Common opinion is: bride-to-be tries on a dress and knows straight away IT IS THE ONE.

I beg to differ. On Saturday, I tried on dresses and gauged the opinions of my mum, my sisters and my friend. (Also included in this party were my seven-year-old nephew and four-year-old niece. I value their opinions, but I’m not sure they count as Barbie seems to be the style guide for both.)

I was in a vintage shop and it appears the 70s is my era – which seems apt as my own mum and dad got married in the 70s and I was born in that particular decade. The 70s is often lambasted for its fashion style, but honestly the 80s was much, much worse. Lady Diana’s wedding dress? I rest my case.

This was the first dress I tried on…

I loved the first dress I tried on. Made of silk linen, it was very plain and simple. When Lisa (Dragonfly Designs’ very talented owner) added a contrast ribbon to go round the waist, it seemed just perfect, apart from a bit of tightness round the rib cage which is apparently common with vintage dresses as we modern ladies seem to have developed bigger frames. I tried on another dress, which I ‘quite liked’. Everyone else in the party loved it. Lisa agreed with me; she thought the first one I tried on was the best.

But later that evening I looked at the photos my sister had taken and thought my family and friend were right in their liking of dress number 2. I emailed the pics to other family and friends and all came back with the same opinion – dress number 2 is the favourite. And then my sister sent me through a picture of me in dress number one and opinion swayed again…

Ah well, it’s early days yet so I’m going to sleep on it one more night.