Dragonfly Contemporary Designs - Cheltenham

Dragonfly Contemporary Designs is a wedding dress boutique in Cheltenham AND the place I am getting my dress from. (Woo hoo!) I am forever hearing about brides who have had awful experiences at bridal shops. Retail assistants who are pushy and demanding, shops that let brides down at the last minute or don't deliver the dress at all, or staff that are just darn right rude. I didn't have the best experience when I started looking for my dress, but it wasn't as bad as some of the other experiences I've heard about since. However, that was before I entered Dragonfly and met Rita.

I think most of us will agree, it's a pretty important aspect of your wedding day and one in which hundreds of b2b's look forward to the most. But all too often the experience is dampened by individuals who seem to think that we are doing them a favour by buying a dress from their store. I don't think so!

And that is the reason for this post. There are so many poorly conducted wedding dress shops out there that I wanted to tell you all about Dragonfly and the wonderful time I'm having with them.

When you walk into Rita's store in the Suffolk Parade area of Cheltenham you instantly feel a warm glow. She greets you with comfy slippers, a cup of tea and a friendly, welcoming smile. Then she talks to you about your thoughts on the dress you have in mind, before taking you through the varieties in store. She stocks Amanda Wakeley, Stewart Parvin, Suzanne Neville, Kate Sherford, Lyn Ashworth and Sassi Holford.

As well as trying on the dresses you have chosen, Rita will also suggest a few styles that you might not have selected. She does this so you can get a good feel for the different shapes and styles available. I am actually buying the dress that Rita picked out for me, so it's definitely worth while!

She's not pushy and doesn't try and encourage you to make a quick decision. Quite the opposite actually. Although I loved my dress immediately, she suggested I try on other styles in other shops before making a decision. That way I would know if it was definitely 'the one'! Whereas other stores I had been into made it a point of asking if I was in a position to buy my wedding dress when I made my first appointment! I know it all comes down to making money at the end of it, but it just doesn't feel like that with Rita. Which, I think, is the way it should feel!

I'm going back at the end of October for my second and final measurements. And then I'll go back in the new year for alterations, up until the week before I need to pick it up. 

It makes such a difference to the experience when you meet someone as caring and thoughtful as Rita. I currently have lots of friends getting married and I've already told them where not to go, as I am not one to make a referal unless it is deserved. And Rita at Dragonfly certainly deserves it - one of my friends is also buying her dress from Rita!

I hope your dress search is an enjoyable one. And if you don't get the treatment you deserve - don't put up with it! You're the customer, it's your wedding and your choice of dress. Don't be pushed into something you're not 100% sure on.

I'd love to hear more stories of fab wedding dress shops in the UK, so we can spread the word to other B2B's out there. xx