Wedding Dress Help Please!

[HappyGirlNow]

I'm getting married next year and I've been looking online at wedding dresses.. This one has really caught my eye and I'm considering travelling to the nearest stockist to try it on.

I'm 39 so I need to keep it simple although i do want a full-length wedding dress.. Slightly pear shaped (10 on top, 12 on bottom), just under 5'10"

Firstly, do you like it? Will it suit my age and shape? Are there any other dresses you think would also be worth trying? Needs to be quite fitted and not too fussy (that'll just make me look older!)

[HappyGirlNow]

Anyone? I would have put this in 'Weddings' but there's not a lot of activity on there....

[PerfectStranger74]

Truly beautiful! And I've watched enough gok wan to know that the shoulder straps going out to the point of the shoulder instead of straight up, will help balance your bottom half and make you look more hour glass than pear! :-D

[PinkChampagneandStrawberries]

Gorgeous

[AKissIsNotAContract]

It's lovely. The only trouble with looking online is when you try it on it might not suit. I had my heart set on a dress very similar to that but when I tried it it looked awful on me. I've gone for the last type of dress I thought I'd go for.

[HappyGirlNow]

Thank you all

I see what you're saying about the wide set straps and anything that makes my hips look smaller can't be bad

akiss I know what you mean. I'm a wee bit concerned about it being bias cut and whether that will suit me in real life.. I love the dress so hope so! And there's hardly any that have caught my eye - most dresses are strapless or too young for me..

[emsyj]

Having done a stint running a bridal business, I can tell you that you need to try everything on that you possibly can - I used to often get brides in who had fallen in love with a specific dress on the website and it was rare that they would end up ordering that dress. It did happen, but not often.

Ritva Westenius is a very high end designer so the dress is likely to be beautiful quality and heavy fabric, so it's the most flattering bias cut you'll ever get (if you see what I mean). Having seen a Jenny Packham dress that I loved when I was getting married, I worried that the floaty, shinyish silk would show every lump and bump - but it was not like that at all, it was very heavy and fully lined and just skimmed the fat shape.

Enjoy shopping and try everything, including what the assistant suggests - sometimes they are rubbish but usually they will have seen all the samples on a variety of people and will have a good idea what will be good for your shape.

[AKissIsNotAContract]

I agree with that Emsy. The assistant suggested the dress that I've ended up buying. I looked at it on the hanger and thought 'I'll give it a go but it looks a bit shit', put it on and just knew it was MY dress. This was after trying the one I had fallen in love with online which I was sure was the one and it looked dreadful on me.

[follyfoot]

Its fabulous. I had a Ritva Westenius dress too, it was so beautifully made. As others have said, try lots on and you will just know which one is right for you.

[HappyGirlNow]

Thank you all

Yes, I think I was worried in case a bias cut would be unflattering but if its a heavy material it should be fine

I am open to trying other dresses on. I tried one on locally and liked it but didn't love it. I've looked at hundreds online and only 3 have stood out for me. I know I definitely don't want strapless so that really reduces the options.

[bishboschone]

As others have said I don't think you can choose a wedding dress , it must choose you . Dresses that look god awful on the hanger can look amazing on . Just book an appointment at your nearest wedding dress shop and try loads on .

[emsyj]

If you have a good budget (which I assume you do if you're looking at Ritva!) then you will find the non-strapless choices are much much improved in the last 2 years in the high end designer collections - they are slower to catch up in the mid-range mainstream labels, but you should find a good choice of non-strapless in the Ritva type collections. Have you looked at Jenny Packham at all?

I fell totally and utterly in love with this one when I was looking, and when I went to try it on the assistant kept putting off getting it out for me - I was a bit and but eventually did manage to try it and it looked awful - the dropped waist was totally wrong for my shape, the polka dots made me look like a deranged kids' TV presenter - hideous. I still grieve for that dress!

[HappyGirlNow]

Thanks all

I've not really looked at Jenny Packham, I've seen a couple but not sure they're quite to my taste.. It's not the quality of strapless ones that put me off, it's 1. my age and 2. almost everyone seems to wear strapless.. I've had a look at the rest of the Ritva collection but don't like any of the others as much as this. But no doubt I'll see some more of her designs in the flesh when I go to try this one.

Haha @ deranged kids' TV presenter

[AKissIsNotAContract]

I've gone for a dress with straps too, I just don't like strapless dresses. If you are near Brighton I can recommend Ocean Bride in Hove.

[HappyGirlNow]

Thanks akiss but I'm in Scotland. I do love strapless things normally but I just want something different for the wedding. When is your wedding?

[cookielove]

I saw this post yesterday and found a dress you might like but then lost the post here it is

[WeAreSix]

I love that dress... Stunning. Have fun shopping!

[HappyGirlNow]

Thanks for the link Cookie and I do like the shape of that dress.. I just think it doesn't seem to sit quite right on the model.. Not sure why...

Thanks wearesix - I can't wait to try it on.. Appointment booked for 24th November at bridal shop - enough time to lose a few pounds

[Lavenderhoney]

What a lovey dress:) if you plan to lose weight, maybe think about one that has the fancy crossover straps at the back, and strapless look nice, but all day in it might be uncomfortable with a strapless bra that also gets in the photos? I used to wear long ball gowns and it was a problem IMO. Mine had a bra sewn into it, so I didn't have a problem with straps showing. Plus I was bf, which was a surprise for us:)

[HappyGirlNow]

Thanks lavender, I only want to lose about a stone and have smallish boobs so I don't think it will be too much of a problem.. The one dress I did try on a few weeks ago actually had internal support so no need for a bra (it was also quite low at the back) - not sure if this one does or not though..

[HappyGirlNow]

Thanks hilde - I love it so much, it's absolutely beautiful, real old movie star glamour I think Aw, hope it suits me!

[Funnylittleturkishdelight]

Just BEAUTIFUL! I love it.

[HappyGirlNow]

Thanks Funny - so excited

[bishboschone]

That damsel is a beautiful dress. I'm a dry cleaner and I have seen some monstrosities that people have paid £1000's for ( mostly polyester ) that dress is stunning regardless of the price but for the price you can't go wrong!!

[AKissIsNotAContract]

You might like to join the wedding quiche