Speculation may be mounting over Kate Middleton’s wedding dress but for most women there is nothing more special than the gown they wore on their happy day.

With the wedding on April 29 fast approaching a few women have taken their bridal dress down from the loft to have another glance at it and see if it still fits.

Among them are workers at the Black Country Living Museum in Dudley, who have unpacked their dresses and been taken back in time to the day they got married.

The museum will be holding a street party to celebrate the Royal Wedding and staff at the Tipton Road venue have dug out their dresses in preparation for the big day.

Among those taking part in the wedding dress extravaganza is mother-of-two Diane Harvey.

“It has been strange to get the wedding dress down from the loft and try it on — it is certainly a snugger fit than it was in May 1988 when I got married,” says Diane, who got married to husband Blayne at a church in Solihull.

“We had a very traditional day and before we got married I was still living at home and then I moved in with Blayne after the wedding.”
Diane, 45, who is head of finance at the museum and lives in Bromsgrove with her children Etienne, 13, and Louis, nine, says she can understand the royal couple being nervous. Most people are nervous before their wedding day but William and Kate will be the centre of attention around the world — it is a lot of pressure,” she says.

“I’m sure Kate will be like every other bride and worried that everything will go smoothly because it is a special day and you want it to be perfect.”

Another person who has tried on her wedding dress again is Margaret Millington, 64, who got married in January 1975.

“It was freezing cold and so I had a fairly thick dress to help keep me warm,” says Margaret, who works with husband Les as a demonstrator at the museum.

“We got married at Christ Church in Coseley, but when I got up at 7.30am it was tipping it down with rain. However, by the time I got to the church the sun was out, but it was still freezing cold.”

“We had a lovely time and the reception was at the Fellows Club in Dudley,” says Margaret, who lives in Dickens Road, Coseley.

“We didn’t go on a honeymoon because we couldn’t afford it and the day after we had a colour television delivered and the aerial fitted.”

Booking administrator Leanne Hands, aged 28, said it was “lovely” to wear her white strapless A-line dress again.

Mrs Hands, who lives in Aston Road, Tividale, married husband Ken, aged 30, an aerospace engineer on May 27 2006 and will celebrate her fifth wedding anniversary next month.

“I kept everything local. I bought my dress in Cradley Heath, I got married at Kingdom Hall in Halesowen and I had my reception at Stourbridge Town Hall,” she said.

Kate Middleton is understood to have commissioned two dresses for her big day.

She will change from her Westminster Abbey gown into a second dress for the evening reception Prince Charles is hosting at Buckingham Palace.

Top of the list for possible designers is Sophie Cranston, founder of the Libelula label. Alice Temperley, whose fans include Eva Mendez, has also been suggested.