Being Swayed By Steep Discounts
Try not to be too tempted by the lure of your dream designer gown for 70% off. The biggest mistake I have seen brides make is purchasing a gown online or from a shop for a deep discount only today, said Lash.
Sample sales are popular among brides, but you must keep in mind that you are typically truly purchasing just that a sample: The dress has been tried on by hundreds of brides and could have been torn, stained, or otherwise damaged during the process. Before making a purchase, check the gown very carefully for any damageand if there’s anything that cant easily be fixed, put it back. Some brides end up spending hundreds in alterations to fix whats wrong with the sample when they couldve found a similar brand new dress for not much more money.
But dont be totally discouraged: Sometimes you truly can find an amazing gown at a bargain price. Kimberly Sanicki, of Wanaque, NJ, found her perfect wedding gown at a Running of the Brides event thrown by Filenes Basement. She found a stunning Essense of Australia gown for just $500, marked down from $3,000. Before handing over the cash, Kimberly and her mom thoroughly examined the gown to check for any flaws. My mom made sure it had every crystal, and it did not need to be cleaned or even hemmed, said Sanicki.
Find A Dress For Less
You don’t have to spend a million bucks to get the perfect gown. Besides having sale racks, many salons hold big sales once or twice a year to clear out “gently worn” or discontinued samples . To find out when these are, call stores, go to designers’ websites, and sign up for mailing lists. Also register for trunk shows, where designers debut new lines. Sometimes boutiques offer discounts if you buy on the show day.
When You Should Start Wedding Dress Shopping
Wedding dress shopping can be one of the most fun elements when it comes to planning your day! You get to grab your squad and find THAT dress that youve spent your whole life dreaming about.
But how far out from the wedding should you actually start your dress shopping? There are your own personal goals to factor in. And theres your planning scheduling as well as the schedules of bridal stores and dress designers.
Heres your go-to-guide for when you should start wedding dress shopping and when you should order your perfect wedding gown.
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Read The Bridal Boutique’s Reviews
You wouldnt buy a new laundry rack on Amazon without reading the reviews, so treat your wedding dress shopping experience with the same respect . Every shop you visit must have reviews somewhere on the internet, says Rebecca. If you have planned to visit a bridal shop with no reviews, you must ask yourself why?
Dont be fooled by glossy websites and lots of Google listings if there are no genuine reviews online to back that up. Honesty and transparency are absolutely imperative when it comes to your wedding dress.
Dont forget, you can browse bridal boutique listings and see lots of reviews in the Hitched marketplace!
Start Inexpensive And Work Your Way Up
Isabelle Armstrong
Make your first appointment with the least-expensive bridal shop and keep scaling up if you don’t find anything. Same goes for trying on dresses during your appointmentstry on the most affordable one first, and work your way up to the bank-breaker. You may fall in love before then.
David Salim Event Planning by Design Anarchy Studio
Whether you want to feel classic, vintage, and comfortable, or romantic, glamorous, and beautiful, go into wedding dress shopping with a clear vision of how you want to look on the big day. Choosing three specific words to describe your vibe can help narrow down your dress selections.
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Stay True To What You Love
Sophia Tolli for Mon Cheri
It’s easy, especially for people-pleasing brides, to bend in the moment to what gown your mom, sister, or maid of honor loves on you. But it’s crucial that you go with what you love and what feels like your dream dress, regardless of other people’s expectations.
Cinzia Bruschini Event Planning by Savvy Event Studio
That might mean subtle eggshell or ivory, romantic blush, or even a bold print. It may not be right for you, but a survey showed 14 percent of brides would wear a colored wedding dress. Don’t be afraid to be unique.
If you want to incorporate a family heirloom, like a relative’s veil or a piece of jewelry, into your wedding day look, bring it to all your shopping appointments to find the perfect matching gown.
Things You Should Never Wear To A Wedding
- Pin
As much as we want to say that you should wear what you feel like is the most YOU, we do have to also mention that wedding is one of those occasions when you need to make sure you know the etiquette and plan your outfit accordingly.
That is why we have compiled a detailed guide that will walk you through all the faux pas and dress-up qualms that you must avoid as a wedding guest.
These dos and donts apply to any wedding guest regardless of their height, weight and age.
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Consider Less Traditional Lengths
Norman & Blake Event Planning by 42 North
While they most likely won’t work for a formal wedding, for a more casual, rustic, or beachy wedding, untraditional lengths can be a fun way to bring your personality to your big day dress. Tea length is fun for a quirky bride, whereas a white minidress has a rocker-chic party vibe.
When Should I Start Wedding Dress Shopping
You don’t need to be wearing a certain dress to get married, in truth, you can walk into a shop today and buy a white dress , and get married in it tomorrow. That said, if you want to have as many options open to you as possible, and the full, ‘classic wedding dress shopping experience’ without feeling rushed into a decision, you should start wedding dress shopping at least 9 months before your wedding, with a view to ordering the dress at least six months out. That will give you time for research, making appointments, making a final decision, manufacturing, shipping and alterations. This should also allow time for any potential manufacturing delays due to Covid-19 or Brexit, but it’s best to ask your boutique about this, just to be safe.
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Shop Trunk Shows For Savings
Alyssa Greenberg
You can often take 10 percent off a gown that way and get to meet the designer, who may also “waive or discount certain changes, like raising or lowering a neckline, extending the length, changing the color, or adding straps,” says Terry Hall, fashion director at Kleinfeld Bridal in New York City.
Do Wear A Gorgeous Bra When You’re Trying On Wedding Dresses
On wedding dress try-on day, you’re going to be spending a lot of time in your skivvies. Admiring your pretty new bra between gowns will make you feel much more positive than catching a glimpse of the ratty old gray one you’ve had for years. Plus, a well-fitting bra can actually help in your search. “Many women don’t realize the power of having well-fitted undergarments,” says Kpoené Kofi-Nicklin, the owner and designer of Mignonette Bridal. “Go to a department store that has a bra fit specialist, or a lingerie shop, and get fitted for a new bra. You are going to be wearing a gorgeous dress on your wedding day, so there’s no excuse for wearing the bra you’ve had since college underneath.”
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Some Exceptions To The Rule
The wedding dress shopping timeline is by no means set in stone. There are numerous reasons why you may have to shop a little earlier or later than what weve recommended.
If youre planning to enjoy a short engagement, for whatever reason, browsing ready to wear collections and commissioning a seamstress of your own to complete alterations fast will help you to get around the long lead times that usually go hand-in-hand with wedding dress production.
If you have a little more time to play with but have your heart set on a custom wedding dress, you should also get started with dress shopping as soon as possible as The Knot describes:
You particularly dont want to procrastinate on the shopping process if you wind up ordering a bespoke dressa gown thats tailor-made from scratch, just for you. It can take several months for the dress to arrive and for the salon to make alterations, so it pays to give yourself time to shop at a comfortable pace and leave plenty of leeway for preparations.
Tick another important task off your wedding planning checklist by booking a virtual viewing of our stunning wedding venue today.
If you have any questions relating to having your wedding at Leez Priory, please don’t hesitate to call Kristy via the contact details below:
Kristy
If You Must Start Over Save Some Cash
Zuhair Murad
Say you really can’t fall back in love with the dress, but you can’t afford to scrap it and start from scratch buying a second one. Re-sell it online, emphasizing that the dress is brand new and unworn. “That way you can recoup more than the average 50 percent resale and get back 60 to 80 percent of the retail price,” says Julie Jones, founder of Encore Bridal, a gown resale website.
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If You’re Plus Size Call Ahead
Nothing is worse than getting to a bridal salon and finding they only stock samples to size 10 and you have nothing to actually try on. Call ahead to make sure your shop has plus-size samples for the style and designer you want to try on, or if not, whether they can get some in before your appointment.
Do Ask Lots Of Questions While Trying On Wedding Dresses
You should ask questions of the boutique owner and staffbut also of yourself. “You should always ask yourself a few questions to make sure the dress you love not only makes you feel spectacular but also works for the activities of the day,” says Nicole Brewer, David’s Bridal style council member and celebrity stylist. “Make sure you have the answers to these: Do I feel beautiful, confident and comfortable? Can I dance in it? Can I sit down? Am I self-conscious about any part of my body in my dress?” Although a gown may be gorgeous, if you can’t move in it all night and feel trapped, mummy-style, it’s not the right one for you.
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Matching The Theme Or Setting
Think About Your Wedding Budget
You should have a good idea of your budget, and know if you are prepared to blow it for the one or if you want to stick to it. If you dont want to go over budget, dont try on any dresses that are priced over your budget.
Make sure the boutique knows you want to stick rigidly to your budget, or if there is a little wriggle room in it. Boutiques will often pick dresses for you and its important that you arent put in a dress you may fall in love with, but exceeds your set budget.
Check that the boutique stocks enough dresses that fall within your budget. If pricing is not available on their website, a quick email or phone call will soon confirm if its worth visiting.
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Not Accounting For Extra Costs
Lets say you have $2,000 set aside for your attire. That doesnt mean you can buy a dress with a list price of $2,000. Alterations typically cost extra, and you may also be charged tax and delivery, so dont max out your fashion budget on just the dress. Almost every gown will need some alterations, said Gesinee. Whether its something, small like a hem, or something major, like taking in the bodice, it can add up. You’ll also need to account for undergarments, shoes, a veil and/or hair accessories, jewelry, and any other accessories you’ll want to complete your bridal look.
Bring The Right People With You
Dont take people because you feel you should take the people whose opinions you really value. I know you may feel it could score a few brownie points by taking the soon-to-be mum-in-law, but is she actually the best placed person to give you dress advice? If yes, go for it.
You want people who know you well and will give advice in a constructive manner. You also dont want too many people with you lots of opinions can be noisy and confusing, and youll need to have a little space to think about what feels good on you.
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Not Choosing Your Store Wisely
If youre a plus-size bride, call ahead to see if your desired store carries a sizeable amount of plus-size samplesnot all do. Otherwise, your only option is to play paper dolls to get an idea of what a style would look like on you, said Gesinee.
It is very hard to determine fit by holding up a gown to your body, said Lash. If a bride loves one of our gowns in a size 12, we will find one with an exact or similar fit in her size to try on.
Also, make sure that your store is an authorized retailer for the designer youve selected, said Gesinee. If the retailer isnt authorized to sell that particular designer, theres a good chance that you wont receive an authentic gown. That means that the designer wont stand behind it if anything is wrong. To find out which stores are authorized in your area, check the individual designers websites or call the number listed.
