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12 Wedding Dress Shopping Ideas and Tips
- by KissMeGoodnight.com
Before
you go anywhere to shop for your wedding gown, look through
the pages of bridal magazines. These publications
are virtual catalogs of wedding attire available in the marketplace
today Manufacturers' ads will give you an idea of "the
look" each house is known for and will almost always identify
the retail stores in your area that carry their lines. Fashion
editorial pages will focus on design details and quote prices,
as well as identify the designers and manufacturers.
Studying
magazines is the best way to familiarize
yourself with what is being shown, and to develop a sense
for coordinating
accessories, attendants' attire, and the style of the wedding.
You should also take the time to attend bridal fashion shows
held by retailers in your area, usually in the spring and fall
when the new lines have been introduced. While refining your
tastes and developing an image of "the look" you'd
like to achieve, you'll also gain a realistic perspective on
what you are likely to have to spend.
Even if you don't find the one gown you love, take notes and
set aside pictures of those with features that appeal to you,
whether it's a neckline, waistline, sleeve, or a fabric. As
you begin to compare the notes and pictures in your collection,
a pattern of preferences will emerge. This pattern will give
direction to an experienced salesperson, so be sure to take
them with you when you shop.
You should know that good bridal stores put their staff through
rigorous training programs. A sales consultant in a reputable
salon will know her lines, know what can be done to customize
a particular gown, and understand the psychology and emotion
involved in this all-important purchase. Her knowledge and
experience should enable her to be both sensitive to your needs
and objective in her advice. If you do not find that, go somewhere
else.
Besides the quality and workmanship of the gown, much of what
you are paying for in a full retail establishment is service.
Bridal attire is about the last apparel industry left in which
customized, made-to-order garments are still routine, and the
profit margin on such individualized service is a lot slimmer
than you might think given the cost of the gowns. Proper measurements
must be taken, expert alterations made, and a perfect fit achieved.
If anything goes wrong in quality, fitting, or delivery, a
reputable retailer will stand by the customer and make it right.
In any marketplace: when you deal with people of integrity
who value their own reputations, you do get what you pay for.
When you do not, you shop at your own risk. In a free-market
economy, the choice is always up to you.
12 Wedding Gown Shopping Tips:
1.
Take only one person with you when you shop. That person may be your mother, a friend, or your fiancé,
but whoever it is, be sure she or he can be objective.
2.
Label magazine pictures with page number, name of magazine,
and date of issue. Bring along the pictures of gowns you like,
as well as any special accessories that you plan to wear with
your gown.
3.
Be ready to explain the style and type of wedding you are
having to the sales consultant: size, theme, time of day, location
of ceremony, and reception.
4.
Wear suitable undergarments, hose, and heels of the approximate height you are likely to choose for the
wedding. Also, do your
hair and makeup so that you look like your "better" self.
All of this will add to your total impression of the gowns.
5.
Be honest about your price range. Tell the salesperson
what you would ideally like to spend, and what your outside
limits are. Be firm, and bear in mind that the gown itself
is not the only expense for your total wedding attire.
6.
Make an appointment; give yourself plenty of time, and
expect to try on at least six to eight different gowns in each
salon you visit. Brides in larger cities with many retail establishments
to choose from often shop around for three weeks or so before
making their final selection.
7.
If you are not comfortable in the shop, or do not feel
a certain confidence in the consultant there, go elsewhere.
8.
Do not get sidetracked by accessories and attendants' attire.
You can shop for those things later, after you've chosen your
own gown.
9.
Inquire about alterations and fitting fees. Every dress
will have some. Make sure seamstresses are experienced with
the intricacy of bridal work.
10.
Tell the salon when you'll need the dress (for coordination
of other elements or for the bridal portrait) and ask about
delivery and fitting schedules.
11.
Be sure you understand all terms, guarantees, and refund
policies before you put down a deposit on a gown. (Usually,
the deposit is a nonrefundable
50% when you order, and the balance is payable when the dress
comes in before it is fitted. Alterations, even minor ones,
are almost always extra.)
12.
Start shopping early; six to eight months is recommended,
much earlier if you have special fitting needs or an unusually
large bridal party to plan for. And never put down a deposit
on a dress that you have not tried on, no matter what your
size or fitting needs.
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by KissMeGoodnight.com
: 2007
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