Hi all I'm new to the forum although I joined a while ago. I am looking at dresses at the moment and have had an awful experience at a local bridal shop. I'm a size 16 and when I went for my appointment they made me feel like I was too fat to look at any dresses apart from the plus size dresses. I was ushered to the plus size section and wasn't 'allowed' to look at any other dresses as they said there was 'no point' as I wouldn't be able to fit in the sample sizes! I tried on a few dresses but didn't really like them and to make matters worse staff members kept wandering through the fitting area to get to the kitchen whilst I was stood in my underwear trying on dresses! People in the shop could see me in my undies as the staff kept opening the curtain to walk through the changing area. I saw one dress I liked but they wouldn't let me try it on as another bride was coming to try it on later that day. Which I really didn't understand as it was a sample on display. I was in tears and my mom and sister were appalled at how I was treated. This shop is an award winning shop that stocks a lot of designers that I like. The whole experience has put me off wedding dress shopping completely. Any advice on nice bridal shops would be appreciated- I'm in Staffordshire but willing to travel xx
CommentAuthorGlitterfairy
That's awful, they should not treat you like that. I cannot advise on shops in the area im afraid, but how about ordering a brochure from here.
Our wedding day - 6 October 2012
CommentAuthorInDreamland
So sorry to hear it was a bad experience. Wedding dress shopping shouldn't be like that. Hope you get a better experience with the next shop you try. They're not all bad.
Married the love of my life on Saturday 11th May 2013 xxx
Had our dream perfect honeymoon in Hawaii!
CommentAuthorGlitterfairy
I think due to the increasing size of the population they should actually provide slightly larger samples instead of those which would fit a stick.
Our wedding day - 6 October 2012
CommentAuthorMidgetGem89
Thats terrible take your money elsewhere im nt in your area so cnt help but i would be putting a complaint into that shop to managers attention x
Definitely try some other shops, I had the opposite problem with one. I'm an 18-20 and they were trying to sausage me into form fitting size 12s. Wasn't happening!
Our perfect day - 08.08.15 <3
CommentAuthorFlossie
So sorry you had to go through that experience Rebbeca :( I've not tried any dresses on yet but this is something that really worries me. I'm not a skinny girl, I vary between sizes 12/14/16 depending on where I shop from, so I'm really worried that I'm going to need a larger size wedding dress and I've heard they come up a lot smaller. It's terrible that they treated you like that and made you feel so awful.. I will never understand why some shops are like that. Their most important aim should be to provide excellent customer service and make their customers/potential customers feel so special and a million dollars!! I know it's hard to pick yourself up after you've been made to feel like that but definitely try another shop - the first one doesn't deserve your custom! Maybe read any reviews you can online before you book an appointment so you can get an idea of what they are like xx
Happily married
18th June 2016
xx
CommentAuthorMrsRobson2Be
The way they treated you is awful, I would be leaving them awful reviews on every review site, their f@ceb00k page, etc. I am a size 14 & I was allowed to try on any dress I wanted, they have ways of making smaller dresses fit, they even tried forcing me into a mermaid dress I liked but that wasn't going on lol. I have only been to 1 shop so far & have been researching other shops online, reading their reviews & from that I was able to cross some shops straight off of my list. I know it's easier said than done but don't let 1 bad shop spoil it for you.
CommentAuthorMrsEmmaP
edited
That's terrible they have no right to decide what dresses you should and shouldn't try on! Definitely take your money elsewhere! Can't advise on any shops in that area but maybe read some reviews of local shops online, I have learned alot about the shops in my area from reviews. I hope you get a better experience next time! x
Got together on 14th March 2010
Got engaged on 25th December 2013
Became Mrs P on 14th May 2016 - best day ever!
CommentAuthor*KelBel*
They should be treating every customer the same, so definitely shame on them. Don't let that bad experience put you off and get looking at other shops more willing to serve you. Use the Internet to see which other stores in a close radius stock the designers that you like and go there instead. I agree with what's been said above, as the average sized woman is a 12-14 they should have bigger samples than they do, they don't give you a true view of the dress when they're too big or too small. X
Velcro...my wedding day twinny! The Two Kel's!
Got engaged 14/10/12 in Central Park NYC!
Became Mrs Macdonald 13th September 2014
Mummy to 4 girlies and baby blue boy Due 10/05/2016
CommentAuthorJEm1905
Can't remember name of the shop hun but there is one on pershore road, Birmingham that stocks some bigger sizes really friendly too x
Got together - 19th May 2009
Our Civil Partnership - 19th May 2012
Waiting to re-Marry my Princess Legally
<< My Gorgeous Little bubba Lola <3
CommentAuthorRebeccaH304
Thanks everyone. I know wedding dress sizes are usually bigger than normal high street sizes so expected to be looking at larger size dresses but was just totally shocked by the attitude of the staff. I researched the shop before we went and they have some good reviews so I thought it would be a good place to start looking at dresses! I think I'm going to have to leave negative reviews online so no one else has the same awful experience xx
CommentAuthorMrs M Wade
It's so wrong of them Rebecca. It should be a magical experience trying on dresses for your big day and made to feel special. The first shop I went to to try dresses on weren't very nice to me either. I'd lost 2 stone already of the 4.5 stone that I wanted to lose but still felt like this wasn't good enough. The dress I tried on was definitely 'the one' I wanted for my wedding day but the lady that helped me to get in the dress was so disrespectful and saying it doesn't fit you need a bigger size (even though it was 1 button at the top that wouldn't fasten) and I'd told her I was still loosing weight. She just looked me up and down as if To say I was too fat for the dress. After all the comments she kept saying I'd had enough. So after my mum had come in and saw the dress I took it off and told the lady I wouldn't be coming back. I'd of bought the dress too but didn't think she deserved my custom so I went somewhere else and this is where I did find my dream dress x
Became Mrs Wade 06/08/2016
CommentAuthorWelshBrideBethan2015
Sorry to read you had a bad experience, please don't let that stop you looking around. good luck on your dress search xx
Somehow always connected , finally became friends .
Friends became soul mates :)
Engaged 6th July 2013
<3 <3 Married my best friend 11/7/2015 <3 <3
CommentAuthorthefuture:Mrs_Hurren
Hi Rebecca,
So sorry to hear that you have had such a bad negative experience when trying on dresses. I'm also a size 14/16 14waist but due to hips and boobs tho I'm considered a 16. It's awful the way they acted while you we're in store. Please don't let this put you off when making future appointments at other stores. Unfortunately I'm in suffolk so I can't advise you of shops. However I've not had one negative comment so hopefully you will have a better experience next time. Xx
CommentAuthorRebeccaH304
Thanks everyone. It really was a bad experience which I wouldn't wish on anyone else. I think I will do some careful research before going anywhere else! Mrs M Wade 2b sorry you had a bad experience too but so pleased to hear you found your dress elsewhere. Gives me hope that there are nice bridal shops out there- just got to find them! Xx
CommentAuthorFlossie
Good luck with the next shop :-) xx
Happily married
18th June 2016
xx
CommentAuthorclairenina
I had an awful experience at a certain dress outlet in Stockport. I wrote a review on their FB page in accordance with my awful experience.
CommentAuthorElinor Claire
It's awful that some shops treat people like that. Not everyone is naturally designed to be a size 8. Some samples are bigger anyway, I ended up buying a sample that was a size 14. At the shops I went to everyone was sensitive about my privacy, and even the ladies helping me to try on did things in such a way as to see as little as possible of me in my underwear. If the sample of a dress is small it's usually possible to try it one a bit at least, as they can put string at the back to fasten it more loosely.
30th August 2014 was the best birthday ever.
It was the day that I became Mrs. Dixon.
CommentAuthor*KelBel*
Definitely leave a negative review, it'll hopefully kick their customer service into gear a bit ... Hopefully it'll give some others a good ref before they go there too. I hope they don't delete negative reviews though x
Velcro...my wedding day twinny! The Two Kel's!
Got engaged 14/10/12 in Central Park NYC!
Became Mrs Macdonald 13th September 2014
Mummy to 4 girlies and baby blue boy Due 10/05/2016