The Gown of your Dreams
Image from Martha Stewart Weddings
The bride’s gown is often considered the focal point of the wedding. It’s the bride’s glowing beauty and her groom’s reaction to it that fuels the romantic spirit of the celebration. My personal experience in searching for that perfect gown has inspired this post. Because no matter how many magazine clippings, model numbers, and fabric samples you save, the dress you choose could surprise you.
Search the bridal magazines for the style you want, not the dress you want. Many of the gowns shown in bridal magazines are far beyond the budget of the average bride. Some designs look more expensive than they are, and some designs are more expensive than they look. The best way to find your dress is to show some of the styles you like to the attendants of the bridal stores you visit. They can help you find a dress that is so similar in color, shape, and detail that you won’t even notice it’s a designer knock-off. What you will notice is a significantly lower price.
Decide on a budget before you go shopping. Whether you’re on a tight budget or your price range is more flexible, identify an ideal cost before you try on gowns. Regardless of your decision, make sure the attendants at the store are aware of the maximum price you can afford. It’s upsetting to set your heart on a gown you can’t afford, and a savvy boutique will do their best to find something beautiful at a price you’re happy to pay.
Start searching bridal stores at least 10 months in advance. Most stores expect a dress to take 3-5 months to arrive, and allow 3 months for alterations. The best boutiques will remain on call the day of your wedding, should an emergency occur, but that’s not the kind of catastrophe you’ll want to invoke by ordering a dress too late. Bring shoes with a heel comparable to the one you think you’ll be wearing, a strapless bra, and any magazine clippings you’ve collected of dress styles you like.
A quality boutique will provide a quality dress. Pay attention to each store you visit, noting how well they take care of their displays, the customer service you receive, and the fittings of any other brides that happen to occur during your visit. While these elements might not keep you from finding your dress, the stress of unaccommodating staff and an unskilled fitting can ruin the experience. If their fitting process seems less than extraordinary, you can usually take it to another boutique for tailoring. If you find a dress, and the boutique lacks in service and sewing skills, make a note of the designer and style number. A superior boutique that frequently carries that designer will be able to order it for you.
Don’t be surprised if your original ideas don’t match your final selection. You’ll try on so many dresses you won’t know which is which—until you find the one that looks fantastic on you. The attendants at a good boutique will know what dresses to show you based on your magazine clippings and descriptions, but what you don’t like about a dress will tell them even more in regards to what you’re looking for. Don’t turn down a style that seems too plain or too flashy on the hanger—it can look completely different when you try it on.
Finally, don’t stress out too much. In the same way you know you’re fiance is the one, you’ll know when you’ve found the dress that’s made for you.
Great tips. My friend recently got a steal of a dress at the running of the brides -- $250 dress plus $200 dry cleaning.
Posted by: Kelly MAhoney | September 06, 2007 at 05:18 PM