Just what happens when five couples agree to hand over their big days to their families to organise? Alice Eaton meets up with top bridal gown designer Rae Legallienne to find out more about a new TV series that does just that. And discover how you too could win your very own designer dream dress in our fantastic competition

MANY brides-to-be have a clear idea of exactly what their big day is going to be like, from the colour of the bridesmaids' dresses through to the perfect canapés to feed their guests with. But for some, the 101 things that need to be done to ensure a wedding runs smoothly can be a little too overwhelming. And for the five couples taking part in BBC One's new series The Big Day, currently scheduled to air in June, this is where the experts step in.

This latest five-part reality TV offering focuses on engaged couples who hand over all the plans, and the cash, for their wedding day to their nearest and dearest, only seeing the results on the big day itself. And to cap it all, there are just five days to make all the arrangements. Sounds foolish? Perhaps, but it makes for great TV.

Thankfully, the relatives are given a helping hand by a team of wedding experts, headed by the ever-personable Nick Knowles, to ensure everything goes to plan.

"It's supposed to be the happiest day of your life but very often the stresses and strains of organisation and family feuds can make it one of the most trying," says Nick.

"We remove the bride and groom from this stress and ramp up all the pressure on the two families by forcing them to make all the decisions, with all the consequences you would expect."

A woman with an important job in the team is Buckinghamshire bridal gown designer Rae Legallienne, who has been called in to work her expert magic to create the perfect wedding dresses for the five brides. Despite clocking up 20 years experience in her field, Rae found the task something of a challenge.

"The pressure was immense as I was working blind all the time," recalls Rae, who lives and works in Prestwood.

"Normally, I meet the bride and we discuss exactly what they want but with this, I was given five minutes to measure her and then I just had a few scraps of information coming from the family so it was more a case of going on instinct."

And with hand stitching and intricate beading work to be done, the five-day deadline proved difficult at times.

"For one of the brides, I had to make six gowns from scratch; four bridesmaids dresses and two bridal gowns as her mother changed her mind halfway through. I had to make a silk bodice covered with crystals, with every single one sewn on separately. It nearly killed me."

For the brides involved, all this heartache and hard work goes unnoticed as they are only allowed to see the results on the day itself.

"You get a huge thrill when the gown is revealed and you see the look on their faces," says Rae.

"It is like a child unwrapping a Christmas present - you don't often get such raw emotions from adults so it gives you a real buzz when they see what you have created for them.

"We only got it wrong once when the bride didn't like the dress," she adds.

The enormity of the challenge facing Rae is monumental, considering she usually spends six to nine months working with a bride-to-be to create a bespoke bridal gown.

"A woman usually has had an idea of what her dream dress is like in her mind for years and I can spend up to four hours on the initial free consultation, talking through her ideas, looking at fabrics and sketching designs until we get the perfect look," says Rae.

"There are lots of factors that go into making a dress: her physical appearance, personality, the way she walks, where she is getting married, as well as all her dreams and aspirations. It is not just about putting on a dress that looks good - anybody can do that - it is about pulling all those elements together. That's what makes a fantastic design."

In addition to her bespoke bridal gown business, Rae is set to launch a new bridalwear range with top celebrity stylist Hannah Sandling who was also part of the expert team on The Big Day.

"The range is going to be affordable," says Rae.

"We are trying to get beautiful bridalwear on the high street as the quality of a lot of the dresses out there at the moment is not very good. These are going to be stunning dresses priced around £600 to £1,000, available to buy from boutiques across the country."

And if this is still stretching your budget, we are running a competition for one lucky reader to win a bespoke wedding dress plus accessories worth up to a total of £2,000, all designed and made by Rae herself.

The Big Day is airing on BBC One in June. To contact Rae Legallienne, call 07793 049401 or email legallienne@btinternet.com.

WIN A BESPOKE WEDDING DRESS AND ACCESSORIES WORTH £2,000:

For your chance to win a bespoke wedding dress, designed and created just for you by Rae herself, simply complete the following sentence (maximum 500 words) and send your entry with your name, address, telephone number and the date of your wedding to Wedding Dress competition/Limited Edition, Station Road, Loudwater, High Wycombe HP10 9TY. The closing date for entries is May 31. Mark your entry "no mailing list" if you do not want your details passed on.

I want to win a bespoke Rae Legallienne wedding dress because ...

2:18pm Wednesday 2nd May 2007

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