Wedding Dress shops

LyndsC · 23-09-2014 11:56am

lovelystuff wrote: »

Was in Oxfam bridal with my maid of honour recently and didn't like it all. I know it's a charity shop but even so it was all very shabby. Also it wasn't professionally run at all in my opinion,my friend was doing all the doing up and undoing of dresses and hanging them back up for me. There were also a few comments about the fact they catered for "real women" which she said were size 16 whereas I'm a 10. Even if I had loved a dress (which I didn't) they were all stained etc so I wouldn't bother going back. The woman also talked about being hungover. Avoid!

Have a look in Barnardos Bridal lovelystuff. It's like a proper little boutique full of never used dresses, with shoes and veils and everything to go with the dresses too. The little shop is gorgeous and the girls are really helpful with getting you laced up in your dress etc. Also half their shop is 10-12

lovelystuff · 23-09-2014 12:01pm

LyndsC wrote: »

Have a look in Barnardos Bridal lovelystuff. It's like a proper little boutique full of never used dresses, with shoes and veils and everything to go with the dresses too. The little shop is gorgeous and the girls are really helpful with getting you laced up in your dress etc. Also half their shop is 10-12

Thanks that's next on my list now! Lacing up those dresses is tricky work i felt sorry for my friend doing all the heavy lifting! Thanks a mil for the suggestion!

LyndsC · 23-09-2014 12:08pm

No problem, they have an instagram profile as well so you can see dresses as they're coming in. I came away with a great feeling from them, because they're so enthusiastic about their work, even though they're volunteers!

stinkle · 23-09-2014 1:41pm

+1 on Barnardos for me. I'm sure I recommended it earlier in the thread, but got my dream dress there. And yes the staff are fab. The instagram idea is genius - I put off going initially cos I thought I might not find anything on the day but be worried then that an ideal dress might arrive in another week.

Anyone that I told where I got my dress couldn't believe it! Our wedding co-ordinator kept saying how jammy I am the whole wedding day :pac: plus a charity benefits - win/win!

DollyDumDrops · 13-11-2014 2:22pm

Hi all,

Just looking for some feedback on the shops below, I have made appointments with them for the next few weeks. I had an appointment last week that was a disaster and has really thrown me off dress shopping.

The Bridal Outlet Baldoyle
Town Bride
Ciara Rose Cellbridge

Just wondering also what the layout of the shops are like? The first shop I went to was brilliant in that you had a private dressing room. In the second shop last week I was in a dressing room in the middle of the shop and the mirror was in front of the shop window so felt very self conscious and actually didn't come out of the fitting room most of the time. Stood it in with curtain open so my BM could see the dresses!

Thanks!

teggers5 · 09-12-2014 2:47pm

Brides-to-be in the south east....
Beautyfull Bridal in New Ross Co. Wexford. Cannot recommend Shirley enough! Extremely professional, helpful and friendly.
I made an appointment to view dresses there a couple of weeks ago and went in with a good idea of what I did and didn't want. The style I had chosen for myself actually looked awful on me. Shirley chose a dress for me to try and it was absolutely perfect! So much so I went back a couple of days later and bought it! It was a dress I would never have picked myself bit am so so thrilled with it.

Gee_G · 09-12-2014 3:22pm

Has anybody ordered any dresses off JJshouse?

January · 09-12-2014 4:11pm

When is your wedding?

I ordered off eBay and one of the dresses arrived and didn't fit so had to order another and that came and it was a shambles.

There's 3 weeks left to my wedding now and I have to buy two different colour dresses to contrast my bridesmaid rather than changing all the dresses.

pooch90 · 09-12-2014 5:21pm

Gee_G wrote: »

Has anybody ordered any dresses off JJshouse?

My friend got an evening dress off them, she was delighted with the quality and service.

fits · 09-12-2014 6:38pm

I tried on 60 dresses (not jjshouse). Many of them, I was fully convinced they would suit me until I tried them on. Ordering online is risky enough but the quality from those websites can be really rubbish and most people end up buying at least two. Which is completely wasteful!

There are lots of budget options here. Ghost dye to order are very nice, debenhams, monsoon, m&s and bhs all do bridal ranges. Further afield j.crew make lovely silk dresses for under 1000 and duties are calculated for you, so no nasty surprises and easy to return.

Dont buy jjs house, that's my advice.

pooch90 · 09-12-2014 6:55pm

I wouldn't buy a wedding gown from there but could work for BMs.
You will always hear horror stories about buying online but if you leave yourself enough time to sort an alternative you'd be fine.
Another friend got her BMs from light in the box and they are fine. I spoke to another girl who got them there and they were crap. It's a roll of the dice.

fits · 09-12-2014 7:04pm

And what happens to the crap dresses? Thrown out I guess. I just can't get my head around that kind of disposable mentality.

pooch90 · 09-12-2014 7:51pm

If it was me,they would have been used to make bunting and other bits for around the venue. Dunno what she did.

eviltwin · 09-12-2014 8:01pm

fits wrote: »

And what happens to the crap dresses? Thrown out I guess. I just can't get my head around that kind of disposable mentality.

Even a wedding dress that fits perfectly is pretty disposable, you only wear it for one day after all

I got my dress online made to measure. I paid the money to have my stats taken by a proper tailor. The seller advised me that a lot of the problem with badly fitting dresses is that the brides have taken their own measurements or got a mate to do it.

fits · 09-12-2014 8:05pm

eviltwin wrote: »

Even a wedding dress that fits perfectly is pretty disposable, you only wear it for one day after all

That is true. But buying two or more dresses is a different kettle of fish.

The designer of my gown has repurposed quite a few afterwards for the brides. I am thinking of getting mine dyed and using it as an evening gown. Other ideas for reusing include making them into christening gowns and selling it on to another bride.

ameee · 30-12-2014 5:03pm

I got my dress in bridal heaven in swords and I thought they were great. I was a bit worried going in as the reviews for them are a bit mixed but they were so helpful! I had a dress picked out going in but it didnt look great on so Aine put lots of different styles on me to figure out what I liked and to my suprise a style I never would have picked myself looked amazing on me. She had the added hardship of me being so pale that everything ivory looked awful on me so I was limited to completely white oh and I only left three months between the appointment and my wedding so I really wasnt an ideal customer :-D

LyndsC · 30-12-2014 5:59pm

I've got my dress! I've got my dress!!

I got it in SmartBrides in Portlaoise!

I really couldn't be happier, the woman who helped me was so lovely and made me feel like s superstar. I'm size 14-16 so am always a bit wary of going into 'straight' dress shops but there was so many gorgeous options for me.

I walked out with my dress as it was a sample, I'm so happy with the experience and would highly recommend Smart Brides

Redser87 · 03-01-2015 4:20pm

was nervous about going to Bridal Heaven having read mixed reviews, but went there for bridesmaids dresses and they were great, very helpful. Won't be going back to Amarra in Newbridge though, the lady we dealt with was very unfriendly and really put us off.

xzanti · 19-01-2015 12:38am

Can anyone please tell me where I'd get a dress 'off the peg' with 9 weeks to the Wedding?

Any sample stores etc?

Thanks

Faith · 19-01-2015 12:40am

I think most places will sell a sample to you if you ask. My dress was a sample and the shop offered to sell it to me without me even asking, because it was the right size. It was a lot cheaper too.

xzanti · 19-01-2015 12:41am

Do you mind me asking what shop it was Faith?

Faith · 19-01-2015 12:44am

Absolutely, it was Rice N Roses in Frankfield, Cork. That's probably not the right area for you, but I HIGHLY recommend them if you were in that neck of the woods.

Corruptedmorals · 19-01-2015 12:44am

Memories, Parliament Street Temple Bar. Was there with my sister recently. They sell samples and second hand and have a massive range.

ameee · 19-01-2015 10:52am

I got mine in bridal heaven in swords. I told them I needed something off the peg and they seemed to have plenty for me to try on. I walked out with my dress that day

pooch90 · 19-01-2015 11:39am

Smart Brides in Portlaoise. Feel so bad for you xzanti!

kildareash · 03-02-2015 1:37pm

Has anyone looked at the Folkster bridal dresses?

Just stumbled across them by accident this morn. Like that kinda vintage feel and affordability

fits · 03-02-2015 2:00pm

kildareash wrote: »

Has anyone looked at the Folkster bridal dresses?

Just stumbled across them by accident this morn. Like that kinda vintage feel and affordability

They look well worth checking out!

xzanti · 14-02-2015 8:58pm

Highly recommend Truly Bridal in Naas.

Lovely, helpful staff. Great experience with them

stargazer 68 · 27-02-2015 1:06pm

Im starting the 'frock' search soon! Problem is I have no idea what I want. Its second time around for both of us and we are both approaching 50 with 5 adult children between us so the 'virgin' bride thing is not really for me lol.

Love House of Mooshki so am definitely going to try that style but I don't know if I want the full wedding dress thing or not - soooo confusing! Where do I even start??

Neyite · 27-02-2015 1:13pm

Dovies wrote: »

Im starting the 'frock' search soon! Problem is I have no idea what I want. Its second time around for both of us and we are both approaching 50 with 5 adult children between us so the 'virgin' bride thing is not really for me lol.

Love House of Mooshki so am definitely going to try that style but I don't know if I want the full wedding dress thing or not - soooo confusing! Where do I even start??

Start with everything and use process of elimination.

You'll quickly find what neckline /detail/ shade /style looks best on you and you can concentrate on ones in that style then. I hated lace, hated strapless, hated mermaid styles. Guess what suits me, and what my dress is like? :pac: If you'd showed me it on the rack, I'd have passed, but it makes me look bridal, rather than just me in a bridal dress if you know what I mean.

I'm 40 so will be a 40-something bride by the time we set a date Don't get hung up on what you think you should wear for your age, just have a blast trying on loads and you'll find something that you feel comfortable and gorgeous in.

Wedding Dress shops

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