Charlotte’s Wedding Dress Edit So Far

The coolest thing about Barbie is all her different personalities. There’s Night-Time Glamour Barbie, President Barbie, Palaeontologist Barbie and even Rapper Barbie; in total, there are more than 150 careers on her CV, giving five-year-olds everywhere the opportunity to express each and every side of their own personalities. Looking for your wedding dress is a bit like shopping for a Barbie. Except you have to pick only one. That’s where the fun starts.

Some people have clear visions of what they want their wedding dress to be. Classicists have long dreamed of a big meringue, while aesthetes know not to bother with lace. But, despite having a strong sense of what I like and what suits me, I find buying clothes a little like choosing a Barbie. I can flip from whimsical to structured to glitz and glamour with the swish of a blazer and heels, which is half an occupational hazard, and half a fun game of dress-up – completely fine on a normal day, but when it comes to shopping for my wedding dress, I’m going to have to commit to just one; a near impossible task.

I’m not alone in being overwhelmed by the choice. According to recent statistics, 30% of UK brides try on between five and nine dresses before finding The One, with an alarming 7.5% road-testing 20-30 styles. I know I’m in the majority when it comes to choosing a colour (59% go for ivory) but apart from that, I’m none the wiser, which is why I’m doing my research far in advance. In a bid not to be in that 7.5%, I’ve decided to narrow down the types of brides I might want to be – here are just some of the options I’m considering so far…