Amanda will be marrying Adam on 25th March 2018 in a Jewish wedding at Braxted Park, UK.
THREE FACTS: (1) Amanda & Adam met outside in a bar in Tel Aviv (2) Adam has a ridiculous sense of humor (as described by Amanda!) and we love him all the more for it (3) Amanda & Adam’s wedding is 100% focused on all the people and things that mean the most to them. You can click here to read all Amanda’s planning posts to date.
Shopping with my Bridesmaids
In my opinion, there’s no better feeling than coming home from a shopping trip with a new dress… or three. There’s something about the smug sense of achievement that comes with a successful shopping trip, made even better if you had no intention of buying anything. For me, wedding dress shopping was the epitome of this feeling. I had never expected to find something and so, with no pressure at all to buy ‘the dress’, I managed to come away with something I absolutely loved. It was the dream scenario (but without the drama of Say Yes To The Dress).
But with wedding dress shopping, there’s one dress, one person and one opinion. It’s about finding something you love and are comfortable in, and can imagine yourself getting married in. It is not about finding dresses for four separate individuals, each with their own personality and style. It also tends to be less rushed, because it’s one of the first things brides-to-be will do!
Half a Day to find Bridesmaids’ dresses
But bridesmaid dress shopping promised to be something altogether different. Because of conflicting calendars, holidays and family occasions, I’d waited three months to get together with my bridesmaids and as the day approached, I realised we had approximately half a day to find something. So, as our appointment at David’s Bridal rolled around, I felt anxious. Despite my confident nature, I had no idea where to begin with colour or style and Adam obviously hadn’t offered much in the way of an opinion. I wasn’t comfortable putting my foot down and making them all wear something they’d never have chosen for themselves but at the same time, needed some kind of guidance to make sure we actually found something!
The shop itself is impressive. Rails and rails of dresses in a variety of colours and styles stretched from the front to the back making it very difficult to know where to start. As I looked around, I suddenly felt a little overwhelmed. Luckily, I’m fortunate to have no-nonsense bridesmaids. They started by each pulling something from the rail and getting the ball rolling. I chose the colour I liked best and from there, it was about finding the right style for each of them.
My Top Tips
So, having survived my first ever bridesmaid shopping day (you’ll be pleased to hear that we were done and dusted and eating lunch next door within 90 mins), here are my best tips for the overwhelmed bride:
- Dive in! The choice is overwhelming so the best place to start is by getting the girls to try something on. From there it’s much easier to sort what you all like, from what you don’t.
- Colour Check: The bridesmaid dresses of your dreams may be a beautiful dusty rose pink colour, but if your bridesmaids have the same dusty pink skin tone — they’ll look washed out, or at worst, naked!
- Mix ‘n Match: Consider different styles in the same colour, or the same style in different colours. Unless your bridesmaids are all the same size and shape, it’s likely they won’t all feel comfortable in exactly the same thing.
- Opinions Matter: I consider myself lucky to have friends who are easy-going and flexible, but getting them to share their views means that by the time we left, I was confident that they all felt comfortable and happy.
- Timing: I was told that my dresses would take up to 10 weeks to come into store. 3 out of 4 have already arrived (2 weeks later) but you’ll need to build in time for any adjustments that need to be made etc.
- Keep some perspective: Yes, it feels like the most important thing of all time. But just enjoy spending time with your bridesmaids, it’s supposed to be fun!
Click here to read all Amanda’s planning posts to date.
Amanda & Adam’s Wedding Vendors booked so far:
Venue – Braxted Park
Photographer – Steve Carter Hewson
Band – LDN Party Band
Bridesmaid dress – David’s Bridal
