Real Life Weddings

Married to the job

This trio of recently married wedding experts share their experiences of planning in the spotlight

EXPERT BRIDE: Victoria Farquhar
JOB TITLE: Owner, Etiquette Bridal Couture
WEDDING DATE: Thursday 30 December 2010
CEREMONY: Luss Parish Church, Luss
RECEPTION: Lodge on Loch Lomond Hotel

Owning a bridal boutique should have given Victoria Farquhar an enviable
advantage when it came to finding 'The One'. Instead, the Etiquette Bridal Couture
owner put her head in the sand and ignored the decision completely, terrified of
deciding on a dress her guests would think was "naff". "I was a nightmare," she
laughs. "I think I'll go down in history as one of the worst brides."
With her loch-side winter wonderland wedding already perfectly planned from the
frosted dancefloor to the six-foot diamanté cake, time was running out for the
former wedding planner. "Finally it was my chief bridesmaid who said to me that I
needed to get my act together and get a dress," recalls Victoria. "I had an idea [of
what I was looking for] but I was digging my heels in about having to make a big
choice."
Far from advocating her own approach, Victoria advises brides to give themselves
plenty of time when searching for their dress. "Take your time and enjoy the
experience," she recommends. "You'll know when you know. It might take weeks
or it might take months, everybody is different… but you'll know."
Finally deciding on a gorgeous Pronovias dress that worked beautifully with her
curves, Victoria then set out to accessorise. "I knew I didn't want any bling on me.
I just wanted to keep the dress quite classic," she says. Choosing accessories is
almost as important as the dress itself according to Victoria. "Make sure your
accessories don't overshadow your dress. At some point your veil will come off, so
don't have it so ornate and dramatic that when your veil is away your dress kind of
loses it."
Most importantly, Victoria believes that although having family and friends surrounding
you while you choose your dress is a wonderful experience, their advice should be
taken with a pinch of salt. "A lot of brides listen to other people, but a lot of people are
giving you their opinion about what they like, not how they see you. You're the bride,
you need to walk down the aisle in it and look back at pictures," she advises.

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