One of the first things people think of when it comes to weddings is The Dress. Here are some great photos of mine and some advice I received during the process I found helpful.
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Where: I bought my dress from Bridal Sense in Sandy Springs, GA. At Bridal Sense you can either order a new dress from the manufacture, purchase an 'Once Loved' dress or even rent a dress. My dress was somewhere between a new dress and an 'Once Loved' dress since it was purchased from a boutique that had gone out of business that was using the dress as a sample for brides to try on.
Price: I purchased my dress for about $800. The full retail price if new would have been $1500. After alterations, the total of the dress came to $1000. Because my dress was a size 14 originally and had to be brought down to a size 8
Advice:
1. Customer Service - You should have a trust relationship with the store you buy your dress from.
If you go in to a store and don't get the 'good vibes' from the staff, just leave. This isn't a t shirt you are buying, it's your WEDDING DRESS -one of the most important pieces of clothing you will purchase and if the person who is helping you is not reflecting the importance of the purchase, why should you give them a sale.
Of all the stores I went to, the one place I was least impressed with the most expensive, 'exclusive' boutique I visited. I actually left there feeling like I was not worthy of company of the staff there. The funny thing about the experience was that I could clearly see that once I mentioned how much I had budgeted for my dress (after being pressured to give a figure after telling the clerk several times that I didn't like giving a limit since I want to see all my options) the clerk lost interest in me and even went as far as to tell her co-worker in my ear shot that I was a 'tire kicker.' You better believe that I posted my reviews on several search engines.
Elle at Bridal Sense thankfully made up for the horrible experience I had at the 'boutique'. She told me the honest truth when I tried on a dress that didn't flatter me or that made me look like a Oompa Loompa. She advised me on etiquette, tradition and helpful tips that I found very useful. None of this would have happened had she not made me feel the first day when I stepped foot into the shop that I was wanted, welcomed and very much worthy of buying my Beautiful Wedding dress from them. The truth is stores are there because people buy from them - the other way around. Elle got that and made the whole experience wonderful. I even told her on one of my many visits that after the wedding I was going to come just hang out there since it was such a happy place and I felt so great when I was there. It was warm, inviting and over all a great place to trust with this very important purchase.
P.S. I would have been willing to spend as much as three times the amount I gave her if my experience didn't want to make me cry! Your wedding dress buying experience should be happy, joyful, memorable and not traumatic.
2. The Dress - You should like the most beautiful women in the room with your dress on.
I was lucky enough to have a very transparent and emotional friend with me who actually cried when she saw me with the dress on. I knew this was my dress from that moment.
If you try a dress on and you say to yourself, “This is pretty, but……..”, take it off and move on. I can honestly say that I felt like pretty, pretty princes on my wedding day. I was comfortable, I could move and the dress suited me. I picked a warm champagne color over traditional white, which can bleach out some people. The color looked good on me, the cut looked good on me – the dress was flattering on me.
3. Tire Kick - Shop at the places you think you can’t afford.
I don’t advocate taking up a person valuable time when they could be making money (we all have to pay bills.) However, this is one piece of advice I wish I had taken before buying my dress to be more educated about the process. Go to the bridal boutiques you can’t afford and walk away more educated about what looks good on you, what styles you like and may not have known about.
Most “Bridal Boutiques” have more knowledgeable staff who will point you in the direction of a better purchase. Be respectful of the clerks time though, if you have no intention of buying a dress from them, move on and don’t monopolize their time. You never know, you may find something in your price range after all and if not, you will walk away better educated. Also, ask about sales, trunk sales, clearance ect….
I may add more advice as I think of it – I hope this helps someone in the process wedding dress shopping.
:o)
1 {peacy} comments:
Those pictures of your gown are amazing! I love twirling shots! And your bouquet is beautiful!
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