Off-the-peg wedding dress - any ideas?

[IggiBurns]

Hello, getting married in April and had no idea I needed months to buy a dress in a "regular" wedding dress shop!

So, a ready-made one (perhaps an evening dress type) looks like my best option - trouble is, I haven't a clue which shops to start looking in, which is where I hope some of you might help!
I live in a city so have a lot of choice, if anyone can suggest the right shops, or indeed has seen a dress..?
I do want long, cream/gold/silver fine, not meringue type but not too figure hugging as I'm too big (16 - prob 18 post Christmas).
Fingers crossed ..

I got mine from Monsoon
Debenhams and BHS are worth a look too
You can look online to get a feel for what you want

Try eBay for both new and pre loved. Mine came new from the orient with bridesmaid dress made from some bolt of fabric.

BHS have some nice dresses, which are in stock (friend had all her bridesmaids dresses from them and they looked great)

Or if you try an evening wear/prom dress shop, they will prob have suitable dresses in stock too

Oh, good ideas - I think problem has been looking for brides dresses online, rather than evening wear/formal type.
Think I'll hit the shops tomorrow, if the snow lets up!
Thank you all

Ebay always have tonnes of wedding dresses, the trick will be to find a seamstress of some kind to alter it to fit you.

I got mine from Debenhams and I was really pleased with it - had tried on a couple of dresses in a bridal shop but they felt way overdone and couldn't justify the price tag. The Debenhams one was nice and simple, not at all fussy and actually looked quite classic as a result. Definitely worth a look....

i think some wedding shops have samples for sale..cant you ring round?

Bish I'm so easily intimidated, already feeling stupid for not realising how long it would take to make! Think I could try though.
There are some corkers on ebay, showed one to DP who clearly didn't know whether I was joking or not (does he know me well enough to marry me I wonder?!)
SO, tomorrow - off to Debenhams, BHS, Monsoon - department store maybe?

I got mine from Debenhams in the sale - it was about £140 and I much preferred it to the ones I'd tried on in proper wedding shops. It looked amazing, if I do say so myself .

I got mine from monsoon, then got a recommendation for a local lady who altered it for me so was a perfect fit.
Good luck!

Monsoon do lovely wedding dresses. I was looking at them the other day (loads of size 16/18s for sale) and I have been married 12yrs [saddo emoticon].

I got a brand new designer sample from Oxfam - 100% silk, fabbo and £120 Will try to get a link - I think Oxfam website has details of shops which have bridal depts. They are normally quite separate from the regular shop with nice big fitting rooms. There are donated dresses of course, but they get given a lot of samples/ end of lines which have never been worn.

where do you live? I am bossy I will come with you or ring round for you. bear in mind if you are buying one from ebay decond hand it would have been fitted to the previous owner. Monsoon do nice dresses.

Btw I am a dry cleaner so have seen many many wedding dresses..most budget(£1000) or under dresses and some over are made of polyester these days and are machine washable so bear that in mind if you see one with a mark on it is easily fixed.
NOt Monsoon though they will probably be silk.

Happy to help any other way if I can

See here and here

Look at this. Not so keen on the colour but the shape is so so beautiful...

(I know not your size but I'm just looking at beautiful things)

Thank you Bish, I will have to develop a backbone to get through this wedding! I live in Edinburgh - there are no oxfam bridal shops in Scotland at all I see, but will look through the online stuff - thank you MrsBean.

Monsoon had TONS in the sale yesterday, and they are gorgeous, if I were getting married now (14 years in March, eek!) then I would so be buying one from there. Go shopping and then post a photo!

TK Maxx sometimes have fantastic evening wear, very bridal.

I second SequinBra: show us pictures! (of the dresses even if you dno't want to show photos of you!)

yes iggi - we want pictures . I'm enjoying living vicariously through you as it seems so long since I was looking at dresses.

My wedding dress was from Debenhams. It was £120. I had no idea about the long wait for a 'proper' dress either!

I'll try to sneak a camera in with me then! Or could bring laptop, and do live Skype link-up? (maybe not, for your sakes )

iggy - the monsoon in Buchanan Street and Braehead (both Glasgos) do bridal. Not sure which in Edinburgh do them - not all do, mainly just the larger ones?

Debenhams

Go to that bridal shop just along from The Balmoral, try loads on - get an idea of shape and stuff?

M&S also do wedding dresses online M&S bridal

Good luck!