Bride discusses 'horrific' accident on Say Yes To The Dress Lancashire

Emily, who paid a trip to the Ava Rose Hamilton Boutique in Colne, had already picked her perfect gown but was forced to choose another one after suffering life changing injuries two years ago.

In the episode, the Manchester bride-to-be she is on the hunt for a new dress and, more importantly, the confidence to walk down the aisle.

The 24-year-old said: “My original dress was a lace, A-line gown. I loved it, I still love it to pieces, and I’m just really gutted that I can’t actually wear it anymore.”

Speaking with super stylist Gok Wan, Emily candidly describes the long road to recovery that she has been on.

“I got run over by a lorry, I almost lost my leg,” she reveals.

“I had to learn to walk again and then from there it took me just about over a year to heal. I am still recovering; I’ve still got a bit more to do.”

Emily’s accident has also left emotional scars for her family.

Emily’s mum Samantha said: “She was in theatre for hours. As a parent, you try to take care of your children and you try and keep them safe.

“I couldn’t do that for her that day.”

Other than the physical injuries Emily has suffered, her confidence has also hit rock bottom.

“I’ve put lots of weight on,” she says nervously, revealing how she has gone from a size eight to a size 16.

“My confidence levels were shattered to start with. I hated myself, I hated the way I looked.”

For Gok, the task is a big one. Not only does he have to find Emily the dress of her dreams, he must also instil Emily with the confidence to walk down the aisle.

The first thing for Gok is to encourage Emily to move forward and to put her previous wedding dress behind her.

“Just walking into this boutique today has taken such courage. It’s my job now to teach her to love that new body and hopefully find her the perfect gown,” he says.

Getting down to it, Emily admits that she is in mourning for her previous body shape.

“I have that image in my mind of what I should look like, but I know I’m not going to look like that,” she says.

 “I think we stop mourning for that body, and we stop mourning for that dress, and we stop mourning for the past, and we move completely to the future,” he says.

Presenting Emily with dress number one, Gok instantly brings the positive vibes, as Emily gets excited.

Emily in dress number one (Photo: TLC)

Putting things into perspective, Emily emphasises just what trying on a new wedding dress means to her.

“Trying the first dress, it means a lot,” she says. “It’s me overcoming my fears because I’ve really struggled with my confidence.”

Opening her eyes and seeing herself in dress number one, Emily’s face lights up.

“I’m speechless,” she says.

Emily let’s Gok know just how much this moment means to her.

She explained: “I never, ever thought I’d ever feel like this. I literally took a step back and thought, ‘I can’t believe I’ve done this.”

Still wanting to see Emily beaming in the same way she did wearing her original dress, Samantha and Gok feel it’s time to try something more classic to really spur Emily’s confidence on.

Just by walking into the boutique and trying on her first dress since the accident, Emily admits that she has already come such a long way, even surprising herself. 

“Now that I’ve done the first dress I feel a lot more relaxed,” she says. “I didn’t hate it, I’m happy to see what else is on offer.”

However, it’s dress number two that really wows Emily and her family.

While she waits to open her eyes and see herself in dress number two, the nervous Emily from earlier has transformed into a smiley and confident bride-to-be.

 “What?” Emily asks, shocked at the stunning, young bride staring back at her in the mirror.

 “I know!” Gok laughs! “Don’t you look incredible?”

Adding on the veil and belt from her original dress, Emily completes the look. 

Emily replies: “I love it, I’ve never really stood this long looking at myself without wanting to put something over the mirror.” 

The dress emily said yes to (Photo: TLC)

Asking Emily how she feels now looking back at her accident, Gok is pleased to hear Emily sounding so resilient, happy, and reflective. 

“They are just battle scars,” she says. “I never thought I’d feel this great about myself. It’s strange because it’s only a dress; it’s like it’s unlocked something inside myself that I totally forgot.”

After coming such a long way – both physically and mentally – A beaming Emily courageously says yes to the dress!

Say Yes To The Dress Lancashire airs at 8pm on Fridays on TLC, or stream on discovery+