What Every Bride Should Know
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Some of the information in this article comes from the book Bridal Bargains, 9th Edition: Secrets to Throwing a Fantastic Wedding on a Realistic Budget by Denise and Alan Fields,
as seen on Oprah.
click here to purchase the book from Amazon.com
Many brides don’t know where to start when buying a gown. Educate yourself and know what your options are and not what the salesperson tells you. Many bridal stores keep their brides in the dark and try to put their brides in what
they think the bride wants. “What Every Bride Should Know, but Bridal Stores Don’t Tell You…” helps brides understand where to start when looking for a gown. |
Where to Buy Your Gown...
Brides today have many choices on where to purchase their wedding
gowns, whether it be from a chain store, a privately-owned bridal
shop, an online store or even eBay. Here are some tips to choose the
best place to buy your dream dress.
Off-the-Rack (This is normally where the store stocks all gowns in the store)
This is not a recommended option unless you are really pressed on time and you want your gown today! There are several reasons why I say that:
- Do you know how many people have tried these gowns on and how many people have trampled through the store with that particular gown on? In reality, you are buying the most expensive
used or "open box" dress. You might as well go to Goodwill and buy your gown; you might get a dress that has been tried on less than an off-the-rack dress. It also might be a better deal and better quality.
- Many times the gowns on the rack are only available in the size
and color you see on the rack. If you are not the size they have
there, you are looking at having to order the gown, if they have not
discontinued the style. Buying off-the-rack can be tricky. You may
find a style you love, but they may only have one left in an ivory
size 12, and you are a size 16 and you want it in white. What do you
do then?
- Also, make sure that the off-the-rack gown that you love has not
been previously altered. Say you find a gown on the rack that is
labeled a size 10, you try it on and it fits all right in the bust
but is way too tight in the waist. So the sales person has you try
on a size 12 and it is just too big everywhere on you. Was that size
10 truly a size 10? Or was that size 12 let out? You may never know.
- When you buy off-the-rack it could possibly be a gown that someone has returned to the store because of a defect or that the gown didn’t fit when they got closer to the wedding because they taste-tested too many wedding cakes. Those gowns could be someone else’s hand-offs. You want a gown that is yours and yours alone.
- I went to a chain store in Florida a few weeks ago and saw children eating McDonald’s in the dressing room. How many dresses were tried on in that dressing room after those children had their cheeseburgers and fries all over the floor?
- Off-the-rack gowns have been tracked through the store, dragged on the floor, tried on, stepped on, crumpled up, sweated in, most likely have make-up in them and God knows what else on them. Most brides wouldn’t buy off-the-rack if they know this fact.
- FYI - Romantic Gowns By Bridal Online Store only sells
brand new gowns, straight from the factory. They have never been tried on, never been sweated in
and never been worn.
Big Chain Bridal Store
- Many Chain Bridal Stores spend more money on advertising and getting you in the door than on anything else. They reel you in with the sales and then get you to pay astronomical amounts of money on accessories and other items. That $99 gown can quickly turn into $850 when you add $250 in alterations, a $200 veil, a $125 tiara, a $99 pair of shoes, plus a gown bag, pantyhose, a bra and a slip. It’s all about the accessories, and most of the time you don’t even realize the salesperson added them onto the sales slip until you are ready to check out. How do you think they pay for all of that advertising?
- Chain stores also love playing the game of Bait and Switch. They bait you with the sales and then when you come in, they only have a handful of gowns at that low price, most likely not even in stock or in your size, but then the salesperson talks you into spending $200 or $300 more on another gown instead. And many brides just take it, because they don’t think they have a choice.
- If you love the gown and nothing else, you don't have to take more
than the gown. Stand your ground and go else where for the
accessories and alterations. This is your decision and your
purchase. Don't let them make it for you.
- Romantic Gowns By Bridal Online Store offers
accessories at discounted prices. We
sell veils,
tiaras,
lingerie, shoes,
flowergirls, and
more.
Boutique Special Order (This is normally when the store orders from a supplier)
- This is risky and expensive, but you get the special service of the private store “Bridal Consultants.” Most Bridal shops run on a small budget. If your store tells you that it takes more than 8 to 10 weeks to order your dress, this should be a red flag. Some stores use your money to pay their current bills and not order your dress from their suppliers, hoping that they will have the funds in the future to order your dress. Watch out! The store might be in financial trouble and you might not get anything after you have waited weeks, or even months, for your dress. Also, did I mention EXPENSIVE? You are paying for the middle man, the “supplier,” that pays a lot of money for national advertisements that added to your bill. This is not a good idea.
- The supplier is not the only expense added to your bill. Bridal Shops are not like your neighborhood grocery store which has thousands of shoppers a day and can survive on a small profit margin. Bridal Boutiques have fewer customers per day and have relatively large overhead. They have to double, and sometimes triple, their product cost in order to survive. As a rule of thumb, in traditional retail, your retail price should be 10 cents on the dollar. What that means is if an item costs $100 from the factory, the average sale price would be $1000. There is no price gouging here, it is just the nature of the retail business in order to pay for suppliers, advertising, rent, employees, etc.
- FYI- Romantic Gowns By Bridal Online Store is a mega bridal distribution center that can save $100’s on unnecessary markups for your dress as we do not have the overhead of a traditional bridal store.
- At Romantic Gowns By Bridal Online Store we stock over 4000
wedding gowns that can be received within 7-10 days. Gowns that are out-of stock take 8-10 weeks, at the longest, to be shipped.
Ordering your dress Online (many options are available online, but you must be smart shopper)
"I am considering ordering my dress from a mail-order discounter or online. Bridal shops warn me if something goes wrong with the dress, the discounters won't fix the problem." Here's a common scare tactic full-price
retailers use to frighten brides. Retailers say:
'If you order online and a problem happens with your order, you are left high and dry.' Nothing could be further from the truth. We found many reputable discounters that have excellent customer service reputations and stand behindwhat they sell. And we've found the best gown
web sites will work hard to correct any problem with a dress order. (Bridal Bargains)
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At Romantic Gowns By Bridal Online Store we stand behind our products with a great Return and Exchange Policy. We were even chosen by
Us Weekly and The Bachelorette Jen Schefft as their top pick of gowns for the bride on a budget.
- There are many options for gowns online, but you have to be careful when making the decision.
- Can you contact the company by phone? Many small companies or off-shore companies do not have contact information and you can’t get a hold of them if you have any issues or you need to return or exchange the dress.
- Do they have a return and exchange policy. You need to have options if you do not like your dress or it doesn’t fit.
- Do they have a significant amount of stock? This will give you options for immediate exchange if necessary and proves their cash strength.
- How many dresses do they sell in a year? This will guarantee securing your purchase.
- Do they use other brands pictures? Normally this is an indication that the company is on a small budget and you will most likely receive an inferior quality.
Please see Romantic Gowns By Bridal Online Store’s link
Beware eBay & China Direct.
- FYI - Romantic Gowns By Bridal Online Store only sells
brand new gowns, straight from the factory. They have never been tried on, never been sweated in
and never been worn.
Established company
- Again, when you are dealing with a company that is going to provide your most expensive dress you will ever buy, you need to ask some questions. How long has the company been in business? Has the company been around for a while or is it a new store on the block? Find a store that knows what they are doing and has been there for a while. You don’t want to work with someone that just got into the business and knows less about this than you do.
Are they going to take your money and actually use it toward your dress or are they taking it to pay their bills off? If the company hasn’t been around very long or if the company is in
financial trouble you need to know this so you won’t lose your hard earned money and not get anything in return.
- How many dresses do they sell? If the company only sells a few dresses a month, are they really that reputable? Come on, find someone who knows what they are doing and how to sell. Would you trust someone with a large clientele or someone with only a couple brides? It makes you wonder why they don’t sell very much. Think about it. It could come down to the quality of their gowns, their prices or their delivery times. It could even be that their salesperson has bad breath, you don’t know, but do you really want to take that chance? You also want to measure the complaint volume versus the sales volume. It is impossible to make everyone happy, but you want to make sure the complaints are low compared to the sales volume.
- FYI - Romantic Gowns By Bridal Online Store has been in the Bridal Business for over 23 years and online for over 6 years. We sell gowns worldwide and sell
wedding gowns to over 30,000 brides a year.
Return/Exchange Policy
- I mentioned above about returns and exchange policies. If you aren’t happy with the gown, can you return it? Again this is a major purchase, you better be able to return it! You don’t want to be stuck with a gown that doesn’t fit or that doesn’t work on your body type. If you can’t return it for a refund, at least be able to exchange it for something else. You don’t want to waste your money on something that you can’t use, I wouldn’t want to walk down the aisle in a gown that doesn’t fit and no matter how much my future husband would like it, I can’t walk down the aisle naked.
- Many companies do not have a return policy, make sure if they have one before you purchase and what it is, just in case. It would be horrible to have a gown in your hands for two weeks and then finally realize that you don’t like it. What would be worse would be to contact the store you bought it from and try to take it back and realize that you can’t because you kept it too long. Wouldn’t that be a kick in the pants? That’s why they have fine print. We never read it, but sometimes we have to. If there are any questions, do the smart thing… ASK!!! While you are in the store or have them on the phone before you buy the dress, ask them what the return policy is so you are clear. Then if you mess up, it’s your own fault.
- Romantic Gowns By Bridal Online Store has a
great Return and Exchange Policy, that if you are not satisfied with
your gown you can return your gown within 3 calendar days or
exchange your gown up to your wedding date.
Turn-around/delivery time
- It should not take any longer than 10 weeks to get a wedding gown in unless it is a special/custom order gown. This is a BIG red flag. If the store tells you it will take longer than 10 weeks to get a standard gown go somewhere else. This is what I mentioned above about some stores using your money to pay their current bills and not ordering your dress from their suppliers, hoping that they will have the funds in the future to order your dress. Bottom line, you want to make sure the company can fill the order in a reasonable time. .
- If the company is established and good quality, they would have gowns in stock and could get you a gown within a few weeks. Many stores carry some of their more popular styles in stock and can have a quick turn-around.
- The longer turn-around times would most likely be for gowns that don’t sell as much or on special-order or custom gowns, so if you want to be unique expect to wait closer to the 10 weeks, but if they say it will be longer ask why.
- At Romantic Gowns By Bridal Online Store we stock over 4000 gowns that can be received within 7-10 days. Gowns that are out-of stock take 8-10 weeks at the longest to be shipped.
Comfort Level
- Many brides are intimidated by bridal stores. They walk into the store and are either bombarded with an overly eager sales rep, or even a few, wanting their commission on an overly-priced sale, or they are completely ignored and left to their own devices to search amongst the racks of gowns. This is not the way you should be treated when you are purchasing your wedding gown. If either of these situations happens to you, don’t be afraid to walk away and go somewhere else. You are the customer remember that. You are not to be at the salesperson’s beck and call, they are to be catering to you. You are the bride and should be treated as such.
- If you walk into the bridal store and the representatives don’t
acknowledge you, turn around and walk away. If the store is not
clean, walk away. If the gowns are not neatly hung on the racks,
walk away. If the store does not look stocked, walk away. Do not be
afraid to walk away. If you are ignored or treated badly before they
get your money, imagine how you will be treated after they get your
money. Even if you live in a small town and it’s the only bridal
store for 100 miles, you still have other options. Trust me.
- You must feel comfortable with your bridal store and your consultant. This is one of the biggest purchases of your life. This is your wedding gown. You want it to be perfect. You want to know that you have the right company and the right person working with you.
Easy to Contact
- Make sure the bridal store you are working with is easy to contact whether it be by walk-in, phone or email. There are many stores that have weird hours because they are not fully established yet. They may also be running off of a cell phone rather than a landline phone. Be careful! Some illegitimate companies have only email addresses and no phone numbers to contact anyone. Do your research! Make sure you can contact the company and what their hours are.
- Try calling the company and make sure when they answer the phone that they answer it with the company name. That would be a huge warning to me if they just said “Hello.” You want to make sure that you have the right numbers and the right contact information. Not just to make sure they are legit, but to make sure you don’t call the wrong number.
- Business hours are another thing to consider. If you are a working woman and the company is only open Monday-Friday 9-5, how will you ever get in to get fitted or look at gowns? The store’s hours must coincide with your life too.
- Romantic Gowns By Bridal Online Store has representatives available 24 hours a day at 1-866-MY-GOWNS or you can email us at
info@romanticgowns.com.
The website is available for viewing 24 hours a day - 7 days a week at
http://www.romanticgowns.com
Too good to be true?
Are they showing designer magazine pictures but selling them at
an unreasonably cheap price? (i.e. The gown usually sells for high
$1000s, but they are selling it for low $100s)
- BEWARE! Most likely these are knock-offs and you will not get what
you see.
- Most of these come from websites that are Direct from China or off-shore companies. Double check the contact information. Most of them will say “China Wholesale” on the website and have no contact information. DO NOT purchase from here! All they want is your money and they will send you a dress that looks nothing like the picture they show, if you get a dress at all! Most of these are scams.
- Avoid the website if it sells items other than just wedding apparel and wedding accessories. If the website sells everything from iPods to fishing equipment, and has wedding gowns thrown in the mix, do you really think they know anything about selling wedding gowns? They just want to sell stuff.
- If you purchase from these sites you will most likely not be able to return your item. So don’t even tempt fate.
- Please see Romantic Gowns By Bridal Online Store’s link
Beware eBay
& China Direct and see what happened when we bought 3 gowns from these sites just to see what they were really doing. It’s an eye-opening experience.
Pitfalls to Avoid
The Mercedes Syndrome
"I was at a florist the other day discussing my wedding when
another bride pulled up in an expensive car. All the sudden, the
florist's employees started chattering about how rich she was and
how they'd have to triple the bill for her flowers! they were
kidding right?"
Maybe not. We once interviewed a florist who admitted charging more for wedding flowers depending on what type of car the bride drove up in!
(Bridal Bargains)
This could go for gown shopping, caterers, floral shops, anything. If you
walk into a bridal salon looking like you can afford the $3000 gown and all the accessories, they will try to put you in it.
Hidden Costs...?
"Don't forget that the bridal gown is just the beginning. There are many "hidden costs" when buying a bridal gown - you'll also need under garments, a slip, shoes and the ubiquitous headpiece and veil. If you think bridal gowns are overpriced, wait until you see what accessories sell for.
The "average" headpiece and veil runs $250, while you can add another $300 for other accessories such as shoes, gloves, jewelry, bra and so on. Hence, the total ensemble may cost you $2075." (Bridal Bargains)
Below is an example breakdown of extra costs.
* table scanned from Bridal Bargains |
-
Romantic Gowns By Bridal Online Store offers
accessories at discounted prices. We
sell
veils,
tiaras,
lingerie,
shoes,
flowergirls, and
more with reasonable prices.
False Discounts
In what is a patently illegal practice, many shops mark their gowns over suggested retail and then offer you a 'discount.' Gee, thanks! For example, we
visited one shop that was offering a 10% discount off all special-order gowns.
One gown we saw had a price tag of $1100 - we later learned the suggested retail for the gown was just $1000. Their big 10% discount knocked $110 off the gown, bringing the gown down to $990. The real discount was just $10 off the real retail price - a puny 1%." (Bridal Bargains)
Below is an example breakdown of price differences.
* table scanned from Bridal Bargains |
Sizing…
Wedding Gown sizes can be deceiving. If you normally wear a size 8 in clothing, you will most likely wear a size 10, or even a size 12, in a wedding gown. This is industry wide. Don’t ask us how they got the sizing, it really makes no sense. Someone got a wild idea to make wedding gowns run somewhat on a European size chart. So all of here in the U.S. get confused as to what size we wear in a wedding gown. Don’t even compare what you wear in clothing to what you would order in a gown, there really is no correlation. Go by your measurements!
Always take your measurements and double check a size chart, especially with buying online. Measurements are a MUST!!
Don’t be stuck on the size number. Just because you are a size 6
in normal clothing, you will NOT be a size 6 in a wedding dress.
If you fall between sizes on the
size chart, go with the larger size; it is easier to alter a dress down than to add more material. You may be depressed now by ordering a size larger, but think about how you’ll feel when you get the dress and it’s too small.
Many bridal stores use Women’s sizes (i.e., 18W, 20W, etc.). These are not the same as a regular size 18 or 20. A size 20W is equivalent to a size 22. Clothing companies try to make women feel better by giving us vanity sizes by adding a W to them. Some people think it means “Wide.” No, it means “Womens.” But the W on the end just adds more confusion. Am I a 20W or a 22? Did I try on a 16 or a 16W? Yet another reason to rely on measurements and a size chart!
No woman’s body is perfect, no matter how much we wish for it, so most gowns will need a nip and a tuck here or there.
Alterations are to be expected.
Most wedding gowns are made to a certain height, so make sure you double check with the store on what heigh the gown is made for.
Romantic Gowns By Bridal Online Store makes their gowns for brides that are
average 5' 9" tall. So this helps to know if you will need
alterations.
Romantic Gowns By Bridal Online Store will
exchange your gown if it does not fit
or we offer Alterations for you if you do not have a seamstress locally to do them for you.
Tied in Knots...
"In a recent edition of the Knot's wedding magazine, the
top-rated wedding web site suggests that brides set aside 10% of their wedding budget for their dress. If you are planning the "average" wedding these days (say $25,000), that means shelling out $2500 for a dress, says the Knot. Right?
Wrong! Don't listen to these rules or guideline - they are often pushed by bridal media looking to line its pockets with ad revenue.
Let's look at the Knot's suggested dress budget. The average wedding dress in this country sells for $1025. And trust us, the Knot knows that - as a major force in bridal media, the Knot churns out all sorts of research and stats on weddings. That makes $1025
about 4% of the typical wedding budget. But the Knot can please its advertisers (many of whom are couture bridal gown makers selling $2000 dresses) by promoting the 10% rule.
Remember this: there are NO rules on what you MUST spend on this or that for your wedding, You plan the wedding YOU can afford, not the one the Knot suggests." (Bridal Bargains)
Construction of the gown…
Corset vs. Zipper?
Many women say they do not
want a corset-back gown, but when we explain the benefits of a
corset-back gown, they change their mind.
- A zipper-back gown is the size it is made and will most likely need alterations in the bust and waist. In other words, a zipper-back gown is the hardest dress to fit. As most women are not the perfect size according to any wedding dress size chart and we can’t squeeze our ribcages in, all zipper-back gowns will need alterations. That is a fact! No bride is a perfect size 6 that stands 5’9” tall and has a perfect C-cup bust.
Alterations are a necessity of life.
- A corset-back gown is adjustable in that it can be tightened or loosened almost a size up or down from the size it is made. The great thing about a corset-back gown is that a size 8 gown can fit a size 6 or a 10. So if the wedding cake tasting has caused a couple pounds to find a home on your waist or the nervous weight loss has gotten to you – no problem! The dress will still fit! The corset is a wonderful thing.
- Now remember with a corset-style back it goes from TOP to BOTTOM. Don’t try to lace it from bottom to top. Trust me, it won’t work. And yes, we have had brides call about that one many times.
- Romantic Gowns By Bridal Online Store offers
many wedding gowns in
zipper-back styles and others in
corset-back styles.
Alterations
Alterations should not cost you more than your gown. Do not let any
one take you for a fool when it comes to
alterations.
- Do not let anyone convince you that a bustle is and expensive or time consuming alteration. This is one of the simplest alterations to do. Do not let anyone tell you otherwise and do not let them charge you an arm and a leg for it.
- Alterations is one of the ways that the chain stores get their
money out of you. Do not feel like just because you bought your gown
from them that you have to have them alter it too. Shop around, find
some deals. Anyone can alteryour gown. You are not bound by loyalty just
because you bought the gown from them.
- Romantic Gowns By Bridal Online Store's gowns are
designed by a Master Seamstress specifically with the idea of making
them easy to alter. All of our gowns have a large seam allowance to
help with alterations.
Quality
Does higher cost really assure the quality of the gown? Some think
that you get what you pay for. In most cases this is true. With
wedding gowns this can be the case, but you must do your research.- Ask for swatches of the fabric so you can see what type of
fabric your gown will be made of.
- Look at the gown. If you can't see the gown in person ask about
the return and exchange policy, just in case.
- Romantic Gowns By Bridal Online Store makes
their gowns of Matte Duchess Bridal Satin, that is a heavy weight,
high quality satin. Their gowns are made with the highest standards
and the top quality products. If you are not happy with the quality
of the gown, they offer a graet Return and Exchange Policy.
Fabric…
Satin, Chiffon, Taffeta - Polyester, Cotton,
Silk… what’s the difference? There are two issues here: what the
fabric is made of and the type of fabric.
Polyester is a man-made synthetic fiber. Polyester is in most of our clothes today. Have you ever noticed many of our shirts are a poly-cotton blend? That means Polyester/Cotton blend. Sneaky the way they do that, huh?
Silk is a luxurious natural fiber from silkworms. When something is made of silk it is usually much more expensive. Those silkworms have to work really hard to make enough silk for one wedding dress.
Satin,
Chiffon and
Taffeta are all types of fabric that can be woven from the above fibers. The gowns are made from the fabric.
We get calls from brides that look at the tag inside the gown and say, “The website says this gown is made of ‘satin’, but the tag says ‘polyester.’” That is right. Satin is the fabric - polyester is the fiber the fabric is made from. Now do you understand? Fabric is made from the fibers. Let’s break it down even further: the fibers are woven into the fabric, the fabric is sewn to make the gown. Polyester fibers are woven into satin fabric to make a
wedding dress.
Thank you to Denise & Allen Fields, authors of Bridal Bargains
(as seen on Oprah) for many of the quotes.
Thank you to Jane (name changed), retired bridal shop owner for over 20 years.
Thank you to Anne (name changed), former big box bridal chain employee.
Thank you to Marie, bridal seamstress for 25 years.
