Are you just beginning the search for your wedding dress with a very clear idea of what it will look like?

So, did the three brides in our latest series, who all chose to marry at Tythe, an elegant estate on the edge of the Cotswolds. Only then to wear something completely different on the day.  And that’s OK! Here are their rules for a successful bridal fashion switch-up . . .

1. Choose a venue that is versatile enough that any style will suit it. From Tythe’s historic 17th century party barn with its glamorous vintage chandeliers and twinkling fairy lights, its pretty farmhouse gardens and the sweeping English countryside beyond – nothing will feel out of place here. 

2. Go shopping with an open mind. When the vision you had in your head just doesn’t feel like your dress in the changing room, see it as a brilliant opportunity to try on lots more. 

3. Trust the experts. Whether that’s the stylist at your boutique or a loved family member with a talent for dress making, the chances are they understand the movement of different fabrics and how they will look on your specific body shape better than you do. 

Sharing her story is Rebecca…

‘I grew up looking at pictures of my parent’s wedding from 1995 in Lisbon and it was always my plan to wear at least some part of mum’s dress if I could. It was made of silk satin, had long puffy sleeves, flowers on the shoulders, a bow on the back (and I love a bow) with an A Line skirt.

As a child, I tried it on, and it just felt so special. But when the time came, the idea of cutting into it just didn’t feel right to either of us. I couldn’t wear the dress as it was, the sizing was all wrong, and I was unconvinced that any number of alternations was going to make it perfect for me.

Plus, naturally it looked a little dated. So, mum offered me her veil that was studded with pearls. And I so wanted to wear it but in the end we both felt that wasn’t right either. 

Despite hoping I would wear mum’s dress; I did have an image of a lace dress that I’d saved from when I was about 17. It was an alternative option that I also loved. If it couldn’t be mum’s dress, then maybe lace was the answer.  

We got engaged in the February and I went dress shopping very soon after that. I had a Pinterest board with a handful of dress images on it, but they were all the same, big statement dresses in lace. 

Initially I went to Wed2b with my mum and maid of honour and looked through their collection of more affordable dresses. There were two that I liked.

One was a classic strapless ballgown and the other was a very tight lace gown with some sparkle, thin spaghetti straps and a long train. Despite liking them, neither really felt like my dress. 

Next, I visited JS Couture in Marylebone and before I arrived, I selected some dresses online so they could have them waiting for me.

One was similar to my mum’s dress with a bow on the back. But it also had a very low-cut V neckline with small cutouts on the side. This was my mum’s favourite at the time.

The service here was phenomenal. The assistant was the one who picked out my dress – a design I would never have chosen myself. She was with me the whole time, making lots of suggestions and offering an opinion on what she felt looked best. It really was a different league.

They asked us to take our shoes off as soon as we arrived and it was just us there, we had the place to ourselves. 

I didn’t know the price of any of the dresses I’d picked, there are no costs on the website. But we decided to lean into it and have some fun, we knew we were only going to do this once. The more I tried on, about ten dresses altogether, the less I liked lace. The dress the assistant suggested was nothing like the ones I had been trying on. It had a pleated, strapless bodice, a drop sleeve and a built-in corset which she laced me into. It instantly made me look snatched.

The dress was fitted to the hips and then dropped into a fluid skirt with buttons all the way down the back.

It was the Ophelia dress in ivory from Ellis Bridal. I felt so grown up in it and my maid of honour said ‘you look like a Greek Goddess’. I knew it was the one and we all cried. It was at this point that we asked what the price was! It was £1,600 and mum very kindly said she would pay for it.

To be honest, we were expecting it to be a lot more. I think the prices probably should be visible online because it would be awful to fall in love with a dress that you couldn’t afford. I was planning to wear Christian Louboutin shoes on the day but once I got the dress, I realised that probably wasn’t going to happen.

I considered renting a designer shoe but, in the end, I bought a pair from Monsoon in the sale for about £30. It was such a drama finding the right pair. I probably ordered about 10 pairs before I found the right ones.

There was so much to consider with the style, heel height and getting the comfort factor right. The pair I eventually bought were open-toe with a mid-heel and a beautiful flower corsage on the top that reminded me of my Mum’s dress. 

I wore the same necklace that my mum wore on her wedding day, a plain pearl chocker, and then I found a bracelet that perfectly matched from Lily & Roo and some drop pearl earrings Claudia Bradby too. 

I bought my dress before we booked Tythe so I was a little worried about whether it would be too much for a barn wedding. Should I have gone for something more boho or floaty. But when I put it on that morning, it felt perfect, in fact I couldn’t have imagined getting married there in any other dress.

The silhouette of the dress was its standout feature, it wasn’t heavily embellished or very low cut so in that sense felt very fitting with Tythe. This venue is so adaptable that you could wear any dress there – it’s just up to you how you style it. You can make it more grand or more relaxed, both work. 

My dress had a cuffed, straight cut and boned bodice, a soft full skirt with button detail down the back and a chapel length train. On my last fitting I added a skinny pearl detail belt and a veil with scattered pearls. Our cake had pearls on it too. 

It was because Tythe has so much great indoor space that I felt I could let go of the idea of having sleeves. As it was, our wedding day was warm for February. It only rained during the ceremony and the rest of the time everyone could be outside. I hadn’t been stalking the weather in the way a Summer bride might but I did acknowledge how smart everyone looked in black tie in the grounds of Tythe. 

I was not going to have a second dress. I’d ordered a few extra dresses because I wanted something cute for our church service rehearsal the night before the wedding. But when I was packing this particular one, a Six Stories dress from ASOS, I realised how much I loved it – it had the bows on the shoulders, a short skater skirt in silk satin and a cool cutout on the front – a completely different look to the day. By the time I slipped into it after our first dance I was so ready to change from my very tight-fitting day dress. 

My advice to anyone yet to buy their dress is to go in with an open mind. But once you’ve made your decision, go with it, and shut out all the other dress noise. And take suggestions from the experts. I wasn’t even going to try my dress on when it was first suggested but I’m so glad I trusted the assistant’s opinion and expertise now.’