Curvy Couture

Curvy couture event at Beautiful Day Bridal Cottage, Saturday 7th January 2017

Being a size 18 or more can be very frustrating for a bride to be when she goes shopping for her wedding dress. With many shops having sample dresses which only go up to a 14 or 16. At Beautiful Day Bridal Cottage, dresses are available to cater for all different shapes and sizes, and with dresses ranging in size from 10 to 30. Approximately 20% of customers who visit Beautiful Day Bridal Cottage are what is termed as the ‘plus size’ category, and to reflect this, approximately 20% of their stock is sizes 18+, but sometimes there are dresses that are stocked in size 10 or 12 that a curvier bride wants to try on so bring on the trunk show…

We asked Ciara, from Beautiful Day Bridal Cottage to explain the benefits of a trunk show… “At the trunk show, our selection of size 18+ dresses will double, and Maggie Sottero will be sending us an additional selection of dresses on loan, many of which we already have in smaller sizes in our shop which we wouldn’t normally have for curvier brides to try on. So if you’ve got those extra curves and you’re worried about going shopping, you’ll find that coming to our ‘curvy couture’ event will be perfect for you and you’ll have a much better range to choose from. And as a bonus, each bride who orders at the event will get a 10% discount plus a £50 accessories credit to spend in store.”

Here are a few tips for fuller figured brides looking to go shopping for their wedding dress.

Do your homework . When inquiring about booking an appointment to try on wedding dresses, always check that they have dresses in your size before you book in.
Remember that bridal sizing is different to high street sizing. High street sizes have become a lot more generous over the past 30 years, so you will probably need a different size to what you normally wear.
Remember to keep an open mind and let the bridal consultant pick out a few different silhouettes and styles for you. The dresses don’t often have the best ‘hanger appeal’ and the bridal consultant will have a good idea what will suit you as she will have already got to see the dresses on other brides.
Don’t leave it too late to go looking. If you’re thinking of losing weight, be careful not to fall into the trap of putting shopping off as you’ll find yourself with a very limited choice. Aim to have your dress ordered at least 7 or 8 months before the big day, and remember that if you do lose weight in the run up to the wedding, your wedding dress can be altered to fit.
Never order a dress that’s too small with the intention of slimming into it. This very often goes disastrously wrong when things don’t go as planned – wedding planning is stressful enough without worrying about slimming into a dress
Leave negativity at the front door. This goes for you as well as your helpers. Nothing can take the fun out of wedding dress shopping than people making negative comments about your body, and we find that most negativity, whether it’s from the bride or someone else with her, is related to a bride’s weight. And it always ends up darkening the mood and taking the fun out of the whole process.
Remember to pick a dress that makes you feel beautiful – just the way you are!!