My first (and last) wedding dress trip!

Vivien of Holloway

So I've brought the wedding dress. Yes 17 months in advance so that's some motivation to stay exactly this size! So where do i start? 

Well it all started a few weeks ago when Alia and I went to a wedding fair. Alia is a bridesmaid and is also getting married and we were left pretty unimpressed by the wedding dress collection so decided to head out for a day trip in London where the plan was to search for our 'style' while NOT actually buying anything. We just wanted to see what was out there and if what we had in our heads actually suited us.

Vivien Of Holloway- check out the petticoats!

We actually started our day at Vivien of Holloway because i wanted to check the shop out as a possible bridesmaid option. They seem really popular but they are also the exact type of dresses i really like and see my bridesmaids in.

I got Alia in some dresses and they were just absolutely gorgeous, incredibly flattering and came in such a great range of fabrics. The first photo i kinda surprised her a bit with haha. Check out her proportions though! You'd never even guess she weighed 40 stone ;). What i liked about it as well is due to the range of fabrics i could get my bridesmaids in the same style but they could choose the fabric they like the best or the same fabric but different styles to suit their shape.

I couldn't resist getting into a few of the dresses myself, especially when i saw that they had pirate fabric! The dresses make you feel amazing, they make you feel skinny and curvy in all the right places. The staff were really helpful and the only negative was the sizes are quite small, you're going to be a size bigger than you actually are. Your ego might be a bit dented until you actually get into the dress, look in the mirror and think 'damn i'm hot!'. I need to drag the boy here soonish to get me a Christmas present i think!

Elizabeth Avey showroom

We then took a trip to Elizabeth Avey, a vintage bridal specialist. I wasn't allowed to take any pictures so the above photo is from their site. The boutique was very fancy, the sales lady so helpful and the dresses were stunning. What surprised me is that i went straight for the short dresses because that's what i thought i loved but my favourite dress of the session was a 1920's long satin and lace number, very slinky. It showed me that you need to approach wedding dress shopping with an open mind because you might find something that surprises you! Even though there were lots of gorgeous dresses there was nothing that made me fall in love. It was around this time that i started to question the whole idea of 'the one'. Was it a movie thing that didn't really exist? I had tried on some gorgeous dresses that looked great on but had dismissed them because they didn't 'feel like the one'. Was i right to do this?

'Nadine' dress

'Pippa' dress

Minna was our next stop, a brand i had come across after reading about it on Beyond Beyond. They offered more casual but still very pretty wedding dresses and at great prices. As much as i adored the dresses they didn't feel bridal enough and even though i didn't see myself as a 'traditional' bride i realised i did have some paradigm in my head of what i wanted to look like as a bride. However i would totally consider Minna for bridesmaids or a party dress. I forgot to take pictures so the above photos are from their site.

Zeleb

Zeleb

After refuelling at lunch we went to Zeleb. Zeleb offers formal wear and while they have no bridal range they make to measure their dresses so can offer them in any colour. I thought it could be a good option because the dresses could be made in ivory and it would offer a lot more styles than a traditional bridal shop. We walked in and seriously were blown away by the gorgeousness of the dresses. I SO want to be a celeb so i have excuses to wear every one of the dresses. Unfortunately they only had one changing room and the lady whose appointment was before was running over. I had scheduled an hour there (which would have been too short anyway) but as we couldn't get into the changing room for 45 minutes it meant we only had time for one dress. Knowing i could only try on one i went straight for my favourite, a black lace number. This was one of the only dresses in the shop that they wouldn't be able to make in any other colour but it was a totally stunning dress. I really loved it but i think its more 'red carpet' than 'bridal'. Now i just need to find an occasion to buy it!

How 'Chanel' is this?

How innocent Alia looks. How looks can decieve!

Our final destination was Heavenly Vintage Brides. Due to overrunning at Zeleb and a total underestimation on my behalf about how long it would take to get to West London in rush hour we arrived just over half an hour late and because of the underground being...well... underground i wasn't able to communicate to Helena, the lady who owns the dresses, that we would be late but she was so welcoming and lovely when we arrived. We had run to her house from the tube and she went and got us some water and then we were led to a room full of lovely dresses. She left us alone and told us to pick out which ones we liked and she would come back in after. When she came back she was really helpful at offering advice on the sizing of the dresses and which ones would actually suit us and then she dressed us. I haven't been dressed in about 2 decades but i found it rather enjoyable!

Helena owned a gorgeous range of dresses so i liked every one i tried on and then it happened...i tried on the one. I knew it straight away. I was a bit lost for words, i just kept saying 'i love it'. I took my mum to see it yesterday and it was purchased! I am absolutely delighted! It fits perfectly so no alterations will be needed but Helena is adding a few hook and eyes along the zip for us so its not in my possession yet. It worked out totally affordable as well and includes a vintage petticoat. I'm not posting any pictures of the dress, you will just have to wait and see, but i will tell you its from the 1950s and its not white!