BRIDESPEAK

Are brides influenced by their attendees – those who join them on the dress hunt? Or are they preferring to go it alone, something retailers do

“I have to say, before there were restrictions,I went on a couple of appointments with a full complement of friends and family. Huge mistake. On each of the three occasions, my supposed best friends took over completely, went through the rails despite being asked not to by the consultant in question, argued between themselves and did not take my views and wants into consideration. It was almost like it was their party. I eventually, really upset over a period of a couple of weeks, went back to one shop with my mum. The salesperson looked worried when she saw me until she realised it was just mum and me. She couldn’t have been more helpful and understanding. By the time of the wedding, I had forgiven my mates, but not forgotten!” Charlotte

“My problem is simply this. I am fairly opinionated when it comes to fashion and what works best for me, and I am not, in any way, about to be influenced by friends or family, or even an expert salesperson. I have been looking at zillions of dresses online and know what I want. I have made appointments in two shops and will go there solo and with a precise musthave list.” Sarah-Jane “I went on my first appointment by myself and liked so many of the dresses the consultant showed me, I was so undecided. I arranged a second appointment and took my best friend from school days and my sister with me. Their views really did help me finally pick out my dream dress. They did not try to impose their likes and dislikes, but rather looked at how a dress suited me. My sister said she was only interested in what made me look radiant! Lou

“As a same-sex couple, we are only interested in our shared views. Our shared nieces and nephews who will be our attendants are too young to voice an opinion on our choice of dress anyway!” P&J

“I always had this vision of a party in a bridal salon when it was my turn to find my dress. You know, lots of bubbly and girly giggling... So, I was disappointed when there were restrictions of numbers and that party atmosphere couldn’t happen. When I mentioned this to the saleslady in the bridal boutique, she sighed a huge sigh of relief and then proceeded to tell me horror story after horror story about the disasters that used to occur when big groups got involved. It was just me and my best friend and we had a pretty good time, picking the gown, and having a glass of fizz! I would advise others to play down the numbers.” Claudia

“My mum is my best friend, no question about that, but shopping with her for the most important dress I’ll ever buy was a none-too-pleasant experience. She spent what seemed like forever telling the shop manager about her wedding day 30 years ago, and visibly shuddered at every dress I tried on, because of the amount of skin on show or the plunging neck and back, or the price! She hustled me out of there and I went back by myself a few days later. The people at the shop had obviously experienced this before and were really kind.” Cassandra

“I made an appointment at a particularly wellknown bridal shop in my area. I gave them all the details of wedding date and place etc by email before my appointment, and had also said I had a budget of circa £2,000. I arranged for my four closest friends to accompany me. The day before the appointment, the shop phoned to reconfirm and when I mentioned that I had four joining me, they said that was impossible, and if I insisted the appointment would be cancelled. I was furious, made an appointment elsewhere, took my friends and found my dress first time round. If asked my views on the first shop, I would certainly advise brides against going there! Joanna