The Best Wedding Dress Shops in Lincolnshire 2023. The Ivory Room, Woodhall Spa.
Buying a wedding Dress is one of those key moments in the journey to your wedding day. Wedding dress shopping in Lincolnshire can be magical, but it can also be stressful. Remember, weddings are never quite like those in movies and TV shows. Real life is a lot more complicated than that.
I recently got to sit down with the amazing Victoria from The Ivory Room bridal boutique in Woodhall Spa. Not only did we discuss the wedding dress trends for 2020 and 2021, but also what brides to be need to look for when shopping for their wedding dress. We also talked about things that look cool in movies, but should not be transferred into real life.
WHAT ARE THE current WEDDING DRESS TRENDS FOR 2020 & 2021?
When it comes to trends, the big look for 2020 & 2021 brides is the floaty A Line dress. This one has really come back into style with a force. The beauty of this style of dress is that it feels more relaxed. It allows a bride to move, dance and enjoy their day. The floaty A line comes without the tightness of a fitted style, or the bulk from a ball gown style. It makes it much more comfortable to wear throughout the wedding day.
Plunging neck lines are also on trend. However, Victoria points out that the key to this trend is mixing the plunge with modesty. This style offers more of a hint rather than what you may expect from a traditional plunging neckline. Victoria says the dress needs amazing structure to allow this modest plunge to look its best.
The final wedding dress trend we talk of, which Victoria says is definitely going to be a 2021 wedding dress trend, is the high halter style. The Meghan Markle evening dress is definitely the inspiration here. It’s a style that’s hinting now, but is set to become huge in 2021. This style allows for a slightly see through look, but with the demure high neck, which Victoria says offers a great balance.
The other key word Victoria spoke of (her eyes lit up at this one) was contemporary sparkle. Sequins are being replaced by a whole layer of shimmer, which catches the light beautifully. It catches in the sunshine, on the dance floor and in the photos, yet it doesn’t detract from the other details of the dress.
POCKETS ARE HERE TO STAY!
Pockets are most definitely here to stay. Everybody loves them. They make brides feel at ease, its a perfect spot for your tissues and emergency lipstick. It’s one of those ideas that now it’s been done everyone is wondering why it didn’t happen sooner.
WHAT’S ON TREND WITH BRIDESMAID DRESSES?
Brides are definitely more aware of the comfort of their bridesmaids. For 2020 & 2021 it’s about giving control back to the bridesmaids. Whether that be letting the bridesmaids choose their own dress within a colour palette or whether it be a multi way dress, which allows the bridesmaids to wear it in their preferred way. Victoria says that brides are very much aware that if their bridesmaids feel happy in their dress, it will allow them to be happier throughout the day.
When it comes to colour, bold is in. Forest greens and dark Burgundy is taking over from the dusted muted tones of the last few years.
HOW LONG BEFORE THE WEDDING SHOULD YOU BEGIN TO LOOK FOR YOUR WEDDING DRESS?
When shopping for your wedding dress, everybody wonders, when they should start shopping for a wedding dress? Victoria recommends that 18 months before the date is the earliest you really want to be looking. The Ivory Room’s recommendation is to order the dress 9-10 months before the day. This gives you plenty of time for any alterations, any ‘what if’s and gives you peace of mind that your wedding dress looks amazing on you. It also allows you to look at any other areas of the day you may want to influence from the style of your wedding dress.
DON’T PUT OFF SHOPPING FOR YOUR WEDDING DRESS
If you’re nervous at the thought of shopping for your wedding dress. Firstly, it is incredibly normal! Are you the type of bride who is tempted to sort every other aspect of the wedding first? “Don’t” says Victoria, it only makes it more stressful.
In the same way that every movie wedding photographer looks cool and awesome even after shooting a 12 hour wedding. The Hollywood idea of brides always being over the moon to shop wedding dresses is just the same; a fantasy.
Just like booking a wedding photographer, buying a wedding dress is something that most brides have never done before. Victoria says that one of the main aims of The Ivory Room in Woodhall Spa is to make the experience, relaxed, fun and as stress free as possible.
The key to finding the right Lincolnshire Wedding Dress boutique is to look at reviews. Victoria has a huge number of amazing brides who have been through her door and left a review. These are the best way for a bride-to-be to learn about the boutique. Brides are always honest when it comes to how their experience made them feel and are way more valuable than a beautiful website.
WHO SHOULD I BRING WITH ME TO SHOP FOR MY WEDDING DRESS?
This is something you should think about carefully. If you are somebody who feels they can be easily influenced, get overwhelmed, or simply don’t really have an idea of what you want from your dress (despite all those Pinterest boards), Victoria says that ideally you should come with one other person, possibly two. That way your experience will be much less stressful in her experience.
If however, you are a bride that wants to really involve everybody and have a blast, then bring 4-5 people with you. However, you need to be prepared for the comments and influence from different people possibly conflicting and leaving you with more questions than answers.
Victoria says that, in the end, it is down to you and how you feel about your wedding dress shopping. Don’t be swayed by the fact that your friends brought all their bridesmaids along and those big groups coming along, really should be left in the movies.
If you want to involve everyone, but feel that it may make things harder for you , do your initial shopping with one person whose opinion you trust. Then, if you want to, bring your tribe back for a final decision or the fittings, but a first look is definitely where you need to mindful of who you bring.
GETTING THE PERFECT FIT
The perfect fits is down to one simple thing. A very good seamstress. Victoria says that you really need to make sure that your bridal boutique offers a fitting service and that they have a good reputation for getting the perfect fit (this is where those reviews come in again).
At The Ivory Room, everything is handled by them. Victoria’s seamstress works with the shop directly. The seamstress delivers the final dress back to the boutique ready for you to pick up. This means every step of the way, your dress has a connection back to the Ivory Room.
HOW DO WEDDING DRESS SHOPS CHOOSE THE DESIGNERS THEY STOCK?
It’s all down to trust according to Victoria. There is something wonderful about working with suppliers who you trust and know will put things right quickly in any wedding business. In dresses this is essential. Victoria has spent time cultivating relationships. “A wedding dress is such a special thing and I need to know that if there is any issues, it will be taken care of”.
The Ivory Room stocks dresses from Justin Alexander, which gives you the classic look with a twist to make it special. Justin Alexander is a brand The Ivory room has stocked since day one and the quality of dresses and the company itself mean that isn’t going to change any time soon.
Essence of Australia is another wedding dress brand that Victoria stocks. “The fit is fantastic. You put it on a bride confident that the dress is going to do exactly what you need it to”. The other major plus point is that the chief designer is involved in everything. In terms of style, Essence of Australia wedding dresses tend to have a more modern romantic feel to them. They also stock an excellent range of plus size wedding dresses making sure that all Lincolnshire brides are catered for.
Finally The Ivory Room stocks Ivory & Co. Wedding dresses. Ivory & Co. are a British company, which Victoria sees as an important thing to have as part of her dress collections. Their style is more Boho, so it compliments the other brands well, giving yet another style for brides to choose from.
The Ivory Room have chosen their dresses to have what Victoria calls the classic Lincolnshire Wedding look. Nothing is too extreme. They are simply beautiful wedding dresses that will look as good on a real bride as they do on a catwalk.
In terms of sizes The ivory Room stock up to a size 28, meaning that plus size brides in Lincolnshire have a great choice of dress in a variety of styles. “It’s really important that every bride can find her perfect dress” says Victoria,
ANY MISTAKES THAT BRIDES MAKE WHEN CHOOSING A WEDDING DRESS
“The main mistake that a bride can make is ordering too soon”. If you are a super-organised bride it can be tempting to get the dress ticked off the to-do list early. In reality, the earliest time for a bride to order the dress is 10-12 months before the wedding. Ordering before that may leave you anxious of whether you will still love your dress come the wedding day.
On the other hand, some brides do make the mistake of leaving dress shopping until the last minute. Not only do you need to allow time for a dress to be ordered but also the all important alterations to make sure it fits you perfectly.
It’s also totally normal to be worried when you finally order your perfect dress. Brides-to-be think that they are the only one who feels this way, but it is very common. It’s a big decision and many brides begin to second guess themselves. “Everybody is anxious when they pick up their dress”. Try not to worry and trust that you have made the right decision. You have!
I just wanted to say a massive thanks to Victoria at The Ivory Room in Woodhall Spa for taking the time to sit down with me and give this great advice. If you are looking for the best wedding dress shop in Lincoln and surrounding areas, make sure you put The Ivory Room on your list of shops to visit to find your perfect wedding dress.
