Dear Emma,
I've had the same nightmare three days in a row and I'm wondering if it means something really bad. In the dream, I'm at the church and about to walk up the aisle with my Dad to be given away. I see my fiance turn around but then he looks horrified. I look down and see that I'm wearing a bin bag and not a wedding gown at all and I run away. It sounds silly when I am writing this to you, but it's really worrying me – does it mean I've chosen the wrong dress?

Natalie, Porthleven

Dear Natalie,
I think it means you're very worried about the dress rather than having picked the wrong one. A popular theory about dreams is that they are a way for the deepest parts of our mind to work through worries so that when we are awake we have a better idea of how to cope with them, or they are simply less of a bother to us.

Naturally you want your fiance to think you look fabulous and are worried that he won't like the dress you've picked. This dream suggests to me that you need a little reassurance about it, so why not model it for a good friend who speaks their mind. If you feel good in it, and they say it looks good, it may alleviate your worry and thus remove the need to have the dream. At the end of the day, it is just a dream and I'm sure he will think you look fabulous!

Dear Emma,

My fiance has started to literally have nightmares about giving his speech at the wedding and it is spoiling the lead up to the big day. He has practically no experience of public speaking and goes pale whenever we talk about it. How can I help him?

Marianne, Bournemouth

Dear Marianne,

Oh dear, that must be awful for him. Firstly, get to the bottom of what it is that causes the worry. Is it standing up in front of everyone? Is it finding the right words to say? Is it fear of forgetting something or having a coughing fit or saying the wrong word? It may be unpleasant to make him imagine the scene, but getting him to do that will help you identify the exact triggers of the stress and then to deal with them. All of the fears I've listed have solutions. Remind him that he will be standing up in front of friends, family and loved ones, all of whom will be right behind him and wishing him the best. They will be the most forgiving audience he'll ever have.

If he can't find the right words, there are professional speech writers who can help and there is advice here on giving speeches.Reassure him that he'll have a glass of water to avoid coughing and that if he practises; he is very unlikely to fluff his words. Hope that helps!