No Fizz....No Fun?

So as you know Saturday was the day I started my Bridal journey of wedding dress hunting. With my first appointment at 930am it literally was wedding dress for breakfast... and I couldn't wait to taste!

So with booking in for 3 different appointments at 3 local bridal shops, I had set myself up for lots of trying on and lots of ooohhhs and awwwss.
I of course had only ever seen wedding dress try ons in the movies, with such films as Bride Wars, Bridesmaids and many others. I imagined an area for just myself, my best friend Lauren and my mum to sit whilst I get changed, offerings of champagne and to feel like the only bride in the world... not to ruin it for anyone but the experience was far less glamorous!

We arrived into the first beautifully laid out shop, with a lovely assistant who greeted us and started us looking at dresses after my clearly stating " I have no clue what I want!"

She was positive and very helpful and pulled dresses out she felt I would like. However to pull the dresses out she had to move several other brides out the way, who knew at 930am a place would be so bustling!
Once we had chosen quite a few dresses we were escorted into an area which was split between me and 2 other brides with of course the relevant mothers and friends.
This instantly took away from the intimacy I thought I would receive, however my nature quite liked it as I could look over at other brides and see the dresses they had an either be impressed or bitchy.

I looked around quickly to notice not any other parties had champagne or even a drink... dream floated away at this point.
YES this is a myth or one this particular bridal shop had given up on. Within 2 dress try ons my mother was gasping and had to ask another lady "Please can I have some water" this was the only annoyance of the day as when you see the price tags you expect water offered at least!

One dream was kept very much in tact... the first dress I tried on my mum burst into tears.. something again films like to highlight but this one came true. It was a magical feeling to be in a wedding dress and my mum to be so proud... one I will remember forever. After several try ons I had picked 4 out that I particularly liked.. 1 I even tried on twice which is currently the running favourite.

The other two brides that were with me - were not as prepared as I was. One even had a black bra on.... now this baffled my mind! It is not a shock that the dresses you are trying on are white is it - why on earth would you feel black is appropriate... this is a definite fashion crime and one I felt she should of been punished for! I of course went to the top of the class with my very unsexy but extremely practical nude underwear, to which my assistant commended me on. She said “Oh fantastic you have nude on 99% come in with black on, to start with I was shocked but now we expect it!” The bride to be who wore black, did try on some dresses that were nice but not to my taste.

Then there was the other girl... I hate to sound terribly bitchy but a good story always includes a level of bitchyness.

She was a large girl and had selected many dresses that actually extenuated her size rather that flattered it. In one dress in particular she could barely get into with an extra panel being placed in and still it gaping open at the back. I did feel for her but then again more fool her for trying to get a very curvaceous figure into a skin tight fishtail...some people need to work with what they have, than dreaming of something smaller. I don’t think it helped that she also had ill fitting underwear on that made her bulge too – I must have an eagle eye I know to spot these things. I hope her friends and family were supportive but informative and push her more towards a ball gown shape!

After all my try ons I felt very happy to have already selected 4 possible dresses for the big day but even now writing this the non fizz and asking for water bugs me. Even Lauren said if she was to open a shop she would for fill the dream and makes it that extra bit special - I for one would go there to start my bridal journey!

The no fizz didn’t ruin all the fun though... to cut a long story short the other two stops were not as successful with no other dresses for me chosen and bridesmaid’s dresses being a let down. However much was learnt and I am now on a fresh hunt for bridesmaids dresses.. anyone know any good ones???

Given a glass of champers and a room to myself would have made the experience that bit more special but still a FUN day was had by all.

The Bride Wore Flats

So as mentioned ....I am off to bridal shops this coming Saturday, the first of many visits I am feeling, always with dress shopping I wonder - is there something more fabulous out there around the corner?!

Anyways.... Never one to really get into shoes.. I mean in the sense of buying them, loving them, cooing over the next Louboutin or ... see there, can name one shoe designer off the top of my head - says it all... oh Jimmy Choo (there’s two .. proud of myself).

When it comes to deciding on wedding shoes I really am not fussed at all.. I can hear brides wincing somewhere at this statement.

BUT really they are hidden under your dress all day, are not really the focal point of the whole day and will only probably restrict your day if anything.
So with this thought in mind, I have gone from thinking of wearing my slippers, converse, ballet pumps or my number one choice my Uggs.
I suppose though this really is not appropriate and with my mother already cursing the VW camper van idea, I think rocking up in my slippers would turn her head.

In other matters my father who has always stated his height as 5ft 10 - has either severely shrunk or never been that size to start with. As standing next to him there is not much difference ( I’m 5ft 7), he too has had his say on the shoe issue.

"You bloody better not be wearing high shoes on the day, or you can walk yourself down that aisle"

This is of course because he would look like a dwarf. Don't worry this is a word he used himself after my graduation pictures arrived when he stupidly stood by my brother who at nearly 6ft 4 - fatal mistake.
He needed one of those boxes they give Tom Cruise to make him look taller than his love interest or those Cuban heels that Robert Downey Jr wears to again increase his height.
He did also state clearly the same applied to my bridesmaids… he also enquired their height … luckily none were taller than him, as surely that only means legs would be chopped. However I do feel the bridesmaids need heels, I will just be careful to where daddio stands in all photos / throughout the day.

So not only am I not fussed over shoes I have now been warned against any height to make my dad look small... and I suppose since he is the main wedding bank - I shall of course respect his wishes!

So I am on the hunt for either kitten heels or flat satin pumps... Is this such a bride crime, one that I must be punished for ... You can be the judge of that.

I feel that this is such a sensible idea ... especially when I am dancing still at 1am when other fellow invitee's will be sat rubbing their soles (eewww smelly sweaty dance feet)

If anyone knows of anywhere please do comment ... so I can purchase without harming any other brides or the wedding industries feelings in the process.

Speak Soon

B
x

Bride To Be - Dress Shopping Begins

So ... it has recently dawned on me I am getting married in less than a year, yep the title of 'Bride To Be' seems to be the appropriate tag now a days.
As my introduction states we have recently purchased a house as well, so as I keep saying to the what seems like hundreds of people who ask "the wedding is on the back burner at the moment". Now the house is nearly sorted it seems I can't use this excuse anymore.
People reading this will probably get the impression I don't want to get married, quite the opposite, I would run down that isle to my Fiancé, true love seems to have taken its grasp. It is the whole drama associated with weddings is what I am more than happy to avoid!
Bridezilla is not for me,  it seems Bridechilla is more apt, I want an easy ride to that special day, one without drama, tears and more importantly family feuds... is this possible?!
Well this blog is going to see me through the next 10 months and the end result will be clear in writing I guess.
With giving myself a kick up the bum (if you can actually do that) I am off to the first wedding shop for Brides try on next Saturday... and I am excited! Save the dates have gone out this week as well.. it seems I am on track, well my bride planner says so ( thank GOD for these things!)
We also have our photographer booked and our band... I am over the moon with our band! We have paid the price for it though, but I am sure it will be well worth it!
We have been on the hunt for our cars to the church... I went down the Vintage route and found an amazing done up VW Camper van.. it was so cool, inside with new seats and even a little bar and chiller...This idea lasted less than an hour. My mother (who receives daily or even several phone calls a day as the norm)  boo hoo'ed the idea with her words " Rebecca (only used in times of anger or to create a more sensible mood) I am not going to church in a bloody camper van whether it has flashy lights or these new hip chillers you mentioned! So we are again looking for some nice cars to take us to the church that do not resemble anything out of the ordinary!!
So I will keep you posted in the lead up to wedding dress shopping... I am now trying to hunt down my neutral underwear that doesn’t look like Bridget Jones. I was told you need this for trying on... I am open to say not ANY neutral coloured underwear is ever attractive!!! But in this case I will bare it for the greater good!

Speak Soon…

B x