Where
Do I Shop For a Wedding Dress?
- by KissMeGoodnight.com
Shopping for a wedding dress is a unique experience,
and most women find it extremely enjoyable, as it should be.
After all, how many other times in your life are you likely
to spend as much money for one ensemble, or to receive such
special, undivided attention while doing it?
There
are many ways to find the dress of your dreams, and
you should think about these various avenues carefully before
you start to shop so you know what to expect from each source.
The horror stories everybody hears are born out of consumer
ignorance; they don't have to happen to you.
The
full-service bridal retailer: If you want quality, attention,
and expertise, this is the way to go. Indeed, many leading
manufacturers are very choosy about the stores they will allow
to carry their lines, so that the appearance of a retailer's
name in a manufacturer's ad is generally an indication of some
reputation and reliability.
A
full-service retailer handles everything: consultation and
advice, customizing and modification of design, fittings and
alterations, accessories and coordination, and the ordering
and fitting of attendants' attire. Those that have been around
awhile and have a reputation to protect will do whatever they
can to ensure a happy bride. In fact, sometimes a consultant
in one of these salons will voluntarily oversee floral bouquets
or male attire, or even show up before the ceremony to be sure
every last detail is in place!
Full service, of course, means full price, unless you are
lucky enough to be a sample size and manage to find the gown
you love at one of the sample sales retailers hold once or
twice a year. Sales at reputable salons can save you 40 to
50% of the full retail price, yet the store will still provide
all its usual services because you have purchased the gown
from them. If you can afford to wait for a sale, it is worth
considering.
Very
large bridal retail establishments: In more and more major
cities, the specialty bridal retailer can offer you the
same gown you've seen elsewhere for as much as 10% less. Often,
these stores offer one-stop shopping with a complete range
of wedding products and services, as
well as attire for the bride, groom, and entire bridal party.
Prices are not discounted; rather, they are based on the tremendous
sales volume of the store or chain. The trade-off may be an
atmosphere that is a little less intimate and personalized,
although a full range of customer services will still be available.
Department
stores: Major department stores that still have
bridal salons are limited. What most still do have, however,
are evening wear salons. Some brides, particularly those planning
less formal weddings, will find the dress of their dreams there,
charge it to their store credit card, and live happily ever
after.
Discounters: This group includes stores that advertise as
discounters, so-called bridal closeout sales at hotels, sales
out of the homes of discount representatives, and telephone
orders placed to bridal brokers that claim to buy directly
from manufacturers. Can you save 20 to 40% by going this route?
It's possible.
Are
you sure to save by going this route? Not necessarily. Closeout
sales are exactly that - closeouts. Gowns sold this
way have probably been languishing in store-rooms or tried
on as samples a hundred times before they ever show up on racks
in front of you. So, these sales are a strictly cash-and-carry
operation. There are usually no identifying labels or tags,
no way to be absolutely sure of what you are buying and what
the true retail value ever was, and no recourse whatsoever
should you get the gown home and find that it is damaged, imperfect,
or a knock-off of what you thought was "the real thing." Finding
someone to do alterations and fittings is our problem, and
the better business bureaus and consumer protection laws can't
redress grievances, since these dealers do not take credit
cards or even have permanent addresses.
Click
here for the ultimate wedding planning guide.
It answers over 250 of your top questions, 150 cost saving tips and
everything you could possible stress over is resolved. Simple
website, but very popular. It's my KissMeGoodnight recommendation.
Are
you planning a wedding on a very tight budget? I've got a
solution for you. Click here. It's also a KissMeGoodnight
recommendation.
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by KissMeGoodnight.com
: 2007
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