The most common dilemma facing brides when looking for their wedding dress, is deciding what style of dress they want, how much they are willing to spend and where to get it from? Unless they have done their homework, this can take quite some time to figure out. Brides don't particularly want to waste time going to the wrong stores and the bridal boutiques certainly do not want to see brides, who are not really in their market. So the following advice should help brides decide on which stores to make appointments to visit.
Q. How much should I expect to pay for my dress?
Wedding dresses vary considerably in price from £150 to £150,000. (and also in terms of what you get for your money). For example, you can purchase a perfectly adequate dress, from bridal chains such as Pronuptia or Berkertex brides, for as little as £300. But you will have to accept, that at this price, the dress will be mass produced in the Far East, and unlikely to be in silk fabrics, nor particularly unique. And it will almost certainly need to be altered to fit you.
At the other end of the price spectrum, you can order famous designer brand dresses for £3000 or more (most of which are also manufactured in China and then altered to fit you) from top West end designer bridal stores such as Selfridges. Admittedly the service is better and you should expect silk fabrics, but one could argue that if you are paying £3000 for a dress which is altered to fit, then you are mainly paying for the name. Many of the biggest bridal labels such as Vera Wang, Jenny Packham, Ian Stuart and Pronovias, are all made in China.
Altering dresses to fit is never that easy and not always successful. If you are not close to a standard size and want the best service, quality and fit, then you are better off to go for a made to measure dress. This generally means the dress is individually, hand made in the UK, to fit you. But expect to pay anywhere from £2000 to £10,000 for the privilege
Q. Altered to fit versus Made to Measure- What’s the difference?
At this point it is probably helpful to understand the difference between altered to fit, made to measure and couture or bespoke dresses.
The vast majority of UK bridal stores buy in the dresses they sell, from big bridal dress manufacturers (most of whom, manufacture out of the Far East). These dresses are usually ordered for the customer in the closest standard size and then altered to fit the bride. This is not ideal fit wise, but it is the only way to keep prices down. Don’t forget to ask if the price quoted, includes alterations? As these are usually extra and can add several hundred pounds to the price of the dress, depending on what needs doing. Unfortunately some bridal stores attempt to pass this off as "made to measure" when in fact they are really just measuring you, to determine the closest standard size to order in.
Made to measure is where the bride chooses an existing design, which is then made up to fit her. The price quoted normally includes a new pattern, and a number of fittings to perfect the fit.
Important: Don’t confuse made to measure with “made to order” Most wedding dresses are made to order, but only dresses manufactured in the UK can honestly be made to measure. Also check the quality of the fabrics used. French laces and Italian silks are generally much more expensive than Chinese silks or synthetics.
There are also a number of bridal labels who mistakenly describe their dresses as “couture” when in fact they are either altered to fit or made to measure. These can be somewhat cynical attempts to take advantage of the bride's lack of understanding and to persuade her that she is getting more for her money than she actually is.
Couture or bespoke is where the customer sits down with the designer and a new dress is designed from scratch to the customer’s specification. With couture/bespoke, there is usually always a toile fitting, (to check the fit of the pattern), before the dress is cut and made up. Couture/bespoke dresses typically start from £3000 upwards, as they are very time consuming and expensive to manufacture.
Q. Why do made to measure and bespoke designer dresses cost so much?
There is a popular misconception, (as with anything to do with weddings) that brides ordering made to measure or bespoke designer dresses are somehow being over charged. This is simply not true for the following reasons;
Firstly made to measure and bespoke dresses are generally hand made in the UK and labour costs and overheads are obviously a lot higher than for dresses manufactured in China. Also the fabrics used are often the best quality silks and laces imported from France or Italy. These are considerably more expensive than Chinese silks and synthetic fabrics. Designer stores also offer a much higher level of service and have a major investment in sample dresses for brides to try.
Secondly brides are paying for the experience and expertise that designers have acquired over many years in the business. Dealing with designers who actually make their own dresses should give brides confidence that the dress will fit properly and be ready in time, which is not always the case with imported dresses, which then have to be altered to fit.
Some brides decide to use a dress maker to copy a designer dress to save money. Dressmakers can often under cut designers on price, because they have much lower overheads. But brides considering this option would be well advised get references, because this can sometimes prove to be a disaster. Very few dressmakers have the necessary skills or experience to manufacture a comparable dress for less money.
Q. How long does it take to order my dress?
Bridal stores normally require a minimum of 6 to 9 months notice, whether they are buying in or manufacturing the dress themselves. Don’t forget to allow time for fittings. Ideally brides should start looking 6 to 12 months before the date of the wedding, particularly if the wedding is during the peak European (June to August) summer months. Some stores are able to offer a quicker turn around but there is usually a rush cut fee for orders under three months.
Q. What happens if I want to lose weight?
Brides are notorious for wanting to lose weight for their weddings. This is understandable and most stores will make some allowance for this in the fittings, provided the weight loss is not after the dress has already been altered to fit. As most brides will appreciate it is very difficult for the alterations people to hit a moving target. During the peak wedding summer months (June to August) bridal workrooms work to a very tight schedule, due to the number of dresses that they have to finish. Set yourself a time limit in which to lose weight and then try and maintain your weight, otherwise you could find the additional fittings expensive.
Q. Is it safe to buy my wedding dress on-line, to save money?
Many brides are tempted by the hundreds of websites offering wedding dresses for sale on-line, but it is very much a case of BUYER BEWARE. In addition to established bridal retailers, there are now a considerable number of wholesalers and Chinese factories selling direct to the public at what appear to be very competitive prices.
Even though the prices are much lower than retail, it is almost impossible for the bride to know if the dress shown on the website, will be anything like the dress she actually receives. Many factories lift images from other designer’s sites and pass them off as their own, when in fact they are often cheap, badly made copies.
If you are tempted to buy on-line it is always pays to get testimonials and only deal with reputable companies, who you can trust.
If at all possible, try the dress on first to check the style and size, as returns can often prove to be difficult.
Most websites sell standard sizes and the dress will probably need to be altered to fit, so ensure you leave enough time for this.
Pay particular attention to measuring yourself correctly and if you are not sure, get someone else to help you. Remember that it is always easier to take a dress in than to let it out.
Q. What style of dress will suit me?
Once the potential bride has decided how much she is comfortable spending on her dress, the next problem is working out what style of dress will suit her figure and the type of wedding she is having??
Internet searches and looking through bridal magazines are the best way to find the styles you like. But the only way you will know if the styles you like, actually suit you, is by trying the dresses on.
Note down the styles, brands and designers you like and visit their websites, to find your nearest stockist. Make sure you check the prices to see if they are within your budget. It is best to be honest about how much you are prepared to spend. There is little point is trying on £3000 dresses, if your budget is £1500.
Bridal retailers find it a constant frustration, seeing brides who only want to try dresses on, with no intention of buying from them. Every bridal appointment costs the stores and unnecessary trying on of dresses, ruins the shop samples and spoils them for more genuine brides.
For this reason many of the top London bridal boutiques charge a consultation fee for appointments. Normally this fee is credited against the cost of the dress, if the bride decides to purchase from that store.
Try and keep an open mind. What looks good on a model may not always work for you! Be careful about getting too many opinions from girlfriends, as this can sometimes be very confusing for the bride. Brides sometimes find it more useful to start the process alone and then get their friends and/or mothers to view the final shortlist.
Listen to the sales stylists, particularly in the better end stores, as they are often trained, experienced professionals. They see lots of brides and can offer valuable advice on what styles will suit the bride’s figure, her budget and her venue. But be careful about being bullied into making a hasty decision by overly pushy sales women, which you may then live to regret.
Bridal etiquette: Getting the best from your appointment.
Before proceeding to try dresses on, it is worth noting that most reputable bridal establishments are busy and usually see brides on an appointment only basis.
Ideally one should make no more than three appointments per day, otherwise the bride can be over whelmed by the choice and lose focus, becoming even more confused than ever.
Some stores charge for appointments but this advice is often given for free. However, brides should be aware that it is extremely frustrating for the bridal stores (and unfair on other brides), when brides fail to show for their appointments.
The best bridal stores always have a waiting list for appointments and when brides do not bother to turn up or cancel, this effectively deprives other brides of that appointment slot. For this reason, many of the top designer bridal boutiques either charge a consultation fee or a cancellation fee if you do NOT give them 48hrs notice of cancellation.
Saturdays and week day evening appointments are generally in high demand for obvious reasons, so it pays to book well in advance.
Some stores (including Johanna Hehir) also ask customers to remove their shoes so as not to damage the carpets and request that brides wear gloves when trying on dresses, to help minimise soiling, from being over handled. Otherwise expensive silk wedding dress samples are ruined within weeks, by the sheer number of people trying them on. Most brides would understandably prefer not to try on shop soiled dresses.
Bearing in mind these small courtesies makes for a memorable and thoroughly enjoyable experience!
