Sample Sale Dress Shopping?!?!

This sounds so fun and seems like a great way to get a fabulous dress at a discounted price! I don’t have any experience with sample sales, but if the dress has lace or beading, really check that out to make sure everything is in tact. I’d also just check the overall cleanliness of the dress...make sure there aren’t armpit stains or other dirty areas. Good luck!

I agree with the previous poster. Definitely scrutinize it if it has lace and/or beading, as it's easy to snag on jewelry of someone who has tried it on. If you are on the tall side, make sure you check the hem for dirt, rips, and general stains. My dress was a sample and I am super short, so I needed about 4-5 inches taken off the hem. But mine does have a train, so if yours does as well, make sure to check that too. If it has buttons, make sure all the buttons are there as well.

All in all, it's a great idea to get a sample dress. Mine was originally $1,600 and I paid $699. It was in great condition too. You would never know it was a sample!

Hi Gabrielle

Great tips from previous posters!

Moving away from wear and tear, great tip popped into my head when Eamsee mentioned the hem. Bear in mind the height of heels you would wear on the wedding day! As a sample dresses hem cannot be lengthened, only shortened, so bring a pair of shoes with you that are the highest heel you would wear on the day.

Do you have an idea of what silhouette dress you would like?

View Quoted Comment Hi!
I think I am leaning toward a mermaid or fit and flair. Lace. Not strapless.
I and short and very clumsy, so I will probably just be wearing flats on my wedding day.

I got my dream dress at a similar event, it’s actually Berta showroom (one of my favorite wedding designers) where they schedule one appointment at a time & sell samples that have been worn for photo shoots & editorials only.

My advice is:
- Come with photos of what you want to try, so they can pull similar dresses for you.
- Don’t rush! Take your time inspecting the dress you really like. They hung mine in very bright light & I took 5-10 minutes to inspect every detail. In my case dress was perfect. But even if the one you find is not, small issues like pieces of fabric hanging off or frayed, missing buttons, train that’s dirty at the bottom, but you have many inches to cut off (since you say you’re short) etc. - all of those can be fixed by a seamstress.
- I would also say don’t buy a dress that is more than 2-3 sizes too big, no matter how much you like it. Depending on the style of the dress it might be impossible to take it in that much, or it might completely change the look of the dress & alterations will be pricey.
- Don’t buy a dress just because it’s very cheap if you don’t really love it. Otherwise, you may regret later & sample sales are typically final.

I shopped and bought my dress at a sample sale! Mine was at a small bridal salon so it wasn't a free for all either lol we had to make an appointment at a specific time for the sample sale then we went into a private room, they asked me what I liked, and pulled dresses for me to try. I felt like it was very similar to a regular bridal appointment, they just pulled the dresses from the sample sale selection. They also had some of the dresses that would be there posted on social media so I got an idea on some I wanted to try. I knew I wanted a Hayley Paige so she pulled mostly her dresses for me as well as some others that were a similar style to Hayley Paige dresses. As I tried on dresses and didn't like them, she would bring those back and bring in new ones for me to try. It was very laid back and didn't feel crazy or like I was fighting other brides for dresses, which is what I think a lot of people expect it to be like lol. When I tried on dresses, I looked for rips, stains, broken straps, missing crystals/lace. Really examine the dress to assess what kind of shape it is in and be honest with your consultant, they should be willing to tell you what they know about it as well. Honestly all the dresses I tried on were in really great condition, I couldn't even tell they were samples and didn't really find any issues. I scored my dream Hayley Paige dress in literal perfect condition for over $1,000 off! TOTALLY worth it!

Also keep in mind you usually have to pay full price at the sample sale to get the dress so be prepared to buy in full that day if you find one you love!

View Quoted Comment

Thanks for all of the info! Eases my mind to know someone had a positive experience with a similar situation! The sale I am going to is cash and carry so I am fully prepared to pay that day. I LOVE Hayley Paige gowns! Glad you found such an awesome deal!

View Quoted Comment

Thanks for the advice! I just hope I do not get flustered and feel rushed. I have my fitting room for 45 minutes, but know the general style I am after, and can have 5 dresses in the room at a time. I'll make sure to carefully look at the dress I hopefully end up choosing!

View Quoted Comment You are welcome 🙂
Do not rush! It’s an important decision, take your time. Even though you have fitting room for 45min, you can spend as much time as you want outside of the fitting room, walking around, looking at the dress from different angles, inspecting the dress, taking a video of you walking in it (if you want to show to your friends/family, or just stare at it at home after, like I do haha).
Good luck & have fun!

I got my dress at a shop that only sells sample dresses. Saved me so much money! The only downside is that what they have is what they have. If you find something you love not in your size, then you are out of luck. If you love a dress, then go back and someone already bought it, you're out of luck.

The shop I went to had SO many beautiful dresses. I found one I loved, but didn't want to commit in the moment. The sales lady offered to call me if someone bought it while I was deciding. I went on a Saturday, they are closed Sunday and Monday. Tuesday morning I decided I loved it, so I called and it was still there. So I went over on my lunch break and bought it.

Sample dresses are a great way to get a beautiful dress for much less money!

Are there any great under-radar websites or sources to find out about such sample sales?