When you order a new dress if it has beading/embroidery on the hem it should be provided in the exact length to fit you to avoid costly and very difficult alterations. You will need to wear your wedding shoes for the fitting. Ask if the shop assistant is experienced in measuring and fitting. A lot are not!
There are countless designers of wedding dresses and you can see many of them in bridal magazines and on the internet where most of the top designers show all their current gowns.
You will probably plan to look at dresses in several shops. This is a good idea because you do need to try on several styles before you find the one that you really like and makes you look your best. Often a bride will go out shopping with an idea for a certain style of gown and them fall in love with something totally different. When you go to try on wedding dresses we recommend that you take on one or two friends, or your mother or aunt with you. So often we have seen brides totally confused by the differing thoughts on the dresses they try. If you have six friends remember that they are all going to have different ideas on the wedding dresses they like. They may not even realise that they are in fact choosing the dress that they would want and it may certainly not be the one that you like, or the one that looks best on you.
When you find the dress you really love and it may well be the first one you try one do not be tempted to go looking again. This really will confuse you. Find a dress you love and order it. But before you do place the order check with other shops that stock the dress you like. We have heard on one shop that charged 1500 for a dress which should have retailed at about 850 and did so in a shop about 15 miles away. It really pays to ask for the style name or number of the dress and then check the price at other retailers.
A tip here when you are ordering a new dress. When yours arrives examine it very carefully as if you were buying a dress from the rail. Check the inside of the bodice for marks and look under the hem for wear and dirt. Unscrupulous shop owners will try to sell as new their sample of gowns that are not getting many repeat orders. This happens a lot in the bridal industry. If a shop has a sample dress that no one really likes and does not get many repeat orders the shop owner will try to get rid of it to the first person you likes it!.
Check every inch of your dress and be sure that it is a new dress and not just the shop's sample. Other signs of the dress having been tried on are a crumpled label, fraying on lacing and scuffed fabric on the hem, especially on the train.
If you are suspicious ask to see their sample (the one you tried on when ordering) If they haven't got it hanging on the rail the chances are they are selling it to you as new!
Br brave and say that you are not happy with the dress and ask for contact details of the designer who supplied the dress. They will tell you if the shop have actually ordered you a new dress. I know it will be unpleasant but how much worse would you feel if you knew that dozens of other brides had tried on your special gown.
Another trick played by a few shops is to take out the netting (which holds out the skirt) from the dress and then sell you a hooped petticoat at an inflated price. All full skirted wedding dresses come with netting so if yours doesn't then ring the designer whose number will be on their website and ask if the dress should have netting in it. Don't be afraid to ask because this is a very mean trick played by just a few shops.
Disclaimer: All information on this site is provided for informational purposes only! By no means is any
information presented herein intended to substitute for the advice provided to you by any health care or other professional
or organization.
