For those of us out there who love a good romcom or even a bit of reality TV like ‘say yes to the dress’ or ‘don’t tell the bride’ we have seen entourages walking into dress shops and the bride knowing exactly what she wants and then as she slips it on the whole bridal party and the assistant breaks down crying and tells her how beautiful she looks. But, surely wedding dress shopping can't always be this smooth? I can’t even buy a pair of work trousers without trying on ten pairs so please explain to me how when I put on the most important dress of my life it would be that straightforward.
Well, here at Forever & Always we simply didn’t believe it so we spoke to a real bride about her experiences of dress shopping.
Northern girl Jen Lithgo (engagement ring pictured below), 24, is due to be married on the 15th June 2019 and has been trying on dresses since August 2017 only recently finding the right dress for her.
Her first encounter of wedding dress shopping was miles away from the perfectly smooth experience you see on the television.
Miss Lithgo said: ‘I first tried dresses on at Wed2be Gateshead, in August 2017, 23 months before my wedding. It turned out to be a complete waste of time. There was no guidance from the lady in the shop. I was a bag of nerves to begin with and by the time I left I was so confused. By all means, the prices were good. But, I now understand they’re cheap for a reason. Plus, the lady just wanted to go home. It was an hour before they closed and she had no interest in me, didn’t offer to pull anything else for me to try. Literally, she was there to put the dress on and that was it.’
This experience took the excitement out of Jen's dress shopping experience. Luckily things started to look up when she finally braved wedding dress shopping again a full 6 months later at YAP Bridal in Newcastle.
She said: "I tried on two, which were what I was looking for but they didn’t look right or feel right. I was starting to lose hope again but she (the shop assistant) pulled one that was not at all what I would have pulled and I loved it! It was the perfect shape but not quite the right detailing.’
Jen decided against this dress originally due to the detailing and it being out of her price range. She tried visiting Mia Sposa and trying on all the dresses in that similar shape which reaffirmed her decision that this was the shape for her. However, the one she had fallen in love with was well out of budget. Miss Lithgo had started to consider returning to YAP to try the one she had originally liked but before that she attended an appointment at the Blue Bow Bridal Company in Durham where she had that moment we all dream to be true when we see it on television.
Jen said: “The appointment was 14 months before my wedding day. I was nervous but I knew the shape I wanted so I thought this should be easy and not too stressful. The girls were phenomenal in there, I showed them the pictures of the two dresses I liked, she pulled 3 that were similar and told me the prices before I tried them. I told her my budget and she said she wouldn’t go over that. I picked a further three dresses. The first one I tried was lovely, the detailing was gorgeous, and the only thing that put me off was a lace up back. So, we moved to the next, this was the one I’d picked. As soon as she zipped it up I knew it was the one. I hadn’t even seen it yet but it felt so light and fitted like glove. When I walked down into the boutique both the two sales assistants and owner were blown away. All of us were on the edge of tears, I knew it was the one. There were two small things that needed adjusting but we all knew this was the one.’
So, there is moments exactly like the ones on television it just takes a journey to get to them!
Looking back on her dress shopping experience Jen said: ‘Finding the dress was such a relief, I went home and sent the pictures to my entourage. Everyone agreed it was the one. I made an appointment for my mum and the bridal party to see it just three days after the original appointment! Again, the sales assistant was amazing, explained everything to my mum and maid of honour. She showed me how to sit down and walk up stairs, gave me advice on underwear and explained what happens next. It has left me so excited to go back and try it on. I cannot wait for the call to say the dress is here and I can collect it. Only 6 months until I can pick it up!’
So, we don’t know about you ladies, but this makes us feel that wedding dress shopping is that little bit less daunting. Yes, she may have had a few bumps along the way until the perfect romcom-worthy moment but hey isn’t that just what marriage is going to be like?
