According to some highly scientific research carried out by OurWedding (a poll on the Facebook group Wedding Talk), most women try on between one and ten dresses before deciding on ‘the one.’ In fact, many women find that the third dress is the charm – just like Goldilocks, the third option is ‘just right’. Of course, different brides have different stories – here are some of the experiences that were shared with us.

Keep an open mind

“We visited two outlets, but I tried on so many dresses we lost count!” says Maya. “When it came to finding THE one, my MOH had pointed it out on a mannequin and I was like meh, but thought it might be worth a try. After trying on countless dresses, the assistant apologetically told me I had tried on all the ones I picked... but we remembered I hadn't tried on the one on the mannequin. It was easy to remember because it was the only blush one! I tried it on and was in tears instantly! I cancelled all my remaining appointments as soon as I walked out, and returned to put down a payment within days! It's also a great lesson to try on a dress that might be the right style, even if it doesn't look great on a hanger or mannequin! Dresses are so different once you try them on – you might love one that looks horrible on a mannequin, and vice versa.”

When it’s clearly the one

“It’s funny – I used to watch 'Say Yes to the Dress' and I always wondered if I would actually know when I found my dress, because I've seen so many brides on the TV program get emotional when they found theirs,” says Desiree-Marie. “And I actually did! I tried a few dresses but none of them really stuck in my mind, but at one of the appointments, my mum saw a dress in the shop window which they had just put on the mannequin and asked if I could try it on. It was way over my budget and I told my mum that if I liked it, she was going to be in so much trouble with Dad because he was the one paying for my dress! I ended up loving it so much I didn't want to get out of it – my mum and I were crying! When we went back with my dad, he loved it – he ended up with tears in his eyes too. I felt so special when I tried it on the first time and felt the same way again on my wedding day. My mum always told me that when you find the dress, you’ll feel like it's the right one, just as you met your husband and you knew he was the one for you. I have to agree!”

Don’t settle

Irene was frustrated by the whole process of dress shopping, until she found the right one. “I wanted a chiffon dress, which wasn't really popular in Malta until one or two years later. So all the shops I went to kept telling me what I “should” wear instead, to try and get me to buy what they had in stock. One even told me to lose weight so I could fit into a dress she had. Another told me not to trust my best friends’ advice because they were probably jealous, when in fact, they were helping to keep me focused on what kind of dress I envisioned. It wasn't very nice! Finally I went to a shop in Valletta where they were so understanding and helpful. They gave me the dress I wanted, and rather than having to fit into my dream dress, IT fit onto ME perfectly!”

Take a risk

On the other hand, Michaela didn’t try any dresses on – she found hers online. “I wanted a tea-length dress to wear with Converse, and I found the right one from jjhouse.co.uk. I thought it was a British website, so I ordered confidently, but then I looked into the reviews, and realised it was a Chinese website. I spent a lot of time worrying that it wouldn’t look the way it did on the screen when it arrived, but I needn’t have worried – it was perfect.”