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How to buy a wedding dress guides brides-to-be through the process of finding and fitting the perfect dress within their price range.
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How to buy a wedding dress guides brides-to-be through the process of finding and fitting the perfect dress within their price range.
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Introduction
- Buying your wedding dress is one of the most important parts of wedding planning. Why? Because your dress will be the centerpiece of the wedding. Still, there's no need to stress out about dress shopping or to turn into a roaring Bridezilla if a dress doesn't fit right. The right dress is out there waiting for you, and these simple steps will help you to find it. Good luck and, more importantly, have fun!
Subscribe to Bridal Magazines
- Not only will this give you plenty of time to browse through each month's wedding fashion tips (and daydream about how to implement them), but it will also save you money on newsstand prices. Some popular bridal magazines are:
Register for Online Wedding Sites
- Sign up for free online memberships to wedding planning sites like The Knot, Brides.com and WeddingChannel.com, which provide shopping tips and searchable wedding dress galleries.
Consult Your Wedding Plan
- Before you begin shopping for a wedding dress, you should already have made the following wedding planning decisions:
- Set the Date:
- How Long Do You Have to Plan?
- The length of your engagement dictates your shopping schedule. Chances are good that you'll spend a lot of time searching for your dress and then even more waiting on delivery and alterations. So, make time management a priority.
- The Knot has a helpful gown-buying checklist that offers a step-by-step shopping plan. The check-list focuses on brides who have nine months to a year to shop, but its tips are helpful even for those on a tighter schedule.
- Should You Dress Seasonally?
- If you're having a winter wedding, for example, wear a sleeved gown made from heavy material.
- Created a Wedding Budget: How Much Do you Have to Spend?
- It is recommended that you spend about 10% of your total wedding budget on the dress.
- Typically, wedding dresses cost between $500 and $6000. Don't worry if you're on a tighter budget, though; there are plenty of ways to find the perfect dress at the right price.
- Picked a Location: What Type of Dress Should You Wear?
- The setting can determine what type of bridal wear will be appropriate and comfortable; knowing you're planning a tropical beach wedding influences your dress options.
Step 2: Consult Your Feelings
- Before you shop for your wedding dress, travel forward in time to think about how you will want to feel at your wedding. This will save time and energy, allowing you to focus on styles that suit your mood and tastes.
What's Your Fantasy?
- Is it a fairy tale wedding and you're wearing a long, classic dress with a veil and a train?
- Is it a simple, beach ceremony and you're barefoot in a short dress with flowers in your hair?
- Is it a modern wedding with simple, elegant decor and you're wearing a sharp dress with no frills?
How Do You Normally Dress?
- If you don't wear off-the-shoulder dresses, you probably won't want a wedding dress in that style.
- If you like to wear short dresses, don't weigh yourself down with a long train.
- If you're a glamour girl on the street, kick your ceremony up a notch with couture style.
- If, like Ellen DeGeneres or Diane Keaton, you're the type of woman who wears pants a lot, be true to yourself and wear a white pant suit.
Step 3: Do Your Research
- Before you start shopping, you need to know a few basic things about cost, design and wedding fashion shop talk. This will help you to understand what wedding dress styles suit your body type and to successfully communicate with bridal retailers:
Wedding Dress Styles
- There are five basic wedding dress styles. Some designers and boutiques will call them by different names or have variations on the cut, but the basic five are:
- A-Line or Princess: Fitted in the body, then flows out toward the ground.
- Ball Gown: Fitted in the body with a full skirt.
- Mermaid: Contours the body from the chest to knee, then flows to hem.
- Sheath or Column: Straight, form-fitted from the shoulders to the hem.
- Empire: Raised waist line sits below the bust. Dress flows down to hem.
Dress Style and Body Type
- A sheath dress, which hugs every curve, would not flatter a full-figured woman.
- A ballgown, which bells at the bottom, might overwhelm a petite woman's figure.
- Check out this handy Custom Fit Tool, which matches dress styles to body types.
- For more details on matching body type to dress style, check out tips from Beaucoup.
- Click on the "next page" text beneath each section to move to the next page.
Neckline Styles
- The are many different neckline styles. Some will flatter your physique and others will not.
- Women with broad shoulders or large arms should wear a portrait neckline, not off-the-shoulder.
- A strapless neckline does not suit small-breasted women, but the jewel or "t-shirt" cut is ideal.
The Fabric
- There are several different types of fabric. A general knowledge of fabric and its pricing will help you to understand the value of dresses you are considering.
Wedding Dress Prices
- Now that you know the basics about wedding dress styles and have given some thought to what dresses will look best on you, it's time to think about finding dresses in your price range.
- The Knot shows wedding dress prices in its online gallery.
- When calculating your wedding dress price, factor in tax, shipping and alteration expenses.
- Don't forget to budget for shoes and accessories such as veils, tiaras, jewelry and gloves.
- Your wedding is a cherished occasion, so why waste your time longing for a hand-beaded Vera Wang dress with ruched lace trim that you can't have? Find designers and retailers within your price range and stick to them.
View Online Wedding Dress Galleries
- Many wedding websites offer online wedding dress galleries, where you can view tens of designers and retailers' current bridal lines. Before you set foot in a bridal shop (where salespeople tend to hurry and pressure you) it's a great idea to spend time researching styles and designers in your price range. This will save you time and money. Click below to view these sites' online galleries:
Step 4: Visit Local Boutiques to Try Dresses On
- You've done your homework. You know how to talk the talk, you have a good idea about what kind of dress you want and you've got a price range. Now, you're ready to visit the bridal boutiques.
Find Great Bridal Shops
- Look up local bridal shops, chain stores and outlets in a directory.
- Ask friends what bridal shops they recommend.
- Call bridal shops to ask what lines and price ranges they carry.
- Visit shops for 15-20 minutes to get a feel for the store.
- Make appointments with salespeople at shops that fit your style and budget.
You Need to Bring
- Here's a list of things to bring when you shop for a wedding dress:
- A trusted friend or relative (keep shopping party to two or three and do not bring your competitive sister).
- Appropriate undergarments: underwear, strapless bra or bustier, pantyhose or a slip.
- Shoes similar in height to what you plan to wear at your wedding
- A notebook to record important dress details and notes on your shopping experience.
- The designer and style numbers for the dresses that you like.
- Your feelings about and style ideas for each dress.
- Details about your shopping experience: were the salespeople helpful? What shop has the best stock for your tastes.
- If stores permit, bring a camera to compare dresses and to see how the dress photographs.
Shopping in a Bridal Salon
- Tell your salesperson your budget, your ideal cut and neckline options and designer preferences.
- Try on dresses that your salesperson brings out and get friends' opinions.
- If your salesperson recommends a dress or cut, give it a try. They're the experts.
- Take notes on designers, dresses, styles and sizes as you go. You may try on hundreds of dresses. Make sure you have an organized list, detailing every dress you like.
- If your salesperson brings dresses that are over your budget, consider working with someone else.
- When the dress comes out, and it will, keep your cool. Do not let the salesperson know how excited you are about the dress, or it will kill negotiations.
- Once you've found the dress, write down information on that dress and leave the store.
- Search for the dress online and call other bridal shops to get prices for it.
- If you had a helpful salesperson, call that salon to negotiate a price for the dress.
Step 5: Order or Buy Your Dress
- Depending on how you choose to obtain your wedding dress—you might buy it at a bridal salon, scoop it up at a sample sale, or find it online—the ordering process will vary. Whatever method you use, you need to have that dress in your possession and ready for fitting no less than 6 weeks before your wedding.
- Tips for ordering your dress from a designer or bridal shop:
- Request a contract that includes:
- Name of designer, style number, size and measurements.
- The date that the dress will be ready by.
- Amount you've paid and the amount that you owe. Do not pay more than a 50% deposit and pay it on a credit card in case you have price disputes.
- If applicable, what fittings and accessories are included.
- Tips for ordering your dress online:
- Ordering a dress online is a great way to browse a full selection, avoid the hassle of salespeople when shopping and, often, to save money. However, there are certain things that you need to consider when ordering online.
- Have your measurements taken so that you know what size you are.
- Visit bridal salons to try on different styles and sizes before you place your order.
- When you find a dress online, check the designer's website to make sure that the site is an authorized dealer of that line.
- If you've ordered your dress, you will have to wait anywhere from 2 weeks to four months to receive it. If you bought it off the rack, you're ready to move on to the next step: Get Your Fitting.
Step 6: Get a Fitting
- So, you've invested a good deal of thought and money in your wedding dress. You've waited patiently for it to arrive. Now, it's time to make sure that it fits perfectly.
- If you bought your dress at a bridal shop, consider going back to the same place to get your fitting, especially if you have alterations built into your contract.
- Otherwise, find a reliable seamstress.
- If you're planning to lose weight for your wedding, do so before your fitting.
- When you go to your fitting, bring:
- Trustworthy friends
- Accessories you will wear with the dress
- Your contract to keep alterations terms clear
- When you try on the dress, The Knot recommends assessing the fit as follows:
- Length: The dress should touch the tops of your shoes.
- Movement: You should be comfortable lifting your arms and moving.
- Problems: The gown shouldn't bunch, wrinkle or pull when you move.
- Schedule fittings as necessary:
- Schedule a fitting as soon as you can after the dress arrives at the shop.
- Bring your maid of honor to a fitting so that she knows all the details about your dress and train.
- Pick up your dress.
How to Save Money on a Wedding Dress
- As you conduct research on wedding dresses, you will find that you can easily procure a beautiful wedding dress for well under a thousand dollars. If your budget still doesn't allow for that, or if you're trying to find a designer dress for lower than retail prices, these tips are for you.
- Keep it in perspective. You're only wearing this dress once, so don't waste your time and energy longing for expensive designer dresses.
- Focus on the cut, not the lacework or beading. It's the shape of the dress that flatters, not the ornamentation.
- If you find a to-die-for style on a dress you can't afford, hire a seamstress to recreate the dress in a cheaper fabric. You can find good tips for hiring a seamstress on lovetoknow.com.
- Call local bridal shops and designer boutiques to ask when they have sample sales. These sales usually happen during the wedding off season, between November and April. If sample sales are happening in your area, read these shopping tips before you go.
- You can save by shopping online at websites like David's Bridal and House of Brides, where you can to look through a variety of wedding dresses, from simple summer dresses to couture, in an affordable price range.
- Because so many brides overspend on their dresses, it should be easy to find many used dresses to choose from. Visit local consignment shops or search online at sites like preownedweddingdresses.com and Craigslist.
- Rent a dress: Call local boutiques to ask if they offer this money-saving option.
- If a close friend or family member doesn't mind, borrow her wedding dress.
- She must be within two dress sizes of you.
- Hire a seamstress to alter the dress to suit your personal style.
Resources for How to Buy a Wedding Dress
- The Knot: Gown-Buying Checklist
- About.com: What Do Wedding Dresses Cost?
- Brides.com: Find Your Style Wedding Dresses
- Offbeatbride.com: Brides in pants (September 26, 2007)
- The Knot: Beach Weddings
- About.com: A Winter Wedding
- The Knot: Find a Perfect Winter Gown
- The Knot: Gown Search: What Do Those Little Dollar Signs Mean?
- SoYouWanna.com: SoYouWanna Buy a Wedding Gown
- WeddingSolutions.com: Wedding Dress Styles
- lovetoknow: How to Buy a Wedding Dress
- Brides.com: Wedding Dress Gallery
- WeddingChannel.com: Wedding Dresses
- The Knot: Wedding Gowns
- The Knot: Your Gown: Neckline Glossary
- The Knot: Shopping 101: 15 Must-read Gown Shopping Tips >
- The Knot: Find the Right Fit for You
- The Knot: Accessories and Jewelry
- The Knot: getting in shape
- Brides.com Accessories Guide
- Onewed.com Designer Bridal Shoes
- The Knot: Veil Glossary
- The Knot: Under-the-Dress Essentials
- WeddingChannel.com Jewelry
- Frugalbride.com: A Designer's Guide to Acquiring Your Dream Gown
- Frugalbride.com: Wedding Gown Shopping Tips
- Superweddings.com: Plan a Spectacular but Cheap Wedding
- New York Magazine: Sample-Sale Sleuthing (Winter 2007)
- lovetoknow.com Wedding Dress Alterations: Interview with a Seamstress
- lovetoknow.com: Cheap Wedding Dresses
- Brides.com: Custom Fit Tool
- Beaucoup Wedding Favors: Wedding Dress Bargain Hunting Tips
- Beaucoup Wedding Favors: Fittings and Alterations - Wedding Dresses
- Beaucoup Wedding Favors: Your Figure Defined
- Beaucoup Wedding Favors: Wedding Dress, Bridal Gown Shopping Etiquette
- wikiHow: How to Plan a Wedding in 6 Months
- The Knot: city-by-city guides
- wikiHow: How to Shop for a Wedding Dress
- wikiHow: How to Choose a Wedding Dress
- Garden and Hearth: Wedding Planning for the Budget Bride
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