A mother of the bride admitted that she wouldn’t let her daughter alter her traditional Chinese wedding dress because she wanted her to ‘look pregnant’ on her big day.
Kirsty, 36, and her partner Simon, 46, from Birmingham appear in the new W series ‘The Wedding Fixer’ tonight, which sees expert planner Sarah Haywood help ordinary couples navigate their big days.
The couple had their hearts fixed on a modern, Western wedding, but Kirsty’s mother Sharon had other ideas, and even forced her daughter to hold her reception in a Chinese restaurant.
Another aspect of the wedding headstrong Sharon wasn’t budging on was her daughter’s dress, which Kirsty felt was ‘boxy’ and made her look ‘like a potato’.
However, her mother refused to get it tailored because it’s ‘traditional’ for the bride to appear pregnant.
The Wedding Fixer saw Sarah Haywood (pictured left) meet a mother of the bride who admitted she wouldn’t let her daughter (pictured) alter her wedding dress because she wanted her to ‘look pregnant’ on her big day
Sharon (pictured right), from Birmingham, refused to get the dress tailored as it’s ‘traditional’ for the bride to appear pregnant
Before trying the traditional dress on, Kirsty said: ‘When I did recommend to Mum about tailoring it previously, she was like “No, no”.
‘She was dead set against the idea. So Sarah has a big job on her hands trying to persuade my mum, All the best to Sarah. She’s going to need all the help she can get.’
After trying on the outfit which she would wear for the reception, Sarah said: ‘Your face says everything. I’ve never seen someone so miserable trying on a wedding dress. It needs tailoring doesn’t it?
‘It looks like a sack at the moment,’ agreed Kirsty.
One aspect of the wedding head-strong Sharon wasn’t budging on was her daughter’s dress, which although Kirsty felt was ‘boxy’ and ‘looked like a potato’
Sarah argued to Sharon that the best possibility may not be wearing the dress at all, as it ‘doesn’t fit’
Sharon immediately interjected: ‘No, that’s the style. All the people will think she’s pregnant, that’s good luck.’
Sarah questioned: ‘You want her to look pregnant on her wedding day?
‘Yeah, that’s the tradition’, said Sharon, to which Sarah immediately responded: ‘A tradition to look pregnant on your wedding day? I don’t think so. I really don’t think so.’
Sharon went on: ‘No it looks like you have a big bum, that’s good.’
‘So you want your daughter on her wedding day to look like she has a big bottom and is seven months pregnant?’ quizzed Sarah.
‘Yes, yes,’ confirmed Sharon.
Later, the row about the wedding dress rumbled on as Sharon was still refusing to let her daughter change the garment, despite her fearing she would look ‘hideous’ on her wedding day
Later, the family gathered for a home cooked meal, where Sarah asked about any issues that could arise before the wedding
Sharon finally revealed that she had conceded on her daughter’s dress as she no longer wanted to ‘argue’ over the topic
After Sarah tried to tell Sharon that the best possibility may be to ditch the dress completely, she said: ‘I don’t know how many times I can say it doesn’t fit.
‘I think the mum’s about to turn on me, she just said “You’re very clever”. This could go really wrong now.’
Later, the row about the wedding dress rumbled on with Sharon still refusing to let her daughter change the garment, despite her fear of looking ‘hideous’ on her wedding day.
She said: ‘Now, the conclusion is my mum has said, “No, it doesn’t need to be altered”. So I just don’t know what to do about it now.
‘The shape of it now, it’s blatantly obvious that it doesn’t fit. It’s like a potato.
‘Why would I put myself through that, to make myself look so hideous on my wedding day?’
Kirsty was thrilled that her mother had given her blessing or the dress to be altered before the reception
Kirsty and Simon (pictured right) appeared at their wedding reception with the bride wearing an altered version of the gown
Later, the family gathered for a home-cooked meal where Sharon finally revealed that she had conceded on her daughter’s dress because she no longer wanted to ‘argue’ over the topic.
Sarah quizzed the family: ‘What other issues are there or jobs to be done?’
‘The main thing is the Chinese wedding dress, are we going to get altered’, said Kirsty.
After Sharon nodded, Sarah asked her: ‘Why have you suddenly conceded?’
‘I don’t want to argue’, said Sharon.
‘Fair enough, we’re going to leave here with it tonight’, said Sarah.
The Wedding Fixer airs on W at 10pm Tuesday