Julia's winter wedding diary - 6 months to go!
With no time to lose, Julia's on the hunt for her wedding dress!
I decided pretty early on that I wanted to go for a Grecian-style dress, like this gorgeous Manuel Mota for Pronovias one, but have gone completely the other way and actually feel that because it's a winter wedding that may look a bit summery. I think there’s definitely more choice if you’re marrying in the summer as there's a fantastic range of suitable dresses available on the high street as well as in bridal boutiques.
And tempting as it is, I am not going for the fur shrug look as the venue is all about the indoors, so there’s no need for me to wrap up. The room we're marrying in is a gorgeous and what I’d describe as ‘cosy’ with a fireplace and lots of character. The room where we’re holding the wedding breakfast is a large ballroom, with spiral staircases leading up to a mezzanine on either side of the room and decorated with tiny fairy lights.
From my experience - and to be fair I've only been to one - sample sales are possibly the most horrendous experience unless you have
a) lots of time to kill and don’t stress easily
b) have some money put aside for repairs to the stains, catches and tears on the dresses from being hoarded around the shop by bridezillas
c) you know exactly what dress you are looking for and you are lucky enough to find it. And...
d) you are a size 12 to 14, because if you're a size 8, ‘fat’ chance as they all get snapped up before you know it. And unless you're absolutely sure about the dress, don't be swayed into making a decision by the hard sell, I heard comments like: "Make sure you get your dress from us because that other shop where you've seen the same dress for £200 cheaper is going to close down. Yup, that's right, you won't get your dress. You'll be safer here."
Of course, in the current climate it may happen, but at the end of the day I always pay for big things on my credit card and we’ve also spent £75 on wedding insurance, just to be on the safe side.
My first time in a bridal shop for a more 'normal' fitting was really good fun and I was so excited I almost ran there from the station! I decided to go on my own to all the initial appointments until I found ‘the one’ as personally, I hate being fussed over. I was chuffed to have the shop all to myself with one person allowed in at a time and like a princess!
I was shown around the shop where they went through all the designers and was asked me to pick out a few. I'd also been hugely keen and had already emailed them links of the ones I had seen on their website so they had those on a rail ready for me to try - talk about efficient!
Now no one told me what happens next, so if you're body shy, you just need to get over it. Stupidly I didn't realise that they actually have to physically help you into the wedding dresses.
You strip down to your undies and that's when you really have to hope you remembered your flesh-coloured bra and knickers. I didn't. Mortified wasn't the word. A few apologies later I stepped into the dress the nice lady spared my blushes by telling me that she's seen worse. Apparently girls come in with no knickers on whatsoever, oh the shame!
After visiting around four or five shops to see what was on offer, I've found a Mori Lee dress that I fell in love with on and off the hanger - a good sign I thought. I went into the shop with a clear idea of the one I’d seen on the website and I had almost given up hope of finding it on the rail, when there it was. The lady in the shop said straight away that it wouldn’t suit me; was far too old for me. Then she dragged her colleague over who also looked me up and down and went, “No, that won’t work, it’s too old for you.”
Well, being a stubborn Aquarian I still wanted to try it on and that I did! Much to their surprise, it worked a treat and the shop owner said she wouldn’t be so hasty in the future at stopping a bride-to-be in her tracks! I went away and had a think about it – tried on a few more to be sure – but my heart was in that dress, and that was it, job done! I'd love to show you a photo, but it's being kept strictly under wraps in case Dan has a sneaky peak at my diary in the meantime!
Julia x
Missed the last part of my diary? Read it here.
And tempting as it is, I am not going for the fur shrug look as the venue is all about the indoors, so there’s no need for me to wrap up. The room we're marrying in is a gorgeous and what I’d describe as ‘cosy’ with a fireplace and lots of character. The room where we’re holding the wedding breakfast is a large ballroom, with spiral staircases leading up to a mezzanine on either side of the room and decorated with tiny fairy lights.
From my experience - and to be fair I've only been to one - sample sales are possibly the most horrendous experience unless you have
a) lots of time to kill and don’t stress easily
b) have some money put aside for repairs to the stains, catches and tears on the dresses from being hoarded around the shop by bridezillas
c) you know exactly what dress you are looking for and you are lucky enough to find it. And...
d) you are a size 12 to 14, because if you're a size 8, ‘fat’ chance as they all get snapped up before you know it. And unless you're absolutely sure about the dress, don't be swayed into making a decision by the hard sell, I heard comments like: "Make sure you get your dress from us because that other shop where you've seen the same dress for £200 cheaper is going to close down. Yup, that's right, you won't get your dress. You'll be safer here."
Of course, in the current climate it may happen, but at the end of the day I always pay for big things on my credit card and we’ve also spent £75 on wedding insurance, just to be on the safe side.
My first time in a bridal shop for a more 'normal' fitting was really good fun and I was so excited I almost ran there from the station! I decided to go on my own to all the initial appointments until I found ‘the one’ as personally, I hate being fussed over. I was chuffed to have the shop all to myself with one person allowed in at a time and like a princess!
I was shown around the shop where they went through all the designers and was asked me to pick out a few. I'd also been hugely keen and had already emailed them links of the ones I had seen on their website so they had those on a rail ready for me to try - talk about efficient!
Now no one told me what happens next, so if you're body shy, you just need to get over it. Stupidly I didn't realise that they actually have to physically help you into the wedding dresses.
You strip down to your undies and that's when you really have to hope you remembered your flesh-coloured bra and knickers. I didn't. Mortified wasn't the word. A few apologies later I stepped into the dress the nice lady spared my blushes by telling me that she's seen worse. Apparently girls come in with no knickers on whatsoever, oh the shame!
After visiting around four or five shops to see what was on offer, I've found a Mori Lee dress that I fell in love with on and off the hanger - a good sign I thought. I went into the shop with a clear idea of the one I’d seen on the website and I had almost given up hope of finding it on the rail, when there it was. The lady in the shop said straight away that it wouldn’t suit me; was far too old for me. Then she dragged her colleague over who also looked me up and down and went, “No, that won’t work, it’s too old for you.”
Well, being a stubborn Aquarian I still wanted to try it on and that I did! Much to their surprise, it worked a treat and the shop owner said she wouldn’t be so hasty in the future at stopping a bride-to-be in her tracks! I went away and had a think about it – tried on a few more to be sure – but my heart was in that dress, and that was it, job done! I'd love to show you a photo, but it's being kept strictly under wraps in case Dan has a sneaky peak at my diary in the meantime!
Julia x
Missed the last part of my diary? Read it here.
