For most brides, one of the most exciting experiences of planning a wedding is visiting that first wedding dress shop. Some brides take their parents or bridesmaids and some go alone; whoever you decide to take and even if you think you are not fussed there is one thing you expect from the experience - a lot of attention and to find the perfect dress for you.
Those who follow the blog know how important I feel it is to praise any wedding supplier that offers truly exceptional customer service and/or product. In this weeks post I would love to do this whilst also sharing with you my perspective and experience as Maid of Honour in helping one of my best friends choose her wedding dress.
Now that the wedding is over and the dress has been revealed, I can finally share with you some inside info on Camilla Brides - a bespoke, bridal boutique in the heart of Norfolk.
As a little bit of background, the bride in question is a friend from University who had the (mis)fortune of falling in love with my brother and despite my best efforts to ward her off they fell madly in love and after over seven years he finally proposed - I should mention her name is also Emily, in case that causes any confusion :)
Anyone that has met Emily, knows she is crazy about clothes, particularly vintage 1950’s and as soon as my friends and family found out that I had seen the dress, they were begging me to tell them whether Emily had chosen a dress in this style. Emily had already confessed to me that she loved the idea of a 1950’s style wedding dress, but knew that people would expect her to wear one, so wanting maximum impact and deep down longing for the princess dress that many girls dream of she went for something a little unexpected. Emily wanted her dress to be classic, but also something that made people go wow! It had to have a lace top and she had her heart set on a satin sash to emphasise her tiny waist. All finished with an elegant plain tulle skirt with lace on the hem. With this image of the perfect dress in mind, Emily just needed to find a shop that sold it. After confiding with a friend who was recently married, she was recommend to visit Camilla Brides. Taking her friends advice, Emily gave them a call and explained what she wanted and at this point was booked in for the following Saturday and told to bring pictures of what sort of thing she wanted. The appointment finally came around and Emily excitedly ventured into Camilla Brides where the service and personal attention made her feel very special.
Due to the shop assistants extensive knowledge of dress making it was only a short amount of time before the perfect and very unique dress had been designed and price agreed - It was quick, easy, very exciting and above all Emily was over the moon that she was getting exactly what she wanted. When the dress had been altered and was almost completely finished, Emily was invited to visit the shop for a fitting. Having seen how excited she was to see her dress, I couldn’t help but bring Ryan with me to help capture those special moments of wearing her perfect dress for the first time. As you can see from the pics below, Emily was incredibly overwhelmed by how amazing her dress looked on her. It also gave her great satisfaction knowing that her perfect dress was designed and made from scratch. It’s truly one of a kind and it surprised everyone as it wasn’t what any of her wedding guests were expecting.
To any brides reading our blog, our advice is to go out enjoy yourself, each dress shop will be different and you will be sure to find a shop assistant that understands your personality and what will look great on you. This is a once in a lifetime experience so don’t get caught up in the stress of wedding planning, enjoy the fuss and attention.
Vendors loved by Woodrow & Cook
Camilla Brides, 53 North Walsham Road, Sprowston - www.camillabrides.co.uk
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