Our wed2b Ambassador Experience is about celebrating confidence, connection and highlighting the real life story behind each and every dress. So, following hundreds of applications, we chose seven real brides whose stories touched our hearts. They were invited to take part in a photoshoot to experience that wedding day magic all over again, while sharing their wedding dress shopping hopes and fears, highs and lows with us. This is Naomi’s story about finding an unexpected wedding dress and discovering that sometimes the one you never imagined is the one you fall in love with…

Naomi's Key Takeaways

  • Don’t assume you already know what your dress will look like.
  • Trust your stylist, even when they suggest the complete opposite of what you had in mind.
  • Your unexpected wedding dress might be the one that makes you feel the most like yourself.
  • Let go of the pressure to get it 'right' and enjoy the experience.

Wedding dress worries

“I was set on a mermaid dress”

Naomi went into wedding dress shopping with a clear vision in mind. “I thought I knew exactly what I wanted,” she says. “An off-the-shoulder mermaid dress with lace detailing, no sparkles and something that hugged me in all the right places.”

She had imagined the whole experience going a certain way too. “I thought I would describe exactly what I wanted, they would bring the dress out and I would just know,” she laughs. “Boy, was I wrong!”

“I wanted to go home”

When Naomi arrived in store after travelling through a winter storm from Wolverhampton to Solihull, things didn’t quite go to plan. “They didn’t have the dresses I originally wanted and I was actually devastated,” she says. “I felt quite pessimistic and doubtful that I would leave with a dress. Honestly, I just wanted to go home.”

But what started as disappointment turned out to be something very different. “Looking back now, it was a blessing in disguise,” Naomi says. “It didn’t start the way I’d hoped, but it turned out to be the best thing that ever happened.”

Shopping for the dress

“The princess in me awoke”

Naomi was reluctant when her stylist suggested trying on something completely different. “Straight away I was like, no,” she admits. “The dresses she brought out were big and quite literally the opposite of what I wanted.”

But then her stylist asked three questions that changed everything. “She asked if I’d booked my venue, what it looked like and how many guests I was having,” says Naomi. “When I told her it was a grand venue with 300 guests, she said, ‘You’ll need a bigger dress or you’ll blend in with your guests.’ That shifted my whole perspective.”

Suddenly, Naomi could see things differently. “I've never been one for being the centre of attention, but no bride wants to hear she’ll blend in on her big day,” she says. “I’m only getting married once, so I needed to make it count.”

“It felt like falling in love all over again”

As soon as Naomi stepped into the first dress, something shifted. “The princess in me awoke,” she says. “I felt like I could take on the world. I felt beautiful.”

She tried on five dresses in total, but number four was the one. “As the curtain opened, I couldn’t see everything at first, but the look on my mom and auntie’s faces told me everything I needed to know,” she says. “Then I turned to the mirror and there was no more doubt in my mind.”

“I thought, Wow! I love her, she’s mine,” Naomi says. “I had never felt so much like a princess until that moment. It felt like falling in love all over again.”

The dress she chose was Aimee in soft blush, and it was everything she didn’t know she wanted. “I loved my dress so much. All the details were just me,” she says. “It exceeded every expectation in the best way possible.”

The wedding day

“Joyful, fun and modern”

Naomi married her high school sweetheart on 31st July 2025 at Park Hall Hotel and Spa in Wolverhampton. “We were together a long time before we got married,” she says. “So this day was something I had thought about a lot.”

The couple chose the venue for its beautiful grounds and space for their 300 guests. “I wanted an outdoor ceremony and it really felt like my dream,” says Naomi. “The bridal suite was amazing too.”

With an emerald green colour theme and a modern, joyful feel, Naomi’s dress played a big part in the overall vibe of the day. “The best thing was I got away with wearing slippers all day, because the dress was so big,” she laughs. “That made me love it even more.”

“A moment I’ll never forget”

“There are so many moments I’ll never forget,” Naomi says. “But one of my favourites was when we were waiting for our cake to come out. ‘I Have Nothing’ by Whitney Houston suddenly started playing, which definitely wasn’t on our playlist.”

“I started singing, then our host handed me the mic, then Dylan joined in and suddenly it turned into a whole performance,” she laughs. “He even got down on one knee again. People thought we’d rehearsed it, but it was completely spontaneous. That’s just us. We love a song and dance.”

“It changed how I see myself”

Naomi’s dress gave her more than just a wedding day look she loved. “It definitely made me more confident in myself in a different style of clothing,” she says. “My wardrobe is changing now because of the choices made that day. Things I wouldn’t even have looked at before, I try now.”

And that’s why her story about finding an unexpected wedding dress feels so powerful. The thing she was most sure about turned out not to be right for her at all. Instead, trusting the process led her to something even better.

In her own words

My dress made me feel… “Radiant”

I knew it was 'The One’ when… “It felt like falling in love all over again.”

The best thing about my dress was… “The lace detailing”

I wish I had known before dress shopping that… “I don’t need to have all these expectations.”

If you’ve been inspired by Naomi’s story about finding an unexpected wedding dress, why not start your own wedding dress journey today? Explore all our beautiful dresses, find your nearest wed2b and read more about what to expect when you visit. You can also chat to our bridal advisors in store or online about any worries you may have about finding your dream dress. We’re here to help!

Click here for lots more wedding planning ideas and advice from our brilliant real life brides. Also, for more inspiration, check us out on Instagram, Facebook or TikTok too.