When you find THE dress

For me and for perhaps every other bride-to-be, when considering THE dress, it to be something that said ‘this is me in my element’. I didn’t want was in fashion or what would make my 32ff’s look pert and my pear shaped bum taut, I wanted a dress that made me feel fabulous and that didn’t detract from my personality. So I thought about the look I wanted to create, I thought about what makes me ME. And soon enough I had in mind the perfect dress. Problem was, I hadn’t actually seen it anywhere. I was on a mission.

Luckily I started my search early. I found a dressmaker back in Australia who was willing to create the gown of my dreams, to whom I paid my 50% deposit upfront and began discussing fabrics and trimmings on a daily basis.

It was all coming together perfectly … until my dress-maker went missing and I soon discovered that her company had gone into liquidation and I was one of many women who had lost not only a large sum of money but months of working with someone who had promosed to create my perfect wedding gown. Disaster had struck, but as I said, lucky for me I’d begun the search early, which meant, the only thing I really lost was money and not time.

So the search for a dress continued and this time I decided that buying in London would be wise. I trawled the internet searching for all the elements that would make my gown until I found it. Exactly what I wanted bar a few minor alterations and for a price I could well afford.

Here I am at my very first fitting. I had no desire to wear a veil until the shop assistant placed one on my head and I was instantly sold. It completed the look and I couldn’t help but swish back and forth around the shop like I was Cinderella. ‘You look stunning’ gushed the shop assistant. To which I replied ‘I know!’

I had a few things done to the dress like changing the 80s bows on the back to buttons but in the end, I ended up opting for a store bought dress, which was never the intention. And I didn’t only buy it because of the previous drama. I genuinely fell in love with it and knew it was for me, which is why I would encourage every bride to search beyond what you won’t compromise on because in doing so you may just nab your dream dress, for less than you bargained for!