Welcome to our new show blog!

Welcome to the National Wedding Show Blog, we have introduced the blog for visitors like you to let us know how your wedding plans are going and to share your tips and advice on planning the biggest day of your life!

Real life bride-to-be Lucy Walsh, Commercial Director of Drapers Magazine, will be keeping us updated, as she plans the biggest day of her life! From choosing the all important dress, right through to the venue, flowers and honeymoon, Lucy will share her thoughts, experiences and indeed top tips she receives along the way. At the forefront of the fashion industry, Lucy is sure to create a wedding that is both on-trend and yet unique. Check out her blog for regular updates on how her planning is coming along! Feel free to post a comment and share your experiences too.

HOORAY I'M ENGAGED!!!

We got engaged on 2nd Jan. It was meant to be Christmas morning but Christophe, my fiancé (a term I'm still getting used to) was struck down with swine flu on Christmas Eve, 20 minutes after he bought my beautiful Tiffany ring. I don't know if it was the shock of spending a small fortune or the realisation that he was actually going to ask me after nearly 7 years but it meant that he spent the next week in bed pondering if he was making the right decision, luckily he thought he was.

I've found "The One" now I need to find the "Other One" by which I mean the most important part of any girls big day...the dress! I tried on my first wedding dress on Saturday, I thought it would be scary but it was actually really good fun. I went to the Bridal House http://www.the-bridal-house.co.uk/ near Aylesbury with my whole family in tow, mum, two sisters (Ainé and Tara) who will be my bridesmaids and my brother (Alan) who is giving me away. I had an hour appointment and was looked after by a lovely girl called Jenny who gave us all a glass of Bucks Fizz and asked what I had in mind. As I didn't have a clear picture of what I wanted Jenny helped me pull out about 15 dresses all of different styles and helped me try them on. What I thought I'd love (simple, understated, chic) I ended up finding boring and what I thought I wouldn't be seen dead in (strapless, bejewelled, meringue) were the ones that I gravitated towards. Apparently that is a common phenomenon, I feel like such a cliché. Putting the veil on was the weirdest thing, I suddenly looked like a bride and started to shake a bit. It was a bit of a shock as it suddenly felt so real. My two favourite dresses were both by Benjamin Roberts http://www.benjaminroberts.co.uk/ but I am not ready to commit to "The One" just yet. I feel like I'll know when I try it on, like it will somehow communicate with me that it is "The One" and that there wont be any doubt in my mind when it happens. So the search is still on, I'm going to go to the National Wedding Show at Olympia and already have my VIP tickets. I can't wait for the Catwalk and the Designer Area as I know I’ll get loads of ideas there.

I was given these top tips for trying on dresses and really recommend them all:
Do your hair and make-up. It's amazing how much difference it can make.
Bring a pair of high heels with you as they change your posture and how you look and feel.
Go with somebody whose opinion you trust but don't be swayed if they're too opinionated (like my sisters were)
Be aware of your budget and don't try on a dress if you can't afford to buy it because if you love it every other dress will fall short.
Try on styles that you wouldn’t normally go for as you may just end up in the total opposite of what you thought.

I am going to be blogging right up to the big day (not quite finalised yet) about all my wedding plans, joys, trials and tribulations so keep following me here.