Everyday life, wedding

Choosing ‘the dress’

by wattleandash
Image in Vogue wedding book.

Wedding planning started in earnest after Adam and I got engaged last year on account of some of the legalities involved in organising a ceremony in the U.K.

Within a few months we’d locked in a date, venue, spoken to a nearby flower farm about blooms for our day and I’d also secured the services of a local hairdresser and make-up artist. (You can read more about my first few tentative steps into wedding planning here)

What I hadn’t managed to do was try to narrow down the type of wedding dress I wanted…

There is a strong tradition of women in Adam’s family working as dressmakers and an Australian relative of his, who happens to live in Wagga Wagga, has volunteered to make my wedding dress for me. It was such a beautiful offer and my outfit on the day will be so much more special to me now, as I know it’ll be created with genuine love.

Image from Vogue wedding book.

Rose and I have started discussing what I’d like and to help me get a feel for necklines, sleeve lengths and materials. It’s a minefield! It’ll be late November when Adam and I marry, so the unpredictability of England’s weather is playing a big factor in our early design chats.

Like every modern bride, I’ve been scouring Pinterest for dress inspiration but it’s a beautiful book Rose lent me that I’m returning to time and time again.

Front cover of 'Vogue Weddings: Brides, Dresses, Designers'

From that I’ve started to write a list of things I’d like.  I definitely want my dress to be fuss free – much like how I dress day to day. I don’t want anything with too much volume (works for some, but completely overwhelming on my five foot frame) and to be honest I’m not that fussed on lace even featuring at all.

Wedding dress book and notepad with list.

I’ve found a picture of something I’m really taken with and what I really like is that Rose and I can use that as a strong base and then make tweaks as the dressmaking process evolves. I’m currently trying to source a few material samples and it’s all starting to feel a bit more real.

I’m still tossing up whether I should visit any wedding dress shops to just try on a few things for fun.  Married gals, what do you suggest?!

 

 

11 thoughts on “Choosing ‘the dress’”

  1. Firstly congratulations guys! The love of my life comes from Himbleton, Worcestershire (I’m from Perth, WA) so I have been following your story with personal interest. Our venue of choice was Grafton Manor in Bromsgrove.

    I would definitely visit a bridal shop to try a few on. I had set my heart on a dress I had seen in a magazine and when I went to the bridal shop I fell in love with something completely different.

    Looking forward to seeing the beautiful photos of your special day.

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    1. Hi Nattie! Thanks for stopping by- sounds like we’ve got a lot in common :). Where is home for you now? Grafton Manor looks beautiful- there is something special about those beautiful old English homes isn’t there? I really appreciate your feedback on wedding dress shopping, it’s hard isn’t it? I’m looking forward to sharing more details about the wedding as it gets closer. Take care. X

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  2. Definitely go and try on some dresses, you might be surprised at what takes your fancy. Having had 3 daughters get married in the last 3 years I know that they had very fixed ideas about what they wanted only to find that when they tried on styles ‘just for fun’ they had to rethink completely. You will look beautiful whatever you wear xx

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    1. Thanks for the suggestion Liz and your kind words. Three weddings in three years- wow! There are so many options out there these days as far as wedding dresses go, the options are endless! Have a wonderful weekend. X

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  3. That’s amazing that you have someone you know who can make your dress.
    I have no idea how brides make their decisions. So many things to choose from!
    But I would definitely suggest you go in and try some things on, because like the other comment says – you might think you want x,y,z, but then you might find out you like a,b,c,d better. Or that your idea doesn’t really look as well on your body as it might on another.

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  4. I would visit a few as well, more to be assured of your physical and emotional comfort with different cuts and styles. Thank you for sharing your wedding journey!

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