The Rise of Wedding Dress Regret (And How to Avoid It)
When I organised The Hidden Collection event, I expected to meet brides looking for a beautiful dress at an incredible price, or those with a shorter lead time who needed something they could take home straight away. And I did meet some wonderful brides in this position, however as the weekend went on what I did not expect was that more and more I had brides walking through the door who all had one thing in common….
dress regret!!
Not because they’d changed as a person. Not even necessarily because they’d suddenly wanted a completely different style. But because the way they had been sold their dress had left them questioning whether it had ever really been the right one in the first place!
I was honestly so shocked at how many were saying the same thing. The stories were different… but the themes weren’t. Some had bought months ago and had never fallen in love with their gown. Some had got home and burst into tears. Others had avoided looking at photographs of their dress because they knew deep down it wasn’t what they wanted.
As I listened, I started noticing something else. Almost every bride who was now looking for a replacement dress had purchased their original gown from a large bridal chain. Not even the same chain. Different companies. Different parts of the country. Yet remarkably similar experiences.
bridal outlets: My opinions
Now before I go any further, I want to make something really clear.
This isn’t about the word outlet.
There are some fantastic independent outlet bridal boutiques across the UK. They have found their niche, they know exactly who they serve, and they give every bride the time, honesty and care she deserves. Some of my closest friends in the industry own outlet boutiques and I would happily recommend them.
The issue isn’t an outlet model.
The issue is when large chains standardise an experience across dozens of stores and prioritise closing the sale over finding the right dress.
red flags to listen out for 🚩
I honestly lost count of how many times I heard the same things repeated.
Brides talked about appointments feeling rushed from the moment they walked through the door.
They’d been booked for a consultation but somehow only managed to try on three dresses before being asked to make a decision.
Some had been sold unrealistic alterations that experienced seamstresses had later told them simply weren’t possible.
Others had found themselves paying for add on item after item that they hadn’t planned for.
- The hanger.
- The garment bag.
- A petticoat they didn’t actually want.
- Accessories they’d barely had chance to consider.
Suddenly the under £1000 dress is not quite the bargain that was advertised. Individually, none of those things are necessarily wrong. There may well be circumstances where they’re genuinely needed.
But when every purchase seems to come with another purchase attached, it’s worth asking whether those extras are being recommended because they’re genuinely right for you… or because they’re helping to increase the value of the sale.
The biggest red flag of all? The phrases I heard more than anything else.
- “It’s the only one left.”
- “If you leave today, it’ll probably be gone.”
- “You need to decide now.”
Over and over again.
Pressure doesn't create confidence
I’ve written before about pressure selling in the bridal industry because I think it’s something brides deserve to understand. Buying your wedding dress should never feel like beating a countdown timer.
Of course there are occasions where a dress genuinely is the last one available. Of course sample dresses can sell. Of course lead times matter. Those are facts. But those facts should be explained calmly, honestly and transparently. They should never be used to make you feel that walking away to think somehow means you’ll lose your chance forever.
If someone is relying on urgency to make you buy, I’d gently ask yourself why? If the dress is truly right for you, it should still feel right after you’ve had time to breathe.
Those conversations reinforced something I’ve believed since opening Eva Joyce Bridal.
My job isn’t to sell you a wedding dress. It’s to help you find your wedding dress. Sometimes that’s the very first one you try on. (74% of the time in 2025) Sometimes it’s the fifteenth. Sometimes I tell brides to go away and sleep on it. Sometimes I actively encourage them to visit another boutique first.
That probably sounds like terrible sales advice. But I’ve never wanted someone to buy a dress because I was the last person they spoke to. I want them to buy it because they genuinely cannot stop thinking about it. If they leave my boutique and spend three days imagining themselves walking down the aisle in that dress…
That’s when I know we’ve found it.
a note about "off the peg" (otp) shopping
One thing these conversations and running my own OTP event also reminded me is that there is absolutely nothing wrong with shopping off the peg. In fact, I recommend it all the time.
As someone whose boutique isn’t primarily an off-the-peg retailer, I actually feel I can say this without any hidden agenda. If you’ve got a shorter lead time… If you’re working to a tighter budget… If you’ve simply fallen in love with the idea of taking your dress home sooner… Please look at independent off-the-peg boutiques. Or independent bridal boutiques that have an off-the-peg section. (Most do—you just need to ask.)
You’ll often find incredible designer gowns at amazing prices, but with something equally valuable alongside them.
- Time.
- Experience.
- Honest advice.
Someone who wants you to leave in the right dress—not just a dress.
If you're reading this with dress regret...
Firstly, I’m so sorry. Dress regret is far more common than people think, yet very few brides talk about it because they feel embarrassed. Please don’t.
Buying a wedding dress is emotional. It’s exciting. It’s overwhelming. It’s expensive. And if you’ve been made to feel pressured into making a decision before you were ready, that isn’t a reflection on you.
The good news?
It isn’t too late.
I’ve met brides who found the dress they truly loved just weeks before their wedding. I’ve met brides who sold their first dress and never looked back. I’ve met brides who walked down the aisle smiling because they finally felt like themselves. That’s all any bridal boutique should ever want for you.
At Eva Joyce Bridal, that’s certainly what I want.
Every single time.
