How Do I Know When I’ve Found The ONE?

Wow! What a question? We all think about it before looking for our wedding dress. It doesn’t matter how much research you’ve done before hand, how many Pinterest boards or Instagram accounts you follow, nothing will tell you how YOU will feel when you find YOUR wedding dress.

And the simple reason for that is that we are all different, and I say, “Yay!” to that.

It is such a personal experience, the relationship you have with your own wedding dress. It doesn’t matter who you bring with you, how many opinions you ask for, only you will know when it’s right.

Over the past 10 years, Lisa and I have had the privilege of witnessing hundreds of brides have THAT moment and we will never get bored of it. I always get goose bumps up and down my legs when a bride realises that she has found the dress she will wear when she commits herself to her soul mate.

And I suppose right there is the pressure, isn’t it? What wedding dress is good enough or will make me feel special enough to live up to the importance of the day? What dress will give me the confidence to walk down the aisle with all my guests’ eyes on me? What dress will show my style, reflect my personality but above all make me feel comfortable?

Big questions, right? No wonder we put so much pressure on ourselves to know that we have found the ONE!

I wish I could say that there was a magic formula or a Generation Y App that asked your pertinent details, churned your info through its highly tuned algorithms and then gave you a diagnosis on how you will feel when you have found the perfect wedding dress.

But nope, this doesn’t exist (yet!), so until then you have to rely on your own algorithms, ie. feelings, experience and confidence in who you are and your own style.

When we say ‘style’, we don’t necessarily mean the style of the dress eg. lace or tulle or A-line. We mean your personal style – whether that’s understated elegance or dramatic detail or tom boy bad ass. It doesn’t matter as long as its yours.

If you are true to yourself you will find your wedding dress and know 100% it’s the one. The right dress will make you smile. Not just any smile. The kind of smile that starts as a secret deep down with the butterflies in your tummy.

You might not get tears; you might not have the “OH MY GOD,” moment that other brides get but you will smile and you will know. You might be the type of bride that has fallen in love with 3 dresses, all of them making you beam like the Cheshire Cat but one will fit into your wedding style better than the others. You might be the bride who has a ‘Plan’ but then realises that doesn’t suit you and then follows another style path, trusting the advice given by the consultants. You might be like me and know you’ve found the one because you don’t EVER want to take it off!

I suppose what I’m saying is that there is no ‘one approach/ one answer fits all’ when it comes to knowing you’ve found your wedding dress. Some arrive at the decision quicker and easier than others. Some have a slower, less straight forward path to finding the ONE. It’s all about knowing who you are and allowing yourself to come to your own decision without unnecessary pressure from other opinions. The opinions of your entourage can be invaluable but remember who is wearing the dress. Ask when you need them, ignore them when you don’t.

Lisa and I are excellent at what we do. From the start of Cicily Bridal we were determined to never put pressure on brides but to guide them and support them. We made a promise that we would always work to the highest of standards and our studio would always be a unique space where brides can choose from modern collections in their relaxed and un-pressured appointment. We are knowledgeable and very, very experienced. We have cried, laughed, smiled until our cheeks hurt with brides during their wedding dress decision making, their wedding dress fittings and when they collect their dress the day before the BIG DAY!

I could write about our experiences for days (maybe one day I will!) but for now my last piece of advice for helping you know if you’ve found your wedding dress is make sure you go to boutiques/ studios that have dresses that you would LOVE to wear. This gives you a head start in finding a dress that suits your style. Go to wedding dress shops that don’t put pressure on you to make your decision then and there if you have a niggle that something isn’t right. I think I’ve probably said this hundreds of times over the past decade “It doesn’t matter what we say. It doesn’t matter how amazing we say you look. You have to feel it yourself and when you do you will blow them away!”