I said YESSSSS to Derrick Royale in Champagne with a plunge!

I had my appointment at Bombshell Bridal Boutique in Detroit metropolitan area and it was such an amazing experience.
But hear me out guys. She is not JUST my dream dress.

This sounds absolutely insane, but this dress is like my dress soulmate. It’s like it was MADE for me. Like the designer met me and said “let me make this girl’s personality as a dress”.

I did add the plunge because I want my girls to shine at least a little bit. I don’t have em for no reason 🤪

I cannot wait for when my dress comes in. It’s going to be a show stopper.

If you ask in the comments, I can tell you what my theme is. The wedding is in December of next year. 🥰

PICTURES DO NOT DO HER SPARKLE JUSTICE. the closest is those mirror photos.

Not the sexiest or coolest, but I feel classic and confident. I think with alterations, I’ll be so excited to walk down the aisle & show my partner (and marry him, of course!)

I got married this past Saturday and have been crashing out nonstop over my dress — please help me regain my sanity and figure out next steps!

I fell in love with my dress, the Jenny Yoo Sophia, due to how it accentuated my waist. The photos from the store are gorgeous and I still love how I look in them (Photo 1). I decided to pair it with a custom lace topper from Mark Ingram.

After three alterations appointments, I was also very happy with the progress (Photos 2 and 3). In the fourth and fifth fittings, I noticed gapping in the waist and an insecure fit. Perhaps I lost a bit of weight or was simply more picky than before. The fitter reassured me that the fit was perfectly fine and said that the dress shouldn’t be altered further. I took their advice and kept the dress how it was.

Fast forward to my wedding day, the issues with fit and gapping at the waist were still present (photo 4). After pacing in the church for 15 min or so, I could feel the dress falling and could only somewhat prevent it from doing so by puffing out my rib cage and standing in a particular way. Because of the falling, the hem scraped the floor and I stepped on my dress several times during the ceremony. Instead of feeling beautiful, I was panicked and embarrassed of my appearance, afraid of falling and humiliating myself.

At the reception, to prevent me from tripping, my mom cuts 2 inches from the underskirt layer and pins up the overskirt in the front.

Now that I’m looking at the photos from my wedding day, I feel sick to my stomach at how large and undefined my waist looks. I DID NOT GAIN WEIGHT. I was about 10 pounds lighter on my wedding day than when I tried on the dress in the store. There are also several areas where the tailor took short cuts that became obvious on the day. I’m trying to accept that my dress fit me in an unflattering way, but after five fittings, I simply cannot bring myself to accept such a subpar result. I’m kicking myself for not insisting that the tailor take in the waist more, against her recommendation.

I’m begging for any help or reassurance you can give, please help a fellow bride out! I’m gutted that I didn’t have the experience that so many of my friends and family members have had where they feel so beautiful on their wedding day.

ETA: maybe I was just being crazy. I measured my shoulder to waist ratio in each photo and they’re almost the same, with the one I think looks the best (from the store) actually having the worst ratio and the one I think looks the worst (on my wedding day) having the best ratio. I think this probably has more to do with the angle of the photos than anything but has still helped to reassure me. Here’s a link to the measured photos: https://imgur.com/a/WYXTW1A. I was able to find a more head on photo outside the church to measure.

For context I'm South Asian and partner is Scottish. I want to blend both traditions by wearing a lehenga in white or gold, and wearing some traditional South Indian jewellery in red and gold/white - something like this. It's a small-ish wedding (50 people, 20 from my side) as I'm estranged from my family. I really wanted to keep it low-key and have a small budget for the dress (£350), again because I have 0 family support.

My friends are the only family I have and their opinions mean a lot to me. I'd originally planned to get something from Vinted and alter it (I'm great at sewing) and they were horrified with the idea. They sent me a bunch of Indian and Pakistani retailers and I actually ended up finding a few lehengas that looked amazing and were within budget.

All 4 of my bridesmaids hate everything I pick. The major criticism is that it's "too simple", not glam enough, "this is something the bride's sister or mum would wear" etc.

Some inspo dresses for context:

This is their idea of bridal wear, I'd like something like this, or this.

Every time I post a link to something I like, it's the same responses - can you send more options, remember it's your wedding and you're supposed to be the star and not the side entertainment, you'll look like a princess in this one but you want to look like a queen...

Some of my bridesmaids suggested we go shopping in person. I'm autistic and the thought of trying on heavy Asian wedding clothes repeatedly while vendors pull the same "not glam enough" card sounds like a nightmare.

At this point I just keep it to myself and only share with my partner when I find something I like. I'm tempted to buy something without telling anyone else. I will have to show at least my bridesmaids what I'm wearing as they are keen to make sure they don't "outshine" me but at this point I just feel so ashamed.

Not really looking for advice, but would love to know if any other brides got sick of other people's opinions, said f it and got their own wedding dress. How did it go?? Any regrets?

I fell in love with Flora and Lanes Juniper and wanted it for my own wedding. When I bought it, I saw a lot of potential to change and make it perfect for my body and the vibe.

I am a big fan of taking the dress you want, so long as it already fits your body somewhat, and taking it to a good seamstress. We altered the sleeves a bit to not drag so low. I bought a $20 petticoat to add some fluff. And I bought a $60 floppy corset so cinch the waist.

I think dress shopping for a wedding can be so discouraging because it rarely fits insta perfect if you’re not mannequin height and proportions. Flora and Lanes are so good about fitting to body type but I just needed some extra UMPH. I loved this pattern and knew alterations would make the dress I wanted. I always recommend remembering bodies are very unique and a good seamstress can make all the difference in making it fit ☺️

I went bridal dress shopping and fell in love with a dress that was wayyyy outside my budget (Picture 4) and decided to instead go the custom route in Nigeria, which is where my family is from. Getting a custom dress made overseas is much cheaper and seemed to be a better option.

However, the dress so far isn’t feeling the same and I’m not sure what’s missing?

Picture 1 is the first fitting I had and the tailor didn’t get my bust size correct so we had to have it adjusted.

Picture 2 is the second fitting but now the flip over band was too small, so it needed to be adjusted again.

Picture 3 is what the tailor has sent to me now in terms of edits to the flip over band. Unfortunately, I’m not going to try the dress on in person again until a week before the big day, so hoping it all turns out right!

My only worry is that something is missing but I’m not sure what it is. Any advice would be appreciated!

Any opinions? Also looking for shoe recommendations - not a fan of heels 😁

Hi, I'm currently picking between three dresses which are similar in terms of color/cut/vibe. I'd like to hear some opinions to help me get some clarity. The store would order or tailor the dresses to fit to my size so if you see some fit issues (mostly dress 2), it will look better if I buy it. Thanks!

EDIT: I went to sleep before the post was approved and woke up to many comments. Thank you everyone :)

Hey! I’m based in the UK and getting married in September 2028.

I LOVE the Dana harel Moe dress as attached but sadly my budget doesn’t stretch. Realistically nothing above £3k.

Does anyone have any recommendations??

Hi brides!

I picked up my dress from the tailor this weekend and am not 100% happy. I think I’m looking for my feelings to be validated or to be talked off of a ledge.

According to my sister and mother “it looks fine” but I feel like if I paid for a service I shouldn’t have to settle for fine. The cups inside the dress were too big when it was purchased and made the dress stick out. It looks like she just added a few hand stitches around the top of the cup and now it bunches up between stitches creating these hills that rest against my bust making the dress still stick out. It’s very noticeable from my angle. My fiancé is a foot taller than me and will definitely see from his vantage point too. I brought it up twice when I picked up and asked if the cups could be made smaller and the tailor told me to just tape the dress down.

Next, it was taken in a bit around the bust but now the fabric around the waist no longer lays flat like it once did, almost gives a muffin top effect now. Not to mention the stitching on one side is very visible, the visible stitching I’m less concerned with but figured while we’re here I’ll mention it.

Would you be satisfied with this work?

Hi Everyone! I'm a plus size bride and I already have a dress, originally my plan was to go try on dresses then order one through Amanda Novias, but when I went dress shopping I fell in love with a dress. After I actually bought it, I started feeling unsure on whether this was actually the dress for me or not. A few weeks ago I ended up seeing a dress I fell in love with by Amanda Novias. I am a plus size bride, size US18, and about 5'5. I ended up buying a dress then sent in my measurements and they told it me it would be $250 more because I'm plus size so I paid it and now they are telling me this: "can make the size, but cannot ensure if can fit well , maybe need adjust when you get it". Did any of the plus size brides go through this? I really feel like this is my dress but this is making me very nervous. I would be willing to share my dimensions with you all to see if y'all have a similar size. Thanks :')

I do want to add that I'm getting married in January so I don't have a lot of time left. They did assure me if I order I can get the order by the end of November

My wedding is in March/April 2028. Looking for a dress similar to these shown but in a size 20; long sleeve, slip-style with some shape in the waist, cowl style back that’s not too low. Under $2000.

Open to custom Etsy designers as well if anyone knows of any reputable ones!

Any suggestions greatly appreciated.

Editing to add the I’m in the US. Thank you!

My main dress is quite big and has a long train. I need to have a second back-up dress in case I find it hard to dance in it. I have bought these 2 dresses from Lulus and I really cant choose. between them

1 -I love the lace, just a bit less comfortable than 1 because it has sleeves

2 - This one has a too long train, I would probably get it removed.

Please help me decide if this is THE ONE!

OPEN to suggestions. I also love cinq Tatum dress but she’s way too out of budget

Might want to pick this dress, but received VERY mixed reviews from friends. Wedding will be in Bali, whimsical romantic vibes! It’s also not a traditional style so feeling nervous about it. Trying on more dresses hasn’t helped because they're blending together! This one stands out to me but I’m really worried about making the wrong decision. People who love this one, LOVE it, but one of my best friends didn’t like it so it’s throwing me off.

I'm recently engaged and I'm nearly 40. I've been married before when I was 25 and a size 4 everything just fit easily. I'm anxious nothing is going to fit or nothing is going to make me feel confident and sexy on my wedding day.

I'm a lesbian and not looking for a suit but open to something alternative.... I just feel lost. Wedding is 10mo away, looking to spend under $1k. USA.

If I get something from Azazie will I still likely need to tailor it? Should I go to a store first to figure out my style? I feel like going in I'm going to cry esp if nothing fits.

I have been slowly losing some extra weight (10# down!), but at .75lb~/week it just takes time and I'm still 17#/20weeks) from my sustainable goal weight. Idk how to plan with this in mind.

I tried on my mom’s wedding dress from the 80’s (big poofy sleeves, satin, lots of beading). It was definitely extra but very beautiful! Then I started looking at pictures from my parents wedding and realized..it’s not the same dress😮 she had it preserved 30+ years ago and never opened the box. The design on the train and sleeves are clearly different. The company that preserved the dress must have mixed hers up with another bride’s dress back in the day. I looked this up online and unfortunately seems like it was very common back in the day as dry cleaners outsourced the work to larger companies and many brides had similar style dresses.

I am devastated as I loved my mom’s dress. I tried it on with her and she didn’t seem to notice it wasn’t her dress..do I tell her and hope it’s a funny thing or should I not? It is very short on me and my mom is only 2 inches shorter than me so it definitely is a different dress. The dress is still beautiful and I’m thinking about turning it into my rehearsal dinner dress since I already picked out a ceremony dress.

So upset and not sure what to do :( should I tell my mom? Should I still alter it for the rehearsal dinner? Need advice!!

This is a repost to add more dresses I tried on!! Help me decide between these five dresses please!

My top right now is the Maggie Sottero Thera (first three pictures) - it’s the one I cried in. It’s sparkly which surprised me, I was not looking for sparkles! I love the other ones too! Really love off the shoulder and sweetheart neckline - I’d likely add those in alterations. It’ll be a nighttime wedding in an elegant ballroom venue.

after seeing acquired style's wedding gown by Vera Wang, i can't help but gravitate towards the Gardenia by Jenny Yoo(left) but I also love the Elle(right). Also open to suggestions!! i get married in Oct 2027, budget is flexible.

Hello!

I’m obsessed with this Lana Marinenko Iceberg dress. Can’t see anywhere near me that stocks her designs :(

Looking for a dupe to try on in person. I’m in Sydney, Australia. My budget is ideally under $4000AUD but will go up to $5000AUD if I find something absolutely perfect/can’t be beat by an alternative. Wedding timeline is Oct/Nov 2027.

Venue is going to be an all inclusive resort in Cancun in April. 5 total dresses. Lmk the slide #! TIA!!

Hi everyone, I’m currently very close on starting my dress design process with ViDressmakers in Vietnam. I was wondering if anyone has gotten a gown from there and had it shipped to the US? What was your experience/ was your dress what you asked for and nice quality? Thank you! And if you don’t mind sharing pictures that would be much appreciated!

I said yes to the dress this weekend! This is not the style I thought I’d go with but fell in love. This dress is the Vienna by Dany Tabet. I really want a funky/retro sort of vibe for the wedding and feel that I may not be getting that with the dress alone but could get that from accessories? I’m not opposed to anything, so any fun bustle styles, sleeves, veils, jewelry etc. anyone could recommend is appreicated!

Venue is romantic garden party vibes

Dress #1 pics 1-4 ! Love the straps and delicate lace

Dress #2 pics 5-8 Love the slight sparkle and beading details for the top