To think choosing your wedding dress is not the magical experience I have been peddled?!

[HarrietKettleWasHere]

I chose my wedding dress this weekend.

I don't feel joy. I feel relief that I may never have to go through that experience again

I went on my own because I always shop on my own. I am no virginal slip of a bride that I thought I required a chaperone (32 and well...I had a lot of fun in my youth ) and I know what I like. Also I'm NC with my mother at the moment and my best friend just blindly says I look lovely in everything, even the time I looked like a Creme brûlée at our sixth form prom.

I paid £10 before I was permitted to look upon the dresses. This was supposed to include a glass of fizz, but the lady had run out, so I had a tap water.

The lady was nice, but even though I told her what I wanted, she brought me lots of netty monstrosities 'just to wow' me they did not wow me. I looked like the toilet roll lady my Nan used to have in her loo.

I normally wear a size 10. Some of the dresses in a 14 wouldn't do up why do they cut them so tiny?! I have a little bit of Christmas pork to lose but still...

I found the dress I loved. The price tag was £1800 I'm wondering whether to just put a down payment on it, which seems like a good ideajust so I never have to repeat this process ever again I am horrified at that amount of money, but it was truly the only one I thought 'that looks amazing even though my hair is stuck to my face, I'm not wearing the right underwear and I've just bloody well had enough'

It looks like it's a lovely magical experience on TV!

When my friend got married last year, she went to a place where you ring a little bell in your changing room, to signify you had found 'the one' (dress, not fiancé, I presume ) and all the other brides to be would come and ooh and ahh at you.

I unfortunately burst out in scoffing laughing when she told me that, and she didn't speak to me for the rest of the day. So while that was not the experience I was aiming for, I was hoping for...oh, I don't know a bit of enchantment! fizz would have helped

Was I expecting too much?

I had a awful time. By the time I found a nice shop and decent assistant I just bought a dress out of relief.
I hated it and am always vaguely bemused by people who claimed to have had a magical, wonderful time.

One assistant stabbed me with one of her pins and I bled all over a cream satin monstrosity. Another tried to pull a small dress up and face butted my knicker clad bum. And the number of dresses that were just dirty and tatty (I mean I contributed to another one with the bleeding..) but still!

If I was doing it again I'd buy a beautiful needle and thread dress and not step foot in a wedding shop.

Do you want to see the one I've (sort of) chosen? I could do with some guidance. I do love it but any help thinking I could find another one I loved for less!

And now on freaking out that once I've put the down payment on I'll have to just bloody commit to it anyway.

I went to two places. One was a very traditional bridal boutique, staffed by two ladies of a certain age. I chose the least lampshadey dresses to try on, and I still felt like a lampshade, or possibly an overstuffed sofa or one of those dolls you get to hide the toilet roll with. I have a couple of photos of me looking very unconvinced in one of the lampshades while the ladies cooed at me. And yes, I'm usually a size 10 and I was just about squeezing into a 14. Why do they do that? It would be understandable if they went the other way and made everyone really happy because they had a dress two sizes smaller than usual, but reverse vanity sizing is a stupid idea.

Then I found another shop, that had a much cooler, vintagey, boho feel and was staffed by younger women who looked as though they actually took an interest in the world outside weddings. I told them I didn't want to try on any fishtail dresses and they laughed and said they didn't stock any. I tried on about half a dozen beautiful, delicate, floaty things that felt like normal clothes rather than furniture, and picked my dress. I'd love to say it was priced like normal clothes as well. Sadly not, but at least it feels as though the money is going on design and lovely fabric rather than a million glass beads and some net curtains. So I'm very pleased, but yes, the whole "Yes to the Dress" thing is total bollocks. As you'd expect really.

We got engaged in April, decided at Christmas to get married at Easter...I looked stunning in early January trying on dresses with thick black wooly tights sticking out the bottom. Got married in 1986, my dress (the third I tried on) was £250.

Oh I loved wedding dress shopping, I didn't pay for the privlidge though, if I had I certainly would have expected the fizz...
There are some beautiful dresses on the link upthread-so cheap!!

It's such bollocks. I'd been dressing myself for over 30 years without the "help" of some fussy woman wearing white gloves. And about five assistants banged up for about 15 minutes to tell me I'd regret not having a veil. I didn't.

DD married 2 years ago,we looked a few places and found a couple of shops that sold end of line dresses, and a local charity shop. Eventually she found be for £650 but was probably half original price. Beware of buying online from China as the dresses they have on their websites are not what you get, think shiny polyester instead of silk,and net instead of lace.There are plenty of places where you can see real examples

Well I’m going against the grain to say I bloody loved it!
I’m not the sort of girly girl who normally does that stuff but I took six friends including my MIL (but not my own Mum)
I went to three shops even though I resisted bothering with the last (where I found it!) and I felt amazing despite being three stone overweight at the moment. So long as you pick dresses that work for your body type, I found them so flattering
I didn’t think I was going to have a “one” or a magical moment but then I saw it on the rack and knew that was it, it is worth every penny!

My dress buying experience went well until the lady ignored my repeated request not to tighten the cords on the back to their fullest extent and suddenly heaved the corset 'in so that I could get the full effect'. I fainted, having had my appendix out a week earlier and having the corset pulled into the still-dressed scar. My mother was very angry with the poor dismissive shop assistant!

Gorgeous dress x

I might seek out an oxfam wedding dress. Is there an actual shop? Then I guess you find a local dressmaker?

I'm so clueless

YANBU

Also the dress shops advise you to order a size up if between sizes then lo and behold costs you a fortune at their "preferred" alterations person. I think they are in cahoots. Get your own dressmaker for alts.

Best

what size are you?

I'll never forget trying on a dress in Berkertex brides (are they still around?). I was with my mum and she cba about it so was useless. I tried on a Grecian style, which was apparently the last one available, and it was so tight it hurt when I breathed out. The 'consultant' assured me all brides lose weight so not to worry . Luckily although I loved the dress, I valued my hard earned money more! I later took a very critical friend which was a great move because I trusted her and she wasn't slow to say something!

I honestly could not bring myself to go wedding dress shopping, so brought mine on eBay for not even £100, it was such a lovely dress and I just sent my measurements off and it fit perfectly.

That's not far off the kind of dresses I love traviata but I'm not keen on satin-y white. I think my skin tone needs a bit of lift pasty so I'd probably go for a champagne colour one (or Oyster or milky bloody coffee or whether they call it )

I have been looking on eBay but I'm too scared of not liking it when it came then I'm stuck with it.

That dress is beautiful OP

I love watching Say Yes to the Dress, but after spending a few hundred on a bridesmaid dress a couple of years ago which has hung in my bedroom since gathering dust, I can't face the thought of spending thousands on a wedding dress. Will be heading to Oxfam Bridal, I think.

Ahhhh love Ronald Joyce lovely dress

I don’t love the dress you chose but I’m not sure you do either.

Tell me more about Lightinthebox.

Is it any good?

Some charity shops sell lots of them. Start a thread and you'll probably find one.
Of course you are BU. Doesn't your fiancé have an ex-footballer friend whose wife could knock something up for you?

Oh god, twenty years ago and I remember it well. I took my Mum and she dragged me around Everywhere. She said that it was my decision, and whatever I wanted would be ok....until I actually started trying on. Pink tulle anyone? I tried it on to please her, and whilst she was ooh'ing and ahh'ing with her new best friends (all the other mums) I stood there thinking all I needed was a wand and I would indeed look like the Fairy Godmother. After another mass of tulle, and a sales assistant turning up with another armful of the stuff and announcing that 'this is the detachable train' I lost my cool and told DM I was wearing my jeans, DH's Chelsea shirt and a tiara.

I did eventually find a dress, but I don't think I was ever very happy with it, although everyone said I looked lovely. It's still in the loft though, as I'm loathe to get rid funnily enough.

I'm not sure if you have one near you (think they are north east shops) but I took
My sister in law to look in WED2B - dresses were no more than £495. Ex designer (last season) and they have loads of sizes. Basically dresses all lined up in size order so you go to your size and find dresses you like. When we were there you were allowed 4 dresses at a time to try on then had to go to the back of the queue again.

Personally I would love it if I were getting married again, practical and cost effective!

I had mine made by a seamstress lol
It was all to my own design and I loved it
cost me £100 in 1982 that was for everything veil shoes tiara dress undies stockings garter lol
your dress is beautiful btw OP Congratulations!