What is the most important piece of advice you can give to a bride setting out to choose her dress?

Do your homework first. Ask friends about their experiences and choose no more than three reputable and recommended shops to visit.

It can be overwhelming at the beginning, with so many aspects of a wedding to organise. I would put the dress near the top of the list, right after the rabbi and venue have been booked. Once the bride has chosen her dress, she can visualise how she will look and then the bridesmaids and flowers can be chosen. Then the mothers can choose their outfits and everything falls into place once The Dress is found.

A year before the wedding is a good time to start looking and seven or eight months a good amount of time to make the decision. It can take up to five months from ordering for the dress to arrive and it is more relaxing if the bride can actually try on her dress two months before the wedding.

Being organised in advance takes the stress out of the run-up to the wedding, which should be an enjoyable time. If budget allows, having a wedding dress individually designed is a special experience.

What is your favourite material to work with?

I love silk in all its guises. There are so many beautiful silk finishes, from flowing chiffons to structured brocades and jacquards, all with a beautiful glow and luxurious feel.

For a bride trying to decide between lace and silk, what advice could you give?

There is no one answer here. Lace is still very popular, however it has been fashionable for a few years now and many brides find their friends have been married in lace fishtail dresses and are looking to be different. Simple shapes in mikado (a luxurious silk) and dresses with lace bodices and silk skirts are becoming sought after, also dresses with sleeves.

How do I know what shape of dress will suit me?

Most girls are aware of their body shape and what suits them, but for the many who rarely wear dresses, shopping for a wedding dress is daunting.

Try on lots of different shapes and styles, to see which is the most flattering. There are so many components in The One. Shape, fabric, then colour of fabric and, finally, detail. There are infinite ways of combining these elements.

Every bride is looking for the dress that evokes a strong emotion of joy and brings tears of wonderment to her eyes, the dress that will turn her into a princess for a day. Sometimes it happens and many times it doesn’t happen the way the bride expects. Trying on too many dresses is one way of becoming jaded and over-analytical.

We understand that for many brides the start of the journey to find the perfect dress is nerve-wracking and very often they will put it off and do everything else first — even choose bridesmaids — before starting to look for their dress. Others can’t wait to get started. Everyone is different but all brides have at least one thing in common and that is that they have met the love of their life and they are about to get married and they are overjoyed to be going on this journey.

We are here to help make that journey memorable and enjoyable. At Joyce Young, we love weddings and over 25 years have dressed thousands of very happy brides and mums for some of the most elegant weddings.

Should I have a train?

A train is a personal choice. Most trains bustle up at night, to make it easier to float round the dance floor. A long train can make a short bride look shorter, therefore the train should be in proportion to the height of the bride. Many styles are fabulous with no train and the type of venue should also be taken into consideration. A spectacular long train suits a grand venue and no train is idea for a small venue. Like everything else, it’s the bride’s choice; there are no rules.

What changes do you foresee in bridalwear in the future? Is romance dead?

Romance will never be dead. London Bridal Week proved that, as far as style is concerned, anything goes. There is so much choice, from see-through dresses to lavish ballgown styles.

I believe less is more and the dresses that stand out to me are the simplest ones. In my eyes, a wedding dress should be demure and elegant. The wedding photographs will be passed down from generation to generation and the best styles stand the test of time.

What was your own bridal gown like?

I married for the second time at Stathblane Country Hotel. It was in 1999 and I wore a simple stretch lace dress in duck-egg lace over ivory lining. It was straight with a bateau neck and short sleeve. (I was much slimmer in those days.)

What is the strangest bridalwear request you have had?

We made a long Royal Stewart tartan velvet coat with mediaeval sleeves and a hood with black marabou trim, for a Goth bride who married on Halloween.

What was the most lavish dress you have been asked to produce?

We made a replica of Grace Kelly’s wedding dress, along with six bridesmaids’ dresses, complete with hats, as worn at the actual royal wedding in Monaco. Another dress that comes to mind was a full silk gown with 3m tartan train.

Should you bring anyone with you when you choose a dress?

Avoid bringing too many people. We would recommend your mum, sister or one friend. Even go out on your own to have an initial look and choose some favourites to bring mum back to see. It can be confusing to look at too many dresses and have too many opinions. Make sure, if you bring family and friends, that they are choosing from the dresses you like best.

Would you rather have a glass of champagne or a nice afternoon tea?

A nice afternoon tea. You should keep your wits about you when choosing your dress. The time for champagne is once you have chosen. That’s definitely a time to celebrate.