No wedding dress 6 weeks before the wedding...

[ThisMustBeMyDream]

I need help, and quickly!
My dress has been unable to be altered to fit. It was purchased off the peg and the bridal shop assured me it would be made to fit by the seamstress (I'd not have purchased otherwise!). It can not fit. It isn't possible.
So, here I am, 6 weeks before the big day with no dress (I do, however, have my money back - for the dress at least, but not the cost of the alterations!).
I am struggling. I'm around a size 8. I need off the peg. This seems to be difficult. Most stores stock 14s and 16s, then pin to fit and say it can be altered - this is how I've ended up with no dress, so I really don't want to be doing big alterations. 12's are the smallest I've found in store, but this is simply too big and too much altering. I also want the dress to fit me on the bust in the right way - which was the challenge in the previous dress. I wear a 30F bra, and due to weight loss, they are more loose skin than anything, but can look great with the right support. The dress I had couldn't give any support even though it had straps (mermaid style).
I don't want anything from Monsoon, Debenhams etc. They just aren't my style.
I'm in the north west, between Manchester and Liverpool. Where would you go to find a dress off the peg that is a size 8. I don't have lots of time either due to work and other commitments. So if anyone has any good ideas, I'm all ears!

I've got my shoes already, just normal bridal ones - needed to practice our dance in!
My hair is as below! It took 4 trials to be happy! I'm doing my own make up as I didn't like my trials for that 🙈. I'm not saying I'm difficult. But maybe, I am....

He sounds like a good one and you definitely deserve your happily ever after x

Hair is perfect and will suit the dress neckline so well. I’m not a fan of professional make either, I did my own in my wedding day too - it’s very hard to get someone who ‘gets’ you and not just a bridal make up.
Not one thing wrong with knowing what you want and don’t want - forget the difficult!!!

Your hair looks so pretty! I did my own make up too for our wedding and never regretted it.

Gorgeous dress - and I would say it IS fitted, and shows your figure off beautifully. And can I say, your arms are amazing - especially as you say you have lost so much weight, Beautifully toned (sorry if that sounds weird)

Thank you! 😁
That's over a year of weight lifting! I'm pretty pleased with them, except for the loose skin under my armpits 😫 but you can't win em all, so I'll just make the best of what I've got!

I actually wore the veil from my first wedding when I got married at Easter. Got loads of compliments even thought it was 15yrs old 😄. Gave me nicer memories after my first shitty marriage.

There are some beautiful veils from wedding sellers with Pro accounts on Vinted if you want to keep your budget low. You get 2wks to return with Pro sellers.

I picked up my tiara from eBay Barnados page and I bought my hoop underskirt from vinted so you should be able to get a bargain easily. Which reminds me I need to sort out getting all my wedding stuff on vinted now I’m done with it 😄

I also bought a second dress (brand new as didn’t fit the seller) from vinted that was tea length but I never ended up getting changed into it. Might tea length be a good choice for you to dance in? Mine was originally an Amazon dress that cost £200 but was a bargain price on vinted- looked far better than I expected and I’m a bit gutted I didn’t manage to wear it.

I am stalking vinted, fb marketplace etc! I think I want a cathedral length two tier veil. These seem to be trickier to find. I'm going back to get the dress tomorrow, and I have an accessories appt at a shop on Monday to try different things. I'll try and get them 2nd hand then once I have a better idea. Then if I can't, I'll go back to the shop and buy a little closer to the time. I do actually have a 20 year old tiara on my head in some of the photos here. It was my mums at her wedding, passed on to me. Sadly, I don't think it goes with the dress I'm getting. It goes with the other two though! Annoyingly!

I got my shoes on vinted - brand new rainbow club ones, for £50 when they were £125 new, so I was pretty pleased with that! At least it doesn't matter what the shoes look like, so I don't need to think about that!

I need to check whether I need a ballgown hoop or A line hoop when I go to get the dress tomorrow. Also psyching myself up to fight the hard sell tomorrow for all the ridiculous things wed2be want you to buy! I've got a wooden hanger, and a dress bag. I don't need a sodding box or any other shite!

I'm so nervous to actually go and buy it tomorrow! I am committing!

I have a dress in my grubby mitts! My bridesmaid came with me today and number 3 was indeed purchased! I ended up buying a belt to cover the waist join as my waist is higher than the bodice of the dress and you could see the boning pushing out. I didn't want to go through the pain of alterations (it would have meant taking the bodice off and shortening it by about 1.5cm. The belt covers it and cinches the waist perfectly. It made my bridesmaid cry when I put that on, bless her! She's hard as nails, but she said it just set the dress off completely (it's just a satin plain belt).
Either way, I'm very happy! Drama (hopefully!) over. Time to get on with enjoying the lead up!
Thanks everyone who helped me!

So pleased for you OP.

I remember the thread where you found the ring.

Have an amazing day!

Making someone else cry is how you know you've got it right! I have very limited time so I popped out on my own just to make sure I would be able to get something, anything off the peg. I found what I thought was my perfect dress. The following week I went back out with my mum in tow having told her I had a few options and a strong preference but that I wasn't going to tell her which dress I loved.

Sure enough when I put on 'my' dress she cried (she is not a crier).

Both times I tried it on other brides to be who had not chosen that dress to try on asked the assistant to get it for them so it must have looked better on me than on the hanger at least!

I've put my tiara and veil on vinted should you still need one or the other.

Can you PM me your vinted name and I'll have a nosy! 😁 Thank you!

Will do! Only just seen this as not been on today.