I had looked on websites, in magazines on leaflets, at all of these beautiful models wearing the top designer dresses and could not imagine myself in one of these things. I hardly ever wear white, or anything puffy and certainly nothing with bones in, so how can I possibly deal with this meringue on the day for 12 hours while negotiating stairs?!
It was my first Wedding Dress shopping experience on Saturday and so I was very nervous. I had only just begun to diet, so I knew that the way I looked wasn't necessarily how I would look on the day, but it is less than a year away now so I had to make a start. I picked the most local shops to me and booked them in and with my Mum, Mother in Law to be and two bridesmaids in tow went to three different boutiques to find the dress, 'the one'.
Shop one
I felt a little disappointed from the first shop I tried, which was to be expected, as the dresses were very heavy and I found myself uncomfortable and sweaty in them as soon as I put them on. My mum told the lady that I was dieting so we were just getting ideas. As I wasn't fond of the dresses the woman suggested, she simply told my mother that 'I wasn't in the right frame of mind and should put the Wedding Dress buying back a few months,' I won't be going back there again.
Shop Two
Having very little selection in the second because all of the dresses were bespoke, therefore nothing to try on, I thought it would never happen. The lady however was lovely and told us that whatever we wanted she could make and that we would not need a lot of notice. We showed her some pictures of our ideas and she gave us honest advice on what she thought would look good on my body shape. My mother left with her card and fully intends to get her dress made with her, so at least we had one dress sorted!
Shop Three
Save the best till last they always say and I entered Michelle Phin's bridal boutique, Warrington. We spent two hours in the shop, which was locked for us so we were able to use the entire space without being disturbed. We had looked around Debenhams and Monsoon and found a dress we all liked for the bridesmaids, not in the right colours, or exactly the right style but got them to try them on to see if they were both happy in the design and to my delight they were. Both very different body shapes, the dresses enhanced their chests and fell flatteringly down to the floor. The bridesmaid dresses were therefore sorted in a matter of half an hour in the boutique, which they were able to order in a range of other colours for us, to match in with our colour scheme of cornflower blue. We finally settled on an a line dress, with a single strap.
There was a great selection of wedding dresses and I had already decided that I wanted something plain and not too large around the bottom half. I tried on a couple and looking around thought that they were the only options for me. I put my trust in Michelle and let her suggest some others that I had not even considered. With each new dress she suggested there was a little more about it that I liked, I could see the elements that worked for my body shape and those that didn't. She was patient with me, as I was reluctant to try some of the dresses on at first and helped me work around my flaws with pretty shawls and alternative embellishments to the dress to make it as close to my initial specifications as she could.
She showed me how the variety of materials looked in the light and how they hung differently. The lace bottom meant that the dress was lighter, the gathered bodice hid my most unwanted feature, my tummy and the slight addition of sequins and beads looked more subtle on than on the hanger. She made the important point that a dress can look different, whether it is on the hanger, on a picture or on the person, you can never judge a wedding dress until it has been tried on.
Overall, the experience was just what I needed, to explore the different fabrics and shapes on my body to eliminate the things that didn't work and use the things that did to get closer to 'the one' dress I so desperately crave. I would recommend this boutique to anyone who is looking for wedding dresses or wedding party dresses in the North West area. The shop has a comfortable seating area for the extended family to come along and give their honest opinions and plenty of choice for those picky brides like myself.
Given that I was a little weight conscious, Michelle assured me that the dresses would be made to suit my body shape whatever size I am and that there is no pressure to slim down to fit them, they are made specifically to fit you. So if the dresses are not your size in the shop, then a little tug or a fold here and there can give you impression of what yours will look like on the day!
Thanks to Michelle for your time and help!
by Lucy Walton find me on 
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