Food blogger reveals that her wedding dress ‘made her miserable’ and four other brides tell us what they really think about theirs
After 32% of brides admit they'd change their frock if they were given the chance to marry again, five women tell us how they really feel about their wedding dresses
ISN'T hindsight a wonderful thing?
Every bride wants to get their dress right but it isn't an easy job...
'I MADE MINE INTO AN OUTFIT THAT I'LL WEAR ON EVERY ANNIVERSARY'
Sophia Hilton, 29, owns a hairdressing salon. She lives in east London with her husband Jorel, 31, a project manager. She says: “Even though I’ve always been a thrifty shopper, I never imagined I’d end up finding my wedding dress in a second-hand store.
When Jorel and I got engaged in May 2013 after almost two years together, the only thing I knew I wanted was a dress with a fishtail.
I was on a road trip in America in October that year when I found it. We were travelling through Florida with my mum Juliette, 51, who lives in the States, when I spotted a Salvation Army charity shop. Leaving Jorel in the car, Mum and I went for a look around.
Right at the back I spotted a white meringue ‘80s-style wedding dress. It had a high neck and big shoulders and I couldn’t help blurting out to Mum: ‘That’s The One!’
At first she thought I was joking as it was so OTT, but as I rushed to the changing room to put it on, my mind whirred with all the things I could do to make it perfect.
I found some clips to cinch in the waist and when I stepped out of the cubicle, Mum took one look and began to cry, agreeing it was the dress for me. It cost just £70 and the store threw in a pair of white high heels and a huge veil that needed a makeover, too.
Once we were back in London, I asked a friend who is a pattern cutter to alter the dress to make it more figure-hugging and give it my must-have fishtail.
We were both a bit nervous because we knew one wrong cut could ruin it, and there were moments where I questioned that it was the right choice because it was so different, but I stuck to my guns.
Jorel and I married on June 6, 2014, in a crumbling church in east London. Putting on my dress that morning, I knew I’d made the right decision – it felt so me. Jorel loved it, too, although some of my family were a bit more hesitant and commented that I always had to be different. But I didn’t care because it’s true!
By the end of my wedding – which included a rave reception at a brewery – my dress was absolutely filthy, and some of the train had even ripped off.
But it wasn’t a problem, as I’d already decided that rather than get it cleaned and stuff it under my bed forever, I would turn it into a skirt and top.
I debuted that outfit on our first anniversary when we had a picnic in the park, and loved how it made me feel. Now I plan to wear it every anniversary to celebrate our special day.”
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'MY DRESS MADE ME MISERABLE'
Saffron Powell Brown, 37, is a food blogger and social media manager. She lives in Kent with her husband Adrian, 45, an art editor. She says:
“While I always like to look nice, I’m more about comfort over style, so when I got engaged to Adrian in May 2010 after six years together,
I knew I wasn’t going to turn into a Bridezilla. When it came to my dress, I was open to ideas– the only thing I knew I didn’t want was something typically ‘bridal’ or strapless.
Plus, I had quite a tight budget as we’d decided to splash the cash on a wedding in Puglia, Italy. It turned out that finding the right dress was a nightmare.
I tried big warehouse wedding dress sales, but endless racks of near-identical frocks and hundreds of pushy brides were too overwhelming. I also visited nice
London boutiques, but they were all far too expensive. I eventually found something I liked in March 2011 at a small wedding boutique in Kent. I’d done all my previous searching alone, but this time I took along my now sister-in-law Jo, 39, and sister Jess, 34, for advice.
There I spied a £500 one-shouldered white, ruffled gown. While I didn’t get butterflies in my tummy when I put it on, it was certainly the best dress I’d seen so far. But when I showed the girls, Jo started crying, saying how amazing I looked, and I really did start to feel great in it.
Was this dress The One and I just didn’t realise it? As the wedding was only weeks away, the assistant told me I’d need to buy it there and then or it wouldn’t be ready in time, so I paid the £250 deposit.
But the moment I walked out of the shop, I felt unsure. I tried to push it to the back of my mind, but that night I had a dream about a gorgeous strapless loose, white, chiffon dress – everything I said I didn’t want.
When I woke up, I knew I had to have it. I spent the next few days driving myself mad about what I should do, even trying to cancel the order, but the shop said I’d lose my deposit, which we couldn’t afford.
To make matters worse, a few days later I was flicking through a wedding magazine when Adrian looked over my shoulder and saw a one-shouldered dress. He laughed, saying he hoped I didn’t have one like that, before realising he may have put his foot in it.
When we married in May that year, I definitely wasn’t happy with my dress. As I put it on, I didn’t get that overwhelming feeling brides speak about. Although we had a lovely day and Adrian said I looked beautiful, I’m sure it would have been better if I’d loved what I was wearing.
Looking back at our wedding photos, I still don’t like what I see. I’ve tried to sell the dress on eBay but haven’t had any luck, so I keep it in the loft. But I haven’t given up on finding my dream gown. My plan is to renew our vows one day so I’ll finally get to wear it.”
'MY DRESS WAS A MERINGUE'
Afra Willmore, 47, is a blogger who lives in Tring with her husband Ray, 54, a retail assistant, and their seven children. She says: “When I look at my wedding dress, it makes me cringe. I got married nearly 25 years ago and its design is very dated – it looks like a toilet roll cover! But still I can’t help but love it, as it signifies the start of my life with Ray.
When we met in June 1991, it was love at first sight and we were engaged within six weeks. We didn’t have the money to throw a big-budget wedding so we decided on the local church in Bilston, Wolverhampton, where we both lived.
After going to a few boutiques with my mum Doreen, now 68, and gran Vera, a needlework teacher, we ended up having a look round Bilston market.
On one of the haberdashery stalls I spotted a shiny cream hooped dress for £150 that I had to try on. I felt truly beautiful for the first time, and I was 100% certain that this was my dress, so I bought it.
On the morning of my wedding on May 9, 1992, the car arrived and I rushed out of my bedroom, snagging the dress on the door handle. Thankfully, the tear was nestled in so many ruffles, you couldn’t even spot it!
Walking down the aisle towards Roy, I could see him well up at the sight of me. Knowing all eyes were on me, I felt like a princess.
I’ve kept my frock in a suit bag ever since and got it out to wear at our 20th anniversary party, but realised that it was a bit too Princess Diana. Even so, it’s the dress that made me feel beautiful on my special day, so how could I ever part with it?”
'I HOPE MY DAUGHTERS WILL WEAR IT'
Louise Waters, 50, is a media officer for the charity Cats Protection and lives in Brighton with her husband Andrew, 50, a video editor, and their twin daughters Zaria and Tabitha, 13, and son, Felix, 11. She says:
“Andrew and I got engaged in the spring of 2002 after five years together, and I was set on a low-key wedding. The thought of walking down the aisle in a puffy meringue horrified me – and as my dad Roy put it, I certainly didn’t ‘qualify’ for a white dress anyway, as Andrew and I had been living together for a couple of years!
As my sister Carla, now 63, was a fashion designer living in New York, she offered to design my dress for me as her wedding gift, and it seemed like the perfect idea.
I flew out to see her a month later to discuss themes, and when she showed me some raspberry-coloured silk and chiffon, I knew that was the shade for me, as I wanted something I could wear again.
Carla sketched some designs and we decided on an empire-line dress with floaty sleeves.
Every so often she would send me photos of how she was getting on, but I didn’t get to try the dress until a couple of days before the wedding when she flew over with it.
By then, I’d managed to shed a few pounds and had gone from a size 14 to a 12, which made it look even better than I could ever have imagined. I was delighted with the result.
Andrew and I got married at Kensington & Chelsea Register Office in London on July 19, 2002, and with all my hair and make-up done, I felt truly amazing. Andrew loved the dress, too, and it felt extra-special to share the day with Carla as she’d worked so hard on my gift.
Even though I vowed I would wear it again, for 14 years it stayed wrapped in cellophane in our wardrobe. I wanted to wear it at my 50th birthday party last year, but when I tried it on, having put on a few pounds, it didn’t fit properly across the back.
I was disappointed but just had to choose something else, so I was thrilled to squeeze into it today – though I was terrified of ripping it as I got into it! I also hope that my girls will want it one day – it would be lovely to keep it in the family.”
'WE PLANNED OUR WEDDING IN A MONTH'
Emily Carpenter, 27, is a stay-at-home mum. She lives in St Albans, Hertfordshire, with her husband Daniel, 29, a stock manager, and their four-month-old daughter Anna. She says:
“I’d always pictured myself being married before I had children, but when Daniel and I got engaged in September 2013, that went out the window.
Having been together for five years after meeting as teens at the shop where we worked, we decided to start trying for a baby at the same time as planning our wedding.
But when 18 months passed with no joy, our focus on the wedding slowly waned as we concentrated more on conceiving.
Then, after going for tests, we got the news that the only way we’d have a baby was through IVF. It was devastating, but we refused to give up and had our first treatment on the NHS in March 2016.
We’d been warned it could take ages, so were over the moon when the treatment worked first time. I enjoyed my pregnancy, and wedding plans were the last thing on my mind, but suddenly at seven and a half months pregnant I felt very strongly about us all sharing the same last name.
I was insistent we got married before our baby arrived.
Thankfully, Daniel understood, and family and friends were really supportive. They all knew what we’d been through, so were happy to help us make everything come together.
We had just a month to get organised and gave ourselves on a budget of £1,500 as we wanted to keep some money back for when the baby came, so decided on a low-key registry office ceremony in St Albans with a guest list of 15 close family and friends.
But when it came to my dress, I was clueless. What did pregnant brides wear? I typed in the words ‘maternity wedding dresses’ online and one of the first pictures that came up was a fitted, white lace gown with sleeves from a specialist bridal boutique called
As I looked at it, a smile spread across my face – it was perfect. I ordered it on the spot. Even better, it was on sale, down to £190 from £250.
When I told my friends, they suggested I try a few different styles just to be sure, so I ordered three more dresses I liked. But when the original one arrived I knew it was the one for me.
It hugged me in all the right places, especially my bump. My only worry was that I might grow too big for it, so I bought it in a size up as well, just in case.
When our wedding day arrived on October 26 last year, I can honestly say I’ve never felt so beautiful. As my friends and family saw the dress for the first time, they gushed at how gorgeous it was, and when we came out of the registry office, Daniel told me I looked amazing.
I haven’t worn it since or had it cleaned, because I’ve been far too busy since Anna was born last December. While some people might balk about being ‘big’ or not being able to drink on their wedding day, I wouldn’t change a thing. One of my best moments was when our baby gave a little kick during our vows. I couldn’t imagine not being pregnant at my wedding.”
Source: Vashi
Last week, the most-liked wedding dress ever on Instagram was revealed.