you might be surprised! X

I bought my dress from J'adore Bridal Boutique in Altrincham- they had some stunning dresses and the staff were lovely and very helpful.

My advice is to try on lots of different styles- I ended up buying a dress which was different to the style I originally wanted too.

If you don;t have one already, don't worry about a strapless bra. I just tucked the straps in and it worked fine.

Take someone who you know will be honest but will wait to see your reaction before giving opinions! And don't be afraid to say you don't like it or that it is not good enough even if they try and convince you with shiny accessories!

And, if you are not comfortable in the shop or with the experience go elsewhere! The first shop I went to was not a fun experience and I felt under pressure to make a decision even though it was the first shop but the next shop was wonderful and everything I had hoped it would be!

Ah I hope you enjoy your experience as much as I did, it was so much fun and I went to so many shops!

I'd suggest in your first couple of shops trying a few different styles, you sometimes are surprised by what you like and what suits you best!

Good strapless bra and nude underwear, like people said, something you feel comfortable stripping off in and standing in front of mirrors! Take a hair clip/bobble so you can put your hair up. They usually have some heels or a box for you to stand on, but take your own if you feel more comfortable. I always made sure I'd done a bit of make up too, as you are literally standing staring at yourself all day!

The main thing is, ENJOY it. It's all part of the experience. Don't let anyone rush you, take your time.

- Wedding Boutique, Knutsford - Quite a small boutique, probably about 25 dresses in total, but they are beautiful and prices are really reasonable too. I tried some gorgeous ones on thinking they would blow my budget, to happily discover they were around £1000! The lady there is lovely too.

- J'adore, Altrincham - The lady I had in here was amazing. No pressure at all, REALLY friendly and genuinely interested in me and my wedding, ideas for dress and what the other dresses I have liked were like. Good range of styles.

- Bethany Hannah, Stockton heath - This is where I ended up buying my dress from! Again, the girls are lovely, all really down to earth and friendly, no pressure at all, and work with you to make your dress your own (ie lots of advice on how you can alter things should you want a different neckline, straps etc)

- Puure, Lymm - deceptive from the outside. Looks really small but they actually have a great selection of dresses, different styles and prices. The most expensive was around £2k, but they had lots around the £1k mark. Angie the owner is great too.

- Cheshire Brides Frodsham - much bigger shop, they have loads of different styles to try. This was a great shop for me to start as I think I tried on every style going! Gave me a good idea to start!

- Cheshire Bridalwear, Goosegreen, Altrincham - Dev the lady here is amazing, so friendly! Great selection of dresses, good prices.. would definitely recommend!

- Cheadle Bride - dresses are nice, but I found the women to be a bit stand offish tbh... they weren't rude or anything, I just didn't get the same vibe as all the others!

xxxxx

I sencond the recommendation for the white closet in West Didsbury, amazing shop full of even more amazing dresses. If you only did one shop, which I know you won't, but this would be my one shop. Hands down.

Amy Louise Bridal in Nantwich, great designers, shop also lovely.

Aphrodite in Knutsford, a nice shop but I found them a bit pushy.

Make sure to wear pants that you wouldn't mind your granny seeing you in. So big, nude/white coloured pants. If you've got a strapless bra then wear that but if not then just take the straps down. They'll lend you shoes so don't worry about those.

I'd also recommend Love Bridal in Altrincham and Sense and Sensibility in Stockport. Both have a good range of dresses and the staff are lovely, friendly and helpful.

Try loads of styles on and be open to suggestions. I didn't like my dress on the hanger at all and wouldn't have chosen it myself!

Thank you for all the tips and suggestions!

I think my £1k dress budget might rule some of those places out, though I suppose it couldn't hurt to look!

Knowing me, I'll love the first one I try, but try on another thirty to be sure, just to end up with the first anyway!!

I took some heels with me the second time as in the first shop I had to use theirs and I felt like I was in fancy dress with giant clown shoes on, haha!

would defo still be worth a look. I went to Love bridal thinking I'd never afford anything. Bagged myself a terry fox gown half price in the sample sale. I think loves dresses start at £900 but she is doing another sample sale soon. So you could still go to these places and ask about sample sales.

I can recommend The Bridal Path in Altrincham. Helen who works there is a gem ?

It was the first shop I went to & I ended up with the first dress I tried on. When you find "The one" you just know . It was also a bonus that the dress was a lot cheaper than I was anticipating.