Wedding dress shopping can be a scary thought, let alone when you are plus size. I have been through this experience and come out the other side unscathed, so I thought I would share my tips with you for a Stress free experience.
  
With most wedding dresses from bridal boutiques you generally have to go up 2 sizes. Sounds scary right? My wedding dress ended up being a size 22, even though I'm only a size 18 - but remember it doesn't matter what the label says as long as you look fabulous.

The first bridal boutique I visited was one that offered a specialist section for plus size brides. I had heard horror stories of bridal boutiques squeezing brides into smaller dresses, which in turn didn't give a great representation of how the dress would look in the right size. The first dress I tried on was quite a plain looking dress, but because it was the first wedding dress I had ever tried on, it was a very emotional moment all round especially with my mum.

I tried on 4 dresses at the first bridal boutique... And was certain that I had found the dress of my dreams. A corseted Amanda Wyatt dress with a near £900 price tag.  I already had another appointment booked at a more local bridal shop however they didn't have a plus size section.

"Sookie Wedding Dress" - Amanda Wyatt


The next day I visited the second bridal boutique with my mum. You always need to take someone who will give you an honest opinion, and my mum is always spot on with hers. This shop didn't have any dresses in my size and true to the rumours, I was squeezed and prodded into size 14 and 16 dresses. I personally didn't find it offensive, it was more a challenge! But I was worried I may rip the dresses and have some major repair bills to pay for. All of the dresses I tried on at the second appointment made me forget the Amanda Wyatt dress, however I hadn't had "The One" feeling. There was a stunning dress from Mark Lesley And Mori Lee (Julietta Range) But I wasn't 100% sure on anything I had tried on.

3112 - Mori Lee (Julietta Range) 

I made an appointment at another branch of this store where they had a selection of plus size dresses and again I still didn't have that wow feeling about a dress. None of the dresses I tried on looked bad, but not spectacular either.

This is when I noticed an actual plus size brides weekend for bridal designer "Maggie Sottero", where all weekend the bridal boutique had a selection of wedding dress from her, in sizes 18 to 28. This appointment was the best idea ever. I tried on 3 or 4 dresses and immediately fell in love with one. It was my size, looked absolutely stunning and I just knew it was the right dress for me. I can't really go into detail on which dress I actually chose in case Mr. FH decides to read my blog, however if you haven't had "The Dress" moment yet, don't give up looking. In total I tried on around 15 to 20 dresses!

"Lorena" - Maggie Sottero (Not my dress - but an example of her work)

My one recommendation for plus size wedding dress shopping is to find a bridal boutique which has plus size ranges in stock. You will only truly know what a dress looks like when it is in a size true to the one you'll need. It is worth traveling around until you find the right place. I know there are a few specialist places within the UK, in the North, London and Weston Super Mare. I have included the links to these boutiques at the bottom of this post.

The second thing I would like to mention is that most wedding dresses made by designers have built in corsets in their dresses. My dress has a built in corset and you can't see that it has one, so when pulled right in, it gives me the most fantastic waist ever. Now all I need is to set a date and finally get to wear my dream dress!

Most importantly, don't panic about the costs of a wedding dress. There are dresses from £100 upwards so if you have a budget to stick to you can still look like a Princess without breaking the bank.  I am very lucky that my mum wanted to treat me to my wedding dress otherwise I would have had a much smaller budget. 

The following wedding dress designers provide wedding dresses for us curvier girls:

Maggie Sottero
Maggie Sottero dresses are absolutely exquisite.  "Maggie Brides not only experience innovative designs, but luxurious fabrics, Swarovski crystals, hand-sewn embellishments and the renowned, slenderizing fit known simply as the "Maggie Magic," the result of meticulous attention to, and scrutiny of, design and fitting details." - I know this first hand because of the super waist my dress produces!

Ian Stuart Bride
Ian Stuart Bride dresses are the most unusual wedding dresses I have ever seen.  I think they have a vintage feel about them but also scream extravagance. "Renowned for his glamorous, luxury creations this international multiple award-winning designer has always had a passion for making women look and feel glamorous."

Ronald Joyce
Before I finally settled on my dream dress, I had it in my head that I wanted a Ronald Joyce dress but I couldn't find any local stockists that stocked the sizes I needed.  Ronald Joyce dresses are sparkly, big, fun and fit for a princess.  

Mori Lee
"Mori Lee offers beautifully designed, feminine dresses.  Searching for an embellished A-Line, a modern Fishtail or a delicate Chiffon design, Mori Lee has your dream dress." - I tried on some really unusual fishtail dresses that I thought wouldn't suit curvier girls but they looked completely flattering on me.

Amanda Wyatt
Amanda Wyatt dresses make me think of Fairytales.  I only managed to try one Amanda Wyatt dress on which was the "Sookie" dress.  I noticed the attention to detail with fabric roses and tulle fabric draped across the dress.  A really beautiful collection of dresses.

...And not forgetting the new Simply Be bridal range.  I have not tried any of these dresses on, however with prices starting from £90 and the ability to try on in your own home, why not give them a try! :)

And the following bridal boutiques are specifically for plus size wedding dresses:

Heavenly Bodies Bridal, London
http://www.heavenlybodiesbridal.com/

The Big Day UK, Castleford, West Yorkshire
http://www.thebigdayuk.com/

Curvaceous Brides, Somerset
http://www.whitelaceandpromises.co.uk/collection/curvaceous-brides/

Curvy Bridal, North Yorkshire 
http://www.curvybridal.co.uk/

Amore Plus Bridal, Rugby
http://www.amoreplusbridal.co.uk/ 

Daisy Love Bridal, Berkshire
http://www.daisylovebridal.co.uk/


Finally, enjoy your experience! It doesn't last long enough and every second of it is magical! X

If you've never heard of Paper Dolls before, let me fill you in...Paper Dolls is a brand available at Simply Be, that offers plus size party dresses, which are bang on trend.

I remember back to my school prom and although I was a size 14 at the time, I could not find anything remotely trendy to wear and ended up wearing a black shift dress with a silver buckle on the front - very uncool!

How times have changed! Now, with thanks to Paper Dolls @ Simply Be, it is now possible to order absolutely gorgeous party dresses from a UK size 12 to 26. I have been eyeing the Paper Dolls @ Simply Be collection for a while now, so when Simply Be asked me to review it, I jumped at the chance.

While having a bit of a deju vu moment; stalking our postman again... my parcel from Simply Be arrived within 2 working days. Again, fantastic service and really quick delivery. I opened it up and inside were 2 gorgeous dresses, which in my opinion the photos on the website do not do justice; They look a lot more exquisite in the flesh.

First up, a beautiful cream/beige and black embellished waisted dress (Paper dolls Embellished Waisted Dress). This dress is wonderfully floaty and superbly well made. It feels expensive when you try it on - with a lining inside that includes a lower netting panel, that pushes the bottom of the dress out slightly allowing it to flow from your curves.

The top half of the dress is made with a gorgeous cream/beige coloured floaty fabric with a bustier style outline and straps which overlay into a V neck. The back is shirred which means that it is elasticated (perfect if you have a wide back like me!) and the waist is elasticated too. The embellished beading across the middle of the dress is extremely delicate, made with black bugle beads, golden, almost nude colour sequins and tiny black round beads.

Paper Dolls Embellished Dress: Simply Be* £75, High Heels: Next, Jewellery: Various local boutiques

I am wearing a size 18 so the sizing is true - however I was a little nervous when stepping into the dress as I was worried it wouldn't go over my hips. The length of the dress is perfect - not too long, but not too short either.

The one thing that worried me about this dress when I was browsing the site was the price; however as soon as it arrived you can see why it has a £75 price tag and in my opinion is worth every penny. This dress would be perfect for special occasions, nights out, and weddings. Finally it is fantastic to see dresses of this style and standard available up to a size 26!

I decided to wear my black high heels from Next and a selection of jewellery which complimented the dress in beiges, silvers and copper browns from local boutiques. I also tried this dress on with a black cardigan which also worked, however the dress is so pretty that I didn't want to cover it up so I have finally left the tops of my arms uncovered! Go me!

The second dress I tried on was a one shoulder embellished waisted dress. Again this dress screams extravagance at you when you see it. It is very similar to the first dress except it is a navy blue colour all over with grey and silver sequins and beads across the middle. There are even small sparkly embellishments too which make this dress really shine.

This dress also has an inner lining which has a lower band of netting to make it fall beautifully. Again this dress is £75 which I think is really good value for money for such a well made dress. The one shoulder was a little worrying for me at first because of my arms but I think that it looks really flattering on. I am wearing a size 18 again, and no problems with it being too small or too big - it fits perfectly.

Paper Dolls One Shoulder Embellished Dress: *Simply Be, £75 Necklace: Tiffany, Heels: Select, Bracelets: New Look

This dress also has a shirred back and elasticated waist making it brilliant if you are like me and are constantly going up and down a few lbs. The photos available on the Simply Be website are much more representative of the colour of this dress and styling than the previous dress.

With this dress I wore my nude heels from Select, my Tiffany necklace (I didn't want to detract from the embellished panel too much) and a bracelet set from New Look.

In conclusion, I feel like a movie star in both of these dresses and am very excited to see what the next range of Paper Dolls dresses look like on the Simply Be website.  I will definitely be ordering more from this brand available exclusively at Simply Be!