Ok, I lie...I did't make my own wedding cake, but my mum did, with a little help from Josh's sister and Bridesmaid, India, with the carrot cake & decorating!
The decision to not have a wedding cake made by a professional soon became a quick and easy one after visiting several wedding fairs, and getting quoted ridiculous amounts, and by ridiculous, I mean in excess of £400 for a three-tiered naked cake! Like what? Seriously - definitely not for us. We were not afraid of a little DIY when it came to the wedding (check out my post about making our own wedding invitations), so having mum, who regularly bakes cakes for the family, as our cake lady seemed like the perfect solution. The only downside was mum, and bridesmaid India were a little caught up in some last minute decorating on the wedding morning.
Decoration wise, we asked our fantastic florist (Swaffham & Fakenham Florists) for a few extra flowers to top our cakes off with, then we picked up a few extra bunches of gypsophelias for good ole' Morrisons! We ordered a bunch of cake toppers from Ginger Ray, which are so reasonably priced in comparison to personalised ones. But we couldn't resist the special one for our main cake!
We weren't planning on doing the traditional cutting of the cake, however, mum did such a great job that we couldn't not give them their own moment!
DIY Wedding: Making your own wedding cake
Ok, I lie...I did't make my own wedding cake, but my mum did, with a little help from Josh's sister and Bridesmaid, India, with the carrot cake & decorating!
The decision to not have a wedding cake made by a professional soon became a quick and easy one after visiting several wedding fairs, and getting quoted ridiculous amounts, and by ridiculous, I mean in excess of £400 for a three-tiered naked cake! Like what? Seriously - definitely not for us. We were not afraid of a little DIY when it came to the wedding (check out my post about making our own wedding invitations), so having mum, who regularly bakes cakes for the family, as our cake lady seemed like the perfect solution. The only downside was mum, and bridesmaid India were a little caught up in some last minute decorating on the wedding morning.
Decoration wise, we asked our fantastic florist (Swaffham & Fakenham Florists) for a few extra flowers to top our cakes off with, then we picked up a few extra bunches of gypsophelias for good ole' Morrisons! We ordered a bunch of cake toppers from Ginger Ray, which are so reasonably priced in comparison to personalised ones. But we couldn't resist the special one for our main cake!
We weren't planning on doing the traditional cutting of the cake, however, mum did such a great job that we couldn't not give them their own moment!
I couldn’t even begin to imagine what I would feel like waking up on my wedding day, but I had the perfect morning.
I had a terrible night of sleep, I would start to panic and my heart would start to race every time I almost fell asleep, and I don't know how many times I woke up & looked at the weather. I ended up waking about 20 minutes before my alarm, and madly started to make the bed, tidy the bridal suite, open the curtains and most important grabbed a cup of tea. I think I just wanted everything to look perfect for when the bridesmaids, hair, make-up and photographer arrived. However, despite initial panic, my wedding morning turned out to be so chilled, and this vibe simply carried on throughout the day.
The weather was the one thing making me super anxious, as much of my day depended on sunny, dry weather. As I was having my make-up done looking out into the courtyard, Katie our make-up artist ensured me that the big grey rain cloud that faced me would pass, and lucky she was right. From the photos, to ice cream, garden games & hog roast, our day would have been completely different had it rained.
Our ceremony was at midday, and with myself, two bridesmaids, two blow dries and a flower girl to get through, the lovely Carrie Parker arrived to start our hair just before 8:00am, and Katie Barnes arrived to start our make-up at around 8:00am. Allow plenty of time, because I can't imagine how stressed I would have felt if we had to rush. Prior to the wedding, I had both a hair and make up trial, where I decided for a super simple make up look, and to have my hair down and curled.
Make-up wise, I don't often stray far from winged liner and a tonne of mascara, so we decided to add a little eyeshadow, and keep the liner! I also had a few individual lashes added, and a bit of extra mascara, just to make me feel a little more comfortable, and keep me looking like me! Katie was incredible at keeping me super calm throughout the morning, with a little help from Ed Sheehan and our wedding day candle burning in the background.
I was adamant that I was going to wash my hair on my wedding morning, despite this meaning that the curls would probably fall out of my hair, but that was nothing that some extensions and a tonne of hairspray couldn’t fix! I opted for a messy-style twist in my hair (a style that I'd found browsing Pinterest), with both bridesmaids & flower girl having plaits instead. It was important for me to have my hair down, as I barely wear my hair up in day-to-day life. The best piece of advice I read about bridal make-up and hair was to not stray too far from how you would normally wear both, which I totally agree with because of course I wanted to look myself for Josh, just a slightly more highlighted and contoured version. I'm also super rubbish at doing my own hair, so I definitely needed a little sprucing up. Carrie then slotted my veil in for me, which didn't budge until we took it out a little later during the day.
The flower girl's hair was finished with a beautiful gypsophelia flower crown to match the bridesmaid bouquets, made by the incredible Swaffham Florists.
I opted for a Jo Malone fragrance for my day. I fell in love with ‘Peonies & Blush Suede’, which seemed perfectly fitting to pair with the peonies in my bouquet.
Obviously the final step of the wedding morning is getting into the dress. I allowed about 30 minutes to get into my dress, have a final touch up, see my dad and have a few photos taken before meeting the registrar.
Love Kelly x
All photography is credited to the incredible Luis Holden
Makeup by Katie Barnes
Hair by Carrie Parker
My Wedding Morning: Bridal Hair & Makeup
I couldn’t even begin to imagine what I would feel like waking up on my wedding day, but I had the perfect morning.
I had a terrible night of sleep, I would start to panic and my heart would start to race every time I almost fell asleep, and I don't know how many times I woke up & looked at the weather. I ended up waking about 20 minutes before my alarm, and madly started to make the bed, tidy the bridal suite, open the curtains and most important grabbed a cup of tea. I think I just wanted everything to look perfect for when the bridesmaids, hair, make-up and photographer arrived. However, despite initial panic, my wedding morning turned out to be so chilled, and this vibe simply carried on throughout the day.
The weather was the one thing making me super anxious, as much of my day depended on sunny, dry weather. As I was having my make-up done looking out into the courtyard, Katie our make-up artist ensured me that the big grey rain cloud that faced me would pass, and lucky she was right. From the photos, to ice cream, garden games & hog roast, our day would have been completely different had it rained.
Our ceremony was at midday, and with myself, two bridesmaids, two blow dries and a flower girl to get through, the lovely Carrie Parker arrived to start our hair just before 8:00am, and Katie Barnes arrived to start our make-up at around 8:00am. Allow plenty of time, because I can't imagine how stressed I would have felt if we had to rush. Prior to the wedding, I had both a hair and make up trial, where I decided for a super simple make up look, and to have my hair down and curled.
Make-up wise, I don't often stray far from winged liner and a tonne of mascara, so we decided to add a little eyeshadow, and keep the liner! I also had a few individual lashes added, and a bit of extra mascara, just to make me feel a little more comfortable, and keep me looking like me! Katie was incredible at keeping me super calm throughout the morning, with a little help from Ed Sheehan and our wedding day candle burning in the background.
I was adamant that I was going to wash my hair on my wedding morning, despite this meaning that the curls would probably fall out of my hair, but that was nothing that some extensions and a tonne of hairspray couldn’t fix! I opted for a messy-style twist in my hair (a style that I'd found browsing Pinterest), with both bridesmaids & flower girl having plaits instead. It was important for me to have my hair down, as I barely wear my hair up in day-to-day life. The best piece of advice I read about bridal make-up and hair was to not stray too far from how you would normally wear both, which I totally agree with because of course I wanted to look myself for Josh, just a slightly more highlighted and contoured version. I'm also super rubbish at doing my own hair, so I definitely needed a little sprucing up. Carrie then slotted my veil in for me, which didn't budge until we took it out a little later during the day.
The flower girl's hair was finished with a beautiful gypsophelia flower crown to match the bridesmaid bouquets, made by the incredible Swaffham Florists.
I opted for a Jo Malone fragrance for my day. I fell in love with ‘Peonies & Blush Suede’, which seemed perfectly fitting to pair with the peonies in my bouquet.
Obviously the final step of the wedding morning is getting into the dress. I allowed about 30 minutes to get into my dress, have a final touch up, see my dad and have a few photos taken before meeting the registrar.
Love Kelly x
All photography is credited to the incredible Luis Holden
Makeup by Katie Barnes
Hair by Carrie Parker
We did it - we got married!
Welcome to the first post surrounding our big day. I will be covering everything from hair & make up, to DIY decorations, cake & bridesmaid dresses. Twenty-one months in planning all came down to this one day, and what a day it was. Post-wedding (and honeymoon), I feel inspired, and ready to start creating content again. All photo credit goes to the incredible Luis Holden.
Our day was everything we hoped it to be; from the weather, to the completely laid back vibe that began in the morning, right through to the evening party - I literally wouldn't have changed a thing. We were planning our wedding for nearly two years, however it's impossible to envision how the day is going to turn out until the day itself. I wasn't really stressed out regarding planning until a few weeks before the wedding, when I started to worry whether I had enough props to style the day. This was easily solved by printing out loads of images from Pinterest, and putting them together in an inspiration book, then contacting Louise from Lou Lou Loves Vintage and Penny from The Little Lending Company to make sure we had everything we may have needed, and more!
Walking down the aisle - what an emotional experience. We'd chosen a cover of 'Can't Help Falling in Love with You' to be playing, and after our flower girl turned her basket upside down with a feeling of pride that she'd fulfilled her job of scattering the petals, I managed to make it down the aisle aided by some very deep breaths. I remember reading a piece of advice, telling me to try and look at everyone as you walk down the aisle to make sure you take it all in. It's quite daunting with everyone looking a you, but of course it's for all the right reasons.
We chose to have an intimate ceremony in the Orangery of Oxnead Hall, that overlooked the beautiful grounds to be held at 12, midday. We invited 37 guests to the ceremony, and selected our mums to be our witnesses to make sure they were involved in the registry process, as it's traditionally the father's names that are included on the marriage certificate. We were both so emotional, but I wouldn't have changed a thing. We decided to write our own vows to make our ceremony a little more personal, but chose to not have any readings. The one thing that surprised me was how short the actual ceremony itself is - it lasted no longer that 20-25 minutes!
After our ceremony was over, and we'd had confetti sprinkled all over us, we headed into the gardens for our drinks reception, followed by some photos by the incredible Luis Holden. I could not recommend Luis anymore. He just slotted right into our day, mingled with our guests, and partied with us. He made us feel so completely comfortable, and his knack for taking natural shots is perfectly suited for the couple who is rubbish at posing. He asked us to just walk and talk to each other, with very little other direction. The grounds at Oxnead Hall speak for themselves, and I couldn't have asked for a more perfect venue for the backdrop to our photos. We went around the gardens about three times throughout the day to make sure we had a good selection of images at different times of the day.
We then headed to the Long Room for our wedding breakfast. We opted for a traditional 3-course meal for our guests, consisting of scotch egg and sweet potato fries to start (a favourite of mine that Oxnead prepared at my request), beef brisket with veg, and a delicious chocolate torte. It was super important to us that our guests enjoyed the food, so we definitely put a lot of thought into a menu that would suit everyone.
The Afternoon
As we'd had a very intimate ceremony, we decided to invite some afternoon guests (the rest of the family) at 5:30pm for garden games and ice-cream (yes we'd just had a 3 course meal, but there's always room for ice cream!) before our friends arrived at 7:30pm. This was a super chilled time for us, where everyone was just so relaxed and was a great time for us to finally get around to speaking to our guests. We both absolutely love ice cream, and Norfolk's own Ronaldo Ice Cream was the perfect fit for our day. We got to choose 10 flavours, which included toffee & pecan, Madagascan vanilla and chocolate fudge brownie!
As we'd had a very intimate ceremony, we decided to invite some afternoon guests (the rest of the family) at 5:30pm for garden games and ice-cream (yes we'd just had a 3 course meal, but there's always room for ice cream!) before our friends arrived at 7:30pm. This was a super chilled time for us, where everyone was just so relaxed and was a great time for us to finally get around to speaking to our guests. We both absolutely love ice cream, and Norfolk's own Ronaldo Ice Cream was the perfect fit for our day. We got to choose 10 flavours, which included toffee & pecan, Madagascan vanilla and chocolate fudge brownie!
The Evening
Entertainment was super important for me, mainly because I wanted everyone to have a great time. When we visited the EDP Wedding Show at the Norfolk Showground, I saw Bill Downs for the first time. I love acoustic music, so when I heard Bill with his guitar, I knew we had to book him. Bill sung our first dance, Ed Sheehan - Perfect, for us, and got everyone up on the dance floor for the party. I genuinely had an amazing night, and did not get off that dance floor!
Love Kelly x
We Got Married
We did it - we got married!
Welcome to the first post surrounding our big day. I will be covering everything from hair & make up, to DIY decorations, cake & bridesmaid dresses. Twenty-one months in planning all came down to this one day, and what a day it was. Post-wedding (and honeymoon), I feel inspired, and ready to start creating content again. All photo credit goes to the incredible Luis Holden.
Our day was everything we hoped it to be; from the weather, to the completely laid back vibe that began in the morning, right through to the evening party - I literally wouldn't have changed a thing. We were planning our wedding for nearly two years, however it's impossible to envision how the day is going to turn out until the day itself. I wasn't really stressed out regarding planning until a few weeks before the wedding, when I started to worry whether I had enough props to style the day. This was easily solved by printing out loads of images from Pinterest, and putting them together in an inspiration book, then contacting Louise from Lou Lou Loves Vintage and Penny from The Little Lending Company to make sure we had everything we may have needed, and more!
Walking down the aisle - what an emotional experience. We'd chosen a cover of 'Can't Help Falling in Love with You' to be playing, and after our flower girl turned her basket upside down with a feeling of pride that she'd fulfilled her job of scattering the petals, I managed to make it down the aisle aided by some very deep breaths. I remember reading a piece of advice, telling me to try and look at everyone as you walk down the aisle to make sure you take it all in. It's quite daunting with everyone looking a you, but of course it's for all the right reasons.
We chose to have an intimate ceremony in the Orangery of Oxnead Hall, that overlooked the beautiful grounds to be held at 12, midday. We invited 37 guests to the ceremony, and selected our mums to be our witnesses to make sure they were involved in the registry process, as it's traditionally the father's names that are included on the marriage certificate. We were both so emotional, but I wouldn't have changed a thing. We decided to write our own vows to make our ceremony a little more personal, but chose to not have any readings. The one thing that surprised me was how short the actual ceremony itself is - it lasted no longer that 20-25 minutes!
After our ceremony was over, and we'd had confetti sprinkled all over us, we headed into the gardens for our drinks reception, followed by some photos by the incredible Luis Holden. I could not recommend Luis anymore. He just slotted right into our day, mingled with our guests, and partied with us. He made us feel so completely comfortable, and his knack for taking natural shots is perfectly suited for the couple who is rubbish at posing. He asked us to just walk and talk to each other, with very little other direction. The grounds at Oxnead Hall speak for themselves, and I couldn't have asked for a more perfect venue for the backdrop to our photos. We went around the gardens about three times throughout the day to make sure we had a good selection of images at different times of the day.
We then headed to the Long Room for our wedding breakfast. We opted for a traditional 3-course meal for our guests, consisting of scotch egg and sweet potato fries to start (a favourite of mine that Oxnead prepared at my request), beef brisket with veg, and a delicious chocolate torte. It was super important to us that our guests enjoyed the food, so we definitely put a lot of thought into a menu that would suit everyone.
The Afternoon
As we'd had a very intimate ceremony, we decided to invite some afternoon guests (the rest of the family) at 5:30pm for garden games and ice-cream (yes we'd just had a 3 course meal, but there's always room for ice cream!) before our friends arrived at 7:30pm. This was a super chilled time for us, where everyone was just so relaxed and was a great time for us to finally get around to speaking to our guests. We both absolutely love ice cream, and Norfolk's own Ronaldo Ice Cream was the perfect fit for our day. We got to choose 10 flavours, which included toffee & pecan, Madagascan vanilla and chocolate fudge brownie!
As we'd had a very intimate ceremony, we decided to invite some afternoon guests (the rest of the family) at 5:30pm for garden games and ice-cream (yes we'd just had a 3 course meal, but there's always room for ice cream!) before our friends arrived at 7:30pm. This was a super chilled time for us, where everyone was just so relaxed and was a great time for us to finally get around to speaking to our guests. We both absolutely love ice cream, and Norfolk's own Ronaldo Ice Cream was the perfect fit for our day. We got to choose 10 flavours, which included toffee & pecan, Madagascan vanilla and chocolate fudge brownie!
The Evening
Entertainment was super important for me, mainly because I wanted everyone to have a great time. When we visited the EDP Wedding Show at the Norfolk Showground, I saw Bill Downs for the first time. I love acoustic music, so when I heard Bill with his guitar, I knew we had to book him. Bill sung our first dance, Ed Sheehan - Perfect, for us, and got everyone up on the dance floor for the party. I genuinely had an amazing night, and did not get off that dance floor!
Love Kelly x
Wedding planning can be tricky, and inevitably can lead to some (minor) bickering. When your knee deep in guest lists, seating plans, food options, whilst trying to please absolutely everyone, you can lose a sense of why you're getting married in the first place. So make sure you remember to show your spouse, finance, boyfriend or girlfriend how much they really mean to you, with small and simple gestures every day.
1. Talk about your day: the first thing Josh & I ask each other is about our days. We are lucky enough to travel to/from work together, so we use this time to speak about our day, get any worries off our chests, or speak about achievements. This little conservation each day can make your partner feel cared for, and supported, and is a really important, but easy conservation to incorporate into a day.
2. Leave a little note: remember those times when you used to write a crush a letter, or leave them a little notes before heading back to school for the week? This is a small and simple gesture that can be incorporated into daily life, that'll brighten up a cloudy day, or simply put a smile on your partners face. Josh will often leave me a little note downstairs when I have a day off, and they never fail to make me smile.
3. Give in every now & again: I am stubborn, I know I am. So if there's something i've had to work on, it's giving in every so often (even if I still think that i'm right!). Watch a film you don't like every so often (cue an assortment of space & Star Wars films), cook them a meal they love, even if it's not your favourite, or visit the family member you've been trying to put off - it'll really mean a lot to them.
Whilst these small, simple tasks don't seem like much, incorporating these into every day will certainly reming your other half how much they mean to you.
Love Kelly x
Three ways to show how much they mean to you
Wedding planning can be tricky, and inevitably can lead to some (minor) bickering. When your knee deep in guest lists, seating plans, food options, whilst trying to please absolutely everyone, you can lose a sense of why you're getting married in the first place. So make sure you remember to show your spouse, finance, boyfriend or girlfriend how much they really mean to you, with small and simple gestures every day.
1. Talk about your day: the first thing Josh & I ask each other is about our days. We are lucky enough to travel to/from work together, so we use this time to speak about our day, get any worries off our chests, or speak about achievements. This little conservation each day can make your partner feel cared for, and supported, and is a really important, but easy conservation to incorporate into a day.
2. Leave a little note: remember those times when you used to write a crush a letter, or leave them a little notes before heading back to school for the week? This is a small and simple gesture that can be incorporated into daily life, that'll brighten up a cloudy day, or simply put a smile on your partners face. Josh will often leave me a little note downstairs when I have a day off, and they never fail to make me smile.
3. Give in every now & again: I am stubborn, I know I am. So if there's something i've had to work on, it's giving in every so often (even if I still think that i'm right!). Watch a film you don't like every so often (cue an assortment of space & Star Wars films), cook them a meal they love, even if it's not your favourite, or visit the family member you've been trying to put off - it'll really mean a lot to them.
Whilst these small, simple tasks don't seem like much, incorporating these into every day will certainly reming your other half how much they mean to you.
Love Kelly x
Hello brides-to-be and you other lovely people. I am pleased to say that I have FINALLY said yes to my dress!
The process of finding your dream wedding dress is so unique and individual to everyone, and no two journeys will be the same. Some women know exactly what they are looking for, they find it, try it on, and it's perfect for them. My process has been much tricker right from the beginning, from when I was simply trying to find an image online of a dress that I loved, or could imagine myself wearing.
The process of finding your dream wedding dress is so unique and individual to everyone, and no two journeys will be the same. Some women know exactly what they are looking for, they find it, try it on, and it's perfect for them. My process has been much tricker right from the beginning, from when I was simply trying to find an image online of a dress that I loved, or could imagine myself wearing.
I've seen so many pictures of women looking beautiful in a range of shapes and sizes of wedding dress, but when I actually had to imagine myself wearing one, I couldn't, and that's when I stopped looking, and ultimately put off the process of looking for a dress until it was almost too late. I had decided that I didn't really like wedding dresses, and became very particular about what I wanted. Imagine the horror on the faces of the assistants in bridal boutiques when I told them 'I don't really like wedding dresses' that I 'did not want satin, diamantes, netting or anything too big and puffy' as a result of my research. I was greeted with a particularly horrific reception (looked like she'd been hit in the dace' when I told one boutique that I did not want any of the above elements on my wedding dress, which can be very off-putting for someone who is clearly quite nervous about trying them on. I guess this fear developed from my worry about the combination of my my short height, and my non-perfect figure.
I visited three boutiques in total: one in Bury St Edmonds, one in Norwich, and one in Colchester. During my first experience, I walked up the stairs to the bridal room, and after one swift look around, I promptly asked my mum if we could leave. I was surrounded by puffy, frilly dresses, and I was really quite mortified, and not quite how I imagined my first fitting to be. But by this stage, I had developed quite a fear of wedding dresses, and my mum insisted that I stay, and faced my fear of actually trying a dress on. And I did try a dress on, and I didn't mind it - I didn't love it - but I finally saw aspects of how a wedding dress could suit me. Trying on a dress for the first time certainly helped me alleviate some of the unjustified fear that I had developed.
I then ventured to Pure Brides in Norwich, where I found several dresses that I decided to try on - no frills and no fuss - perfect for me. I whittled it down to three dresses, and booked in for a second appointment. However, after continuing to look online, I ended up paying for a sample dress to be sent to a store in Colchester (as they did not stock the particular dress), thinking this was the absolute one, just because I loved how it looked in a picture. But when it arrived to the store 3 weeks later, it was horrible, and I ended up calling back to Pure Brides for a second fitting, in the dress that I couldn't stop thinking about, and that was the dress that I finally said yes to. I have no regrets about spending money on trying the sample dress on, as I would always be wondering what could have been.
I'm not claiming to be any sort of expert, but I've put together a few of my top tips for finding your dream dress from my personal experience.
Has your process of trying on dresses been as tricky? I love hearing from you!
I then ventured to Pure Brides in Norwich, where I found several dresses that I decided to try on - no frills and no fuss - perfect for me. I whittled it down to three dresses, and booked in for a second appointment. However, after continuing to look online, I ended up paying for a sample dress to be sent to a store in Colchester (as they did not stock the particular dress), thinking this was the absolute one, just because I loved how it looked in a picture. But when it arrived to the store 3 weeks later, it was horrible, and I ended up calling back to Pure Brides for a second fitting, in the dress that I couldn't stop thinking about, and that was the dress that I finally said yes to. I have no regrets about spending money on trying the sample dress on, as I would always be wondering what could have been.
1. Look around online first for ideas of the style, textures, colours and looks that you like. However, at the same time, don't get your heart set on a certain style/shape, because it might not necessarily suit you.
2. Start looking for a dress as soon as you can - dresses can take up to 6 months to arrive, with a further 3 or so months needed for alterations.
3. You will know when you've found the one - you feel confident and attractive, and you won't be able to get it off your mind.
Has your process of trying on dresses been as tricky? I love hearing from you!
Love Kelly x
I Said Yes to my Dress: finding your dream wedding dress
Hello brides-to-be and you other lovely people. I am pleased to say that I have FINALLY said yes to my dress!
The process of finding your dream wedding dress is so unique and individual to everyone, and no two journeys will be the same. Some women know exactly what they are looking for, they find it, try it on, and it's perfect for them. My process has been much tricker right from the beginning, from when I was simply trying to find an image online of a dress that I loved, or could imagine myself wearing.
The process of finding your dream wedding dress is so unique and individual to everyone, and no two journeys will be the same. Some women know exactly what they are looking for, they find it, try it on, and it's perfect for them. My process has been much tricker right from the beginning, from when I was simply trying to find an image online of a dress that I loved, or could imagine myself wearing.
I've seen so many pictures of women looking beautiful in a range of shapes and sizes of wedding dress, but when I actually had to imagine myself wearing one, I couldn't, and that's when I stopped looking, and ultimately put off the process of looking for a dress until it was almost too late. I had decided that I didn't really like wedding dresses, and became very particular about what I wanted. Imagine the horror on the faces of the assistants in bridal boutiques when I told them 'I don't really like wedding dresses' that I 'did not want satin, diamantes, netting or anything too big and puffy' as a result of my research. I was greeted with a particularly horrific reception (looked like she'd been hit in the dace' when I told one boutique that I did not want any of the above elements on my wedding dress, which can be very off-putting for someone who is clearly quite nervous about trying them on. I guess this fear developed from my worry about the combination of my my short height, and my non-perfect figure.
I visited three boutiques in total: one in Bury St Edmonds, one in Norwich, and one in Colchester. During my first experience, I walked up the stairs to the bridal room, and after one swift look around, I promptly asked my mum if we could leave. I was surrounded by puffy, frilly dresses, and I was really quite mortified, and not quite how I imagined my first fitting to be. But by this stage, I had developed quite a fear of wedding dresses, and my mum insisted that I stay, and faced my fear of actually trying a dress on. And I did try a dress on, and I didn't mind it - I didn't love it - but I finally saw aspects of how a wedding dress could suit me. Trying on a dress for the first time certainly helped me alleviate some of the unjustified fear that I had developed.
I then ventured to Pure Brides in Norwich, where I found several dresses that I decided to try on - no frills and no fuss - perfect for me. I whittled it down to three dresses, and booked in for a second appointment. However, after continuing to look online, I ended up paying for a sample dress to be sent to a store in Colchester (as they did not stock the particular dress), thinking this was the absolute one, just because I loved how it looked in a picture. But when it arrived to the store 3 weeks later, it was horrible, and I ended up calling back to Pure Brides for a second fitting, in the dress that I couldn't stop thinking about, and that was the dress that I finally said yes to. I have no regrets about spending money on trying the sample dress on, as I would always be wondering what could have been.
I'm not claiming to be any sort of expert, but I've put together a few of my top tips for finding your dream dress from my personal experience.
Has your process of trying on dresses been as tricky? I love hearing from you!
I then ventured to Pure Brides in Norwich, where I found several dresses that I decided to try on - no frills and no fuss - perfect for me. I whittled it down to three dresses, and booked in for a second appointment. However, after continuing to look online, I ended up paying for a sample dress to be sent to a store in Colchester (as they did not stock the particular dress), thinking this was the absolute one, just because I loved how it looked in a picture. But when it arrived to the store 3 weeks later, it was horrible, and I ended up calling back to Pure Brides for a second fitting, in the dress that I couldn't stop thinking about, and that was the dress that I finally said yes to. I have no regrets about spending money on trying the sample dress on, as I would always be wondering what could have been.
1. Look around online first for ideas of the style, textures, colours and looks that you like. However, at the same time, don't get your heart set on a certain style/shape, because it might not necessarily suit you.
2. Start looking for a dress as soon as you can - dresses can take up to 6 months to arrive, with a further 3 or so months needed for alterations.
3. You will know when you've found the one - you feel confident and attractive, and you won't be able to get it off your mind.
Has your process of trying on dresses been as tricky? I love hearing from you!
Love Kelly x
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