When a girl get’s engaged, finding the perfect dress is probably the number one thing you will want to do. Most of us have been dreaming about this moment since we were kids. That’s why we’ve teamed up with Lauren from Bridal Elegance Boutique in Larne to answer a few questions.

Unfortunately, Covid-19 & the current restrictions on close contact retail has changed wedding dress shopping a little so we have updated this blog post, at the end, to include some current advice if you’re planning your wedding here in Northern Ireland during the pandemic.

Lauren worked in retail since she left school, in different roles such as customer assistant, supervisor and management. She took a break from it all and worked in community care before working night-shifts in a local nursing home after she had her middle child. It was when she was expecting her third child, that her and her mum Hilary opened the boutique.

When Lauren was getting married herself and looking for her own dress, she found the process quite stressful and she never had that amazing experience which everyone tells you about. In the three bridal shops she went to, there wasn’t much variation between styles. The consultants came into the changing room with you to put you in the dress (she hated this part, standing in your underwear in front of a stranger isn’t very nice), and the overall process was quite serious due to the lack of atmosphere in the shop. Lauren’s mum Hilary had been hiring formal and bridesmaids dress part time, and then the bridal shop in Larne closed down the year after Lauren got married. They both saw the opportunity to open a bridal boutique offering brides a relaxing and friendly atmosphere, to make their wedding dress shopping a memorable, stress free experience. Something you wouldn’t get in every other boutique.

Lauren’s top tip for choosing the right dress is to be open minded - try on dresses you think you don’t like on the hanger and styles that you haven’t thought of. Nine times out of ten, brides buy a dress that is totally different to what they had in mind. She would also recommend bringing only one or two of the people you are closest to. (e.g. mum or sister) Too many opinions can make finding your perfect dress a nightmare.

Lauren would recommend wearing a good nude, strapless bra and if you want to, shape wear to your fitting. Underwear can make a huge difference to the fit and look of a dress. Bring shoes with the height of heel you want to wear on the day. Heels can help your posture and it will let your consultant see if the dress needs shortened.

In normal circumstances, Brides should start looking for their dress 12-18 months before their wedding. Dresses can take up to six months to be made and arrive in store. Your alterations usually start eight weeks before your wedding. Lauren’s favourite style of dress would be the A line. It’s a classic shape and looks great on most people.

Covid Update from Bridal Elegance

With covid putting restrictions on everything in life at the minute, shopping for your wedding dress seems an impossible task. Although you can’t visit boutiques to see and try on all the gorgeous dresses, you can use this time to do some research on styles you like and wedding boutiques you would like to visit.

We recommend using Pinterest to create a board of wedding dress styles that you like, you can also screen shot dresses from boutique websites and add them to a folder on your phone, When you do visit a boutique these images can give your bridal consultant a good idea of the look you are going for. But remember to stay open minded, if a dress looks terrible on the hanger you can bet it will look absolutely amazing on and your bridal consultant will know exactly what will suit you.

At Bridal Elegance we are offering Brides virtual appointments during lockdown. This is another really good way of seeing styles and getting to know us before you book your Bridal appointment. Its very informal and we can add your mum and bridesmaids to the appointment as well so you can all see the dresses and have a wee drink while chatting all things Bridal.

If you are on tight time scale a virtual appointment is definitely beneficial for you. We have a large off the peg range we can show you and we will keep a list of the dresses that you like. As soon as we can re open you will get the first available appointment.

We still recommend looking for your dress at least 12 months before your wedding date although ideally 18 months! Although this sounds like a long time, it really isn't! Wedding dresses can take up to 6 months to be made and arrive in store for you, you also have to allow 2 months before your wedding date for alterations. That's an 8 month process! Throw into the mix covid restrictions/lockdowns and now Brexit causing complications with deliveries that 8 months could turn into 10 months or more. It really is a good idea to start looking at dresses as soon as possible and don't be scared to commit to your dress even if it is a year and half/ 2 years until your wedding. Dress styles do not change that fast so you wont be missing out.