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A while ago (before it all changed!) you said you wanted to compile a list of big-girl friendly shops, and some that were not so friendly.
Well, I went shopping the other day, to get a feel of what suited me and the first shop I went into (Bridal Emporium, Reading) only let me try one thing on! The lady in the shop wouldn't let me choose, she chose for me and then she went really funny when I asked to try on different styles, saying
'do you not trust my judgement? Is what I chose not good enough?'
the other lady in the shop asked when the wedding was and when I told her she said
'Oh, you can loose about 4 stone by then, then!'
and didn't believe me when I said I would not be loosing weight before the wedding!
The woman had chosen a really unflattering dress for me, and said I couldn't try anymore on as they wouldn't fit. She didn't want me to 'half' try them on (with pins/elastic bands, etc) and said it was basicly this style or nothing! Bizzare!
On a good note, I went to the other one in town (Bride to be, Reading0 and they were FANTASTIC! they let me try on all sorts, did the whole pins and elastic bands thing, and even though I had chosen (totaly different to what the other shop had said suited me!) they looked for one in my size, so I could get the feel of it all done up and propper.
Anyway, felt really silly and fat after the first shop, but after the second, felt like a princess!
What a dreadful sounding experience you had in that 1st shop - I hope you consoled yourself with a huge piece of chocolate gateaux - good for you at not wanting to lose weight b4 your big day.
I did not have as bad an experience as you did, but did feel pretty stupid when the saleswoman tried to squeeze a size 10 over my 36FF boobs!! Not surprising I couldn't get it on!!!
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Kate Smith - Monday 3rd June 2002, Billesley Manor Hotel, Stratford-upon-Avon.
Martha thankyou for letting us know! I will get a thread stuk to the top of the board with a full list of goodies and baddies for the more voluptious bride to be.
I fully understand what your talking about - the first shop I tried a dress on was such a harrowing experience that I left in tears. Why do people not understand that Empire line dresses do not flatter ALL bigger women? Anyway, went to another store the next day who were bloody marvelous - the difference a good assistant makes is amazing.
If anyone wants to activel promote a good store and an assistant please feel free to!
I also went into Lady Nova in Reading and the horrible lady took one look at me and said "we don't do dresses in larger sizes" and wouldn't even let me look. I was close to tears when I left.
Bride-To-Be were good, but they were very busy...I have got my dress from Confetti in Wokingham who are absolutely superb (I prance around in underwear completely happily!)
Really sorry to hear about your experience, but glad I'm not the only one! I was like you, nearly in tears by the time I had left the shop .
It's funny, isn't it, that that lady is in the wedding business, and by definition must deal with excited young brides as her job, but she showed no interest in me or even cheerfulness! She treated me as if she couldn't wait for me to leave her shop! I'd have thought that if you were in the wedding business you would have to at least fake some interest to have your customers want to return!
Oh well, we both came through it with lovely dresses in the end (what is yours like?)!
We considered Wokingham town hall as well, but in the end went for Sandmartins golf club in Finchampstead, as it had nice grounds for the photos. which photographer are you using? Do you live in Wokingham? (H2B's family live in Barkham, in Elizabeth Park, and I live in Tilehurst in Reading) It is really exciting to find another Reading/Wokingham bride!
Thanks for the response. The lady in Lady Nova was horrid, so disinterested...apart from being completely insulted by her attitude to my size, I did think "well, doesn't she want my money?" Well, her loss, and I have warned others about it too.
I absolutely love the dress that I have ended up with, and Confetti are, as I said, great.
The story of how we ended up at Wokingham Town Hall is a fairly long one...which I won't bore you with...but we are happy now.
Photographer wise we thought we had a mate who would do it for £175, but he was booked up when we called him so we found a chap in Thatcham who doesn't do it professionally, but it is his hobby, and his work is absolutely stunning. Bargain at £275, and he takes over 200 pictures, and we get all the piccies that he takes! We'll probably go to either South Hall park arts centre for the photos (supposed to be very nice, very Jane Austen) or Chute End car park (sounds strange, but round the back there is a pond and flowers and greenery, so it's ideal).
My family are in Yorkshire, as I am a Northern girl by birth (though Southern in mind and heart) and H2B's family live on the Reading road in Wokingham.
I agree that it's nice to share wedding experiences with someone in the local area, especially since you are getting married just a month before us.
Hi All,
I found my dress in the first place I looked - Pronuptia in Leeds. The assistant was really helpful and let my try on whatever dresses I wanted. When they didn't have a dress in my size she used pins to try her best to let me see what it would look like on me.
It also helped that she was a big lady herself. She gave me advise on which styles flattered my figure and generally did everything she could to make me feel like a princess!
I am so pleased with her advise that I'm taking my bridesmaids there for their dresses!
I went to Pronuptia in Headington, Oxford in December last year, they were unhelpful and made me feel that I'd made up that I was getting married, and was just in there for fun????
The first assistant told me I was in the shop too soon to be looking at dresses (getting married this Oct.) and the second assistant told me that I should really choose by January so it would arrive in time and could then be altered!!!!
I managed to try on 1 dress, with not much help, left feeling terrible.
Went to Debenhams (London) in December with friends and had the time of my life, was very concious about weight and the lady that dressed me was an angel, I left with the biggest Cheshire Cat smile ever.
Yes I too had similar problems. I have lost some weight now and have gone down a dress size, but still larger than the average (yeah right!) bride. I was told about a local bridal shop close to my parents in Rayleigh, Essex and they were wonderful. I saw the bodice immediately as I walked in, it was in my size and it fitted me perfectly. I didn't want to take it off! As was mentioned in one of the other posts, all the assistants were larger than 'average' and as such they had a huge range of styles and sizes (the skirt I tried on was a size 20 which I've never seen anywhere else). It was a pleasure trying on dresses in there and I can't wait for my fittings!
Bridal shops need to get their act sorted out. Apparently the average size of women in Britain is 14/16 not twelve and how they expect people to buy the most important and expensive dress ever without seeing it in their own size is beyond me!
Good luck to everyone and if anyone wants the details of the shop in Rayleigh, email me and I'll send them on. Would post them here, but don't have them on me at the moment.
I am a new girl on here but felt i had to comment on the Bridal Emporium in Reading- i too went in there about 6 months ago and it's a wonder the lady there ever sells anything- she tried to put me off everything and looked me up and down like i was wasting her time
I did try a dress on, and it did look lovely, but i wouldn't have bought it there on principle. After that i saw the same dress in 2 other shops about £250.00 cheaper!!
Finally found "The Dress" in Brilliant shop in Fareham.
Seen as we are on the subject just wanted to say how daunting I found it looking for dresses over the past few months... Had seen a Stewart Parvin dress in a magazine months ago (dream dress ) BUT cos of my size didn't even bother going to try on... or find out where it was stocked
In the end decided to get my dress made, which all went wrong as shop sacked my dressmaker... after many sleepless nights I found Virgin Bride stocked my dreamy dress - went to try it on (where they were fantastic!). BEforehand didn't even think they would do that dress in a larger size BUT it is now being made to fit me exactly! It seems much good can come from bad..
And I wish I had not felt embrassed in the first place about my size and gone and tried on the dress of my dreams...
I have now bought it and can't wait to wear it... I would never have bought a dress from anywhere that made me feel uncomfortable or fat.... these shops should learn a little bit if TLC goes a long way in making a girl feel extra spesh!
Yeah there is a picture of it on www.coolwhite.com, you have to goto 'Designer' Stewart Parvin and click through - i think it is like the second picture - the one with three quarter length sleeves (i'd download the picture but am on h2B's computer and don't wantt to risk him peeking at it!)
Big-girl Friendly Shops (or not!)
So relieved! It's not just me!
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born on 28th Jan 2008
when I kiss you goodnight I will 
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