Wish I had never looked...

Have the shop said themselves that they don't have ANY LouLou Bridal styles in store? Because I would have assumed that a sample sale meant last year's styles, so they should have some new ones for you to try on.

If you don't know, ring them back up and explain that you specifically wanted to try on some LouLou dresses. In either case, if you've got your heart set on trying them, f they don't have any in stock, you could just reschedule for when they do.

Yes they said they sold them all, perhaps they will get more in eventually. I have plenty of time, I'll see if I absolutely LOVE anything there, and if not then I'll find somewhere else that has Loulou or a similar style. They did say they had other tea length dresses to try.

Am just a bit nervous because this is my second time at being engaged and the first time I had a lot of trouble finding dresses I liked. That was back in 2009 and styles have changed so much since then. But I remember doing internet research then contacting bridal shops to see if they had a particular dress. I got some really snotty replies about how brides shouldn't do research online!

Well what terribly unhelpful people they are! Makes NO sense to me being an official stockist and then selling ALL of your dresses of a particular brand. Silly shop.

You sound like you're being quite level-headed about this - good for you! In terms of styles having changed since last time you were engaged, I would guess that attitudes towards the internet may have done so also. I don't think there are many, if any, brides who don't do at least a bit of research online these days, even if it's only looking up the names of dress shapes!

You never know, since they sometimes ? stock LouLou, they may have an eye for that sort of dress, so you may find something you love regardless,

If not, I don't know where you're based, but there seem to be tons of stockists of LouLou in London and the South East, so potential for a wedding dress outing?! But seriously they do seem to be well spread over the country so hopefully if they do turn out to be the designer for you, you can track a stockist down easily.

Best of luck! And enjoy it.

I am wearing a Lou Lou Bridal dress for my wedding. I got mine from The Wedding Shop in Colchester, Essex. I don't know how many styles they have in there but might be worth a phone call if you are not too far away. They also have some Lou Lou dresses in their clearance section on the website.

Thanks Cymru Angel! An angel indeed. I am based in Oxfordshire so will consider going further afield. And thanks for the advice, I feel better now.

There's some great 50s stuff out there I love house of mooshki but well out of my budget. I nearly went for a kitty and dulcie dress but actually ended up going for a cheap lindybop dress. Vivienne of holloway are great along with honey pie boutique

If you don't mind travelling a little bit I can highly recommend Cutting Edge bridal in Bexley. I ordered my dress from there a couple of weeks ago, the staff are brilliant and it was well within my budget http://www.cuttingedgebrides.com

I did heaps of research online as originally my plan was to try styles here in NZ to get an idea of shapes that suit me, but to buy in the UK local to where i am getting married.

All of the shops I went into took a lot of time with me to look at the styles i had picked out online and find similar styles for me to try, in fact a couple of them even suggested doing internet research before the appointment as it helps them to get a sense of your tastes.

Incidentally, despite all my online research i went with the dress that 'broke' all my rules, but the assistant in the shop persuaded me to give it a chance as she 'had a feeling about it', she had some customisations in mind for me and she was spot on, so I agree it's nice to know what you'd like, but good to keep an open mind.

Sounds like you found a bad apple who didn't like the online research. Don't let them put you off! Enjoy shopping and don't worry, you have plenty of time to find the right dress.

Forgot to add the dress I actually bought was not what I was expecting to get! It's great to have ideas but a good dress shop will also suggest things you may not think will suit you. Remember these guys spend all day seeing different people in different dresses. They are the pros!

Thanks guys, I really appreciate the advice! I have heard a lot of stories about people buying dresses that they would never have given a second glance before. I think you are right. Do a bit of research to find out what I like, then keep an open mind on the day and trust the assistants. They are professionals after all, I'm just an obsessed amateur! xx

My dress is Lou Lou (LB19) but in full length although you can get tea length too. See my recent post for a pic of me wearing it! My local Lou Lou stockist didn't stock the dress I specifically wanted to try so I went to a shop 25 miles away and bought it there and then there are plenty of stockists around, why don't you phone a few of them? x

Wahh! RainbowBride that dress is stunning! Oh how very excited you must be! It's great to see a LouLou in the flesh, as it were! The top of your dress is the style I like, pretty lace over a sweetheart neckline, preferably with a cap sleeve. I will definitely consider travelling further afield for these bad boys if they are all as nice as that. I have booked into another bridal shop that does stock a few LouLous so at least I should be able to try one on.

And congratulations on finding your dress! xxx

Thanks! I am super excited xx