The Dress

[AbsDuWolef]

aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaargh.

Is all I have to say. I love clothes, I love fashion, and as lame as this is, I've always looked forward to having a chance to choose a fabulous swooshy dress, and now aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaargh. We've found the venue, the caterer and pretty much sorted ALL of that out (they include buttloads of stuff in the quote, like flowers, waiting staff so we don't need to worry about that), the photographer, the music etc etc

I think I must have looked at about 20 million dresses (online and in magazines). I've found The Dress FOUR times now. Only to decide a week later it's not The Dress and go back to the drawing board. I swing between wanting something lacy, to going back to something simple and elegant. The ONLY THING I've managed to decide is that I don't want a meringue, but every now and then I'm all "hm, something bigger would be nice".

AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAARGH

Rant over.

Try on things you don't think you'll like. Seriously - the dress I liked the most was one that I refused to try on at first. My sister pulled it out and I said it looked like Granny's net curtains. Looked beautiful on though! In fact, if it's your first time in a bridal shop, treat it as one big trying on session to narrow down what works and what doesn't rather than trying to find "the one". Some shades of ivory (the yellower ones) really looked awful on me so I learned to avoid them, and anything with draping made me look huge, though can be slimming on other people.

Oh, and enjoy it and make sure you go somewhere for wine afterwards!

My best friend had the same issue. 3 weeks before the wedding she decided she didn't like her dress... Oh those manic weeks of shopping for a new one was fun!

I bought a very plain dress which swished, and had on the shoulder straps, and bought some very nice accessories. I spent more on the jewellery than the dress.

Don't compromise on what you want. You may have more luck with vintage, getting it made, or even highstreet.

Good luck.

Are you dead set on white? The thought of finding a wedding dress was really intimidating for me, but when I dropped the fixation with whiteness and went for a colour I don't look hideous in (I'm moderately pale and have freckles - white makes me look ill), I was much happier about the whole thing. I'm going to be getting married in aubergine purple and silver. Lots of people do an eyebrow thing when I tell them, but they all agree the colour suits me.

There's nothing wrong with a white wedding dress, but why not try something else and see if you like it?

Afish is right, my dress which I loved, actually, I completely adored *she says while sneaking a glance as it's still hanging in full view from the bed 4 weeks later.... but it just looked like a bit of rag on the hanger and I picked it up purely because the lady in the shop said 'try on a few that you dont really take to just to give you an idea' mum saw it on the hanger and said, 'oh no put that one back it's got no shape/nothing nice I don't like it at all'. I put it on and it was 'the one'. That said, there are so many beautiful dresses out there and I know plenty of people who never found 'the one' but were equally just as happyz