I had my first wedding dress fitting today and I have to say I was extremely nervous about how it was going to go.
The main reason for this is that I have lost about a stone and a half since my mum and I were in buying ‘The Dress’ and so I was anxious the seamstress was going to suggest there was nothing she could do to fit it properly and that we would be better getting a smaller size – completely irrational I know and it is also the first time I have questioned the benefit of losing weight.
We purchased my dress from Eleganza Sposa on Bath Street in Glasgow. This for me is the nicest bridal shop of the 15 my mum and I visited, yes it took 15 shops for me to be satisfied I had found the one! To be honest, it wasn’t a hassle going to so many, my mum and I had a ball and my dad always covered our lunch on those Saturday jaunts.
What I would say however, is that the more dresses you try on, the more confused you can get so be wary of this.
On your first day of wedding dress shopping, be sure to try on every style (princess, fish-tail, tea-length, dropped waist, column, empire and ball-gown), you’ll immediately figure out what is right for your shape, allowing you to narrow down your choices.
Research has provided me with a very rough guide to your figure vs style and this is listed below. I say ‘very rough’ because in some cases it is hard to define your shape and personal preference absolutely comes into play when picking your ideal dress.
- Apple (full figured from hips up, often with slimmer legs) – empire or princess dresses with strapless or sweetheart necklines will flatter this shape
- Pear (hips, thighs and bottom have more weight than top half) – empire, princess, tea-length or ballgown with a strapless or halter top are likely to be the most flattering
- Rectangle (bust and hips are the same size with an undefined waist) – these figures are said to be able to pull off each of the styles well and so it will be personal preference that guides you
- Hour-glass (defined waist with shoulders and hips at the same width) – column, princess, dropped wasist, ballgown, tea-length and fishtail with strapless, one-shoulder or scooped necklines will all look great
- Inverted triangle (broad shoulders, big bust and narrow hips) – princess, dropped waist or ballgown with strapless/ sweetheart neckline are ideal for this shape
You also very quickly get to know what materials and decoration you favour (whether it be satin, lace, tulle, chiffon, organza, pearls, diamanté etc) so what can be a overwhelming task at first, can easily be tackled by focusing on your preference in terms of style, material and decoration (or lack of it as the case may be).
When you are trying on dresses, try to limit the number of people you take with you to one or two.
Anything above that and you may have too many opinions to compute. Also remember that the ladies who fit you in the shop are ultimately trying to sell a dress and so they may not be focusing too much on what is best for your shape, that is why the honest opinions of your loved ones are crucial.
Be wary however of becoming a bridezilla at this stage, you don’t want your family/ friends who accompany you to be scared to tell you what they think – remain calm and always take each opinion on board in a ladylike manner!
Be sure to have a good idea of your budget, most shops will ask for this but may bring you dresses above your price range as they know that if you try on ‘the one’ it is going to be hard to let price affect your love of it!
Of the shops I visited, it was only in Eleganza on Bath Street where you couldn’t see the price before trying on the dresses, as they do not have their dress selection out on show for you to browse. Rather, they bring you an iPad on your first visit so you can explore their collection, selecting pictures of the gowns you would like to try on. Although this process made my mum anxious about price tags, it was a quirky way of looking at dresses, which I felt added to the experience and also meant the dresses themselves were cleaner than you may find in other shops.
Another thing to be conscious of when shopping, is that the ladies in the bridal shops will always try to instil you with fear over the lead time on their order period, with the aim of gently pushing you to make a purchase.
Take this with a small pinch of salt, my boss and good friend Zoe, ordered her wedding dress three months before her big day, leading me to conclude that if they want your custom enough, they will ensure you have your dress for when you need it.
One thing I was surprised about was the severe lack of champers offered when shopping for wedding dresses in Glasgow, it was only in Eleganza on Bath Street (I reference Bath Street as Eleganza Sposa has a sister shop in Hamilton) that my mum was offered a glass…but then the last bottle ran out and she was left thirsty.
When I was out with Dreanie in Edinburgh, we were offered a glass of bubbles and even a top up in Emma Roy (which has one of the best selection of wedding dresses I have seen) and this does really make a difference to the celebratory and special feeling you find yourself craving when shopping for your dress.
If you are lucky enough to be served a glass of fizz, my recommendation is to stick to one or two, which should be enough to relax you, dull any silly/ false body worries and give you the confidence to walk out the dressing room and around the shop (this can be nerve-wracking at first, but remember that everyone loves to see a bride and although other customers are likely to internally judge your outfit, it is only how you feel in the dress that counts). Any more alcohol than suggested and you may give yourself bridal bubble goggles, which may cloud your vision and make you assign more praise to a dress than it perhaps deserves.
I have mentioned a couple of bridal shops above and wanted to give you my top choices that may help when you are planning your initial appointments (remember to always make an appointment before visiting a shop). Bearing in mind I only visited shops in and around Glasgow and then a couple of boutiques in the capital, my favourite locations were:
- Eleganza Sposa on Bath Street – be aware however that this is pricier than the other shops I visited, but I felt that the whole bridal experience was lovely along with the décor, large dressing rooms and the different selection of designer’s gowns that are available . The designer of my dress for example is Australian and Eleganza was the only shop that stocked this gown in Scotland
- Anne Priscilla Bridal in Glasgow – Again this is a lovely shop with a fantastic range of dresses and definitely the best shop I visited for their selection of bridesmaid dresses (they have a whole floor dedicated to them)
- Emma Roy of Edinburgh – This shop had the biggest selection of dresses I saw and I think offered the best value
- Ivory Pinks in Bothwell – What a beautiful shop! The 1st floor showcases quirky bridal accessories, beautiful sparkly shoes and even Vera Wang floral displays, then on the lower floor you will find a sumptuously decorated room with an elegant selection of dresses. The range of gowns was reasonably limited in terms of quantity, however the shop itself is worth a visit and is run by a lovely mother and daughter team
- Sarah Louise Bridal in Glasgow – This shop has a good range of dresses which are reasonably priced. The changing rooms are not very big, but the display area is good (you stand on a podium surrounded by mirrors and feel like a princess)
One thing I did not do, was get to know the designers before I kicked off the dress shopping, but after 15 visits I became very aware of a variety of bridal designers I favoured. If you are keen to learn of a few designers prior to shopping, then wedding magazines are the best places to become acquainted with them.
If I can offer a piece of advice gleaned from my fitting today (and this actually goes for any kind of bridal fittings), this would be to wear appropriate pants!
Do not for example wear satin pants that are too big for you and ironically give you a camel toe (unexpected advice, probably, but believe me this will save embarrassment). Picture me in the dressing room completely naked with the exception of my sparkly slingback bridal shoes and baggy pants, trying to smooth out my gusset before the lady who was fitting me came in.
This is all I could then think about when the lady was on her knees trying to help me step into my dress. Generally you are supposed to wear your bridal lingerie to your first fitting, but there is a reason I did not have to (not wanting to give too much away as there is a chance my hubby-to-be may read this post). A final piece of advice to round things off…at your fitting you will be asked what accessories you would like to add to your dress, but be sure to shop about online for the add-ons such as veils, petticoats, sashes etc – you’ll always find a cheaper and equally as pretty alternative! I will of course let you know my tips on suppliers in upcoming posts. x
