Designer Wedding Dresses
From LoveToKnow Weddings
For the bride with unlimited resources, shopping for designer wedding dresses is a must. The choice of one’s wedding dress generally indicates the type of reception one will be throwing in celebration. If one would like a lavish affair, one should also expect to pull out all of the stops with the dress.
The Cost of Designer Wedding Dresses
Designer wedding dresses are costly. The bride choosing to go the designer route can expect to pay, on the average, $2,500 for a wedding dress. Many brides spend much more than that. Before choosing a dress, figure out how much you’d like to spend on your entire wedding. Don’t forget all the incidentals like flowers, photography and the limousine. This should give you a good indication of how much to spend on a gown. Depending on your budget, you’ll either be in for a rude awakening or it won’t make any difference at all. Once you’ve established how much you can spend, it’s time to start looking for a dress.
You should consider if you are willing to buy a "preowned" wedding dress. Websites like www.preownedweddingdresses.com feature once worn,never worn and sample designer wedding dresses listed at hundreds, or even thousands less than retail.
Research
Designer wedding dresses typically need to be ordered four to nine months ahead of time, depending on the designer and the season. This is something you’ll need to know if you have a short engagement period planned. You can probably put a rush on the dress, but it will cost you dearly. Although you want to find your gown months ahead of time, it would also be a good idea to figure out what you want in advance. This will save time. Purchase some bridal magazines and search the Internet to find designs to suit your taste. You’ll probably notice you favor a particular designer.
Do some research on the designer. Perhaps he or she has a show room or warehouse offering gowns and samples at a discount or more dresses at full price than you’d find in the average bridal boutique. Even if this isn’t possible, you’ll want to find out where this designer’s dresses are sold in your area. If you have your eye on a particular dress and can find out the model number, jot it down and do some comparison shopping.
Shopping
Take friends or family members with you to shop for your dress. You’ll want unbiased opinions on the dress’s look and fit. It would also be in your best interests to bring a pair of shoes with the size heel you plan on wearing.
Just about every wedding shop requires one make an appointment. This is probably best as it ensures a sales person will wait on you right away and you won’t have to stand around while she finishes with another customer.
If you have a favorite designer, let your salesperson know. If there’s a preferred style, also let your salesperson know. You’ll probably want to advise her of your price range as well – this way you won’t waste your time trying on dresses you can’t afford. Armed with this information, she’s sure to have many designer wedding dresses for you to choose from.
Try Them On
Don’t only try on one dress. Try on several to see which style is best for your body type. Don’t be afraid to try on a dress more than once either. Take as long as you need and don’t let anyone, most especially the salesperson, talk you into purchasing anything. Especially if it’s a dress your not sure of. If you find the dress of your dreams, you can place an order. If not, it’s on to the next place.
Comparison Shop
If you’d like, you can comparison shop. Have the sales person write down the vendor number and other pertinent information about the dress. Many dress shops will take this information out of the dress so it’s not easily seen, but it’s illegal to withhold this information from a customer. Once you have this information you can contact different shops, and even look on the Internet, to see if the dress can be found at a cheaper price.
Signing on the Dotted Line
When you do find a dress, make note of any changes that need to be made. The sales person will probably tell you the dress needs to be ordered a couple of sizes too large to ensure a correct fit. This means alterations will be in order once it comes in. Note all costs, including alteration fees and have the salesperson write it down. All payment terms, additional fees and any other necessary information must be discussed in advance and put down in writing.
After you purchase your designer wedding dress, there’s nothing to do but wait. It takes at least two months and sometimes longer for a dress to come in. Relax, have fun and get involved with planning the rest of your wedding. Soon, your beautiful designer wedding dress will be in and before you know it your special day will arrive. Once you put on your gown for the first time, all of the time spent searching for your gown will be worth it.
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Comments
Elisabeth,
Thank you for your comment. That is an excellent point -- and while the timeline varies depending on the season and the specific designer, it is always preferable to err on the side of caution and order as early as possible prior to the wedding.
-- Contributed by: Amy FinleyThis statement is flat wrong: "Most designer wedding dresses need to be ordered two to four months ahead of time"
Six to nine months or even longer would be far more realistic.
-- Contributed by: Elisabeth ArchambaultChristina -- LoveToKnow Weddings has dozens of articles on different styles of wedding dresses, including pictures. Check them out here: Wedding Dresses.
-- Contributed by: Melissa MayntzThis page has been accessed 33,075 times. This page was last modified 15:52, 10 June 2008.
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