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Savvy May 2021

Wedding Dress Selection at Bridal Shops

Sierra, on December 15, 2019 at 7:16 PM Posted in Wedding Attire 0 6

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I want to preface this discussion by making two statements: 1) I realize it is WAY too early for me to go wedding dress shopping - this is just a question I've been pondering for some time and figured I'd ask and 2) these are probably stupid questions but I'm the first of my friends and siblings to get married, so this is all new to me.

So, when I begin the process of going to bridal shops, am I limited to the selection they have in-store? For example, if a bridal shop in my area carries a collection by a designer I really like but not the dress I've had my eye on, can they special order that dress for me? What if I fall in love with the customer service and experience at a particular bridal shop, but I end up wanting to try on a dress from a designer they don't carry. Do I have to go elsewhere?

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6 Comments

Latest activity by Katie, on December 16, 2019 at 12:14 PM

Master November 2020
Kristen · on December 15, 2019 at 7:58 PM
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Different stores are different but if they do not work with a designer or have a certain dress in style most likely they won't special order for you. No matter how great the customer service if you do not love the dress you won't spend the money lol...trust me. I would call in advance and ask if they carry the designer you want. On some sites they locate where you can find their designs.
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Devoted December 2021
Katlyn · on December 15, 2019 at 8:23 PM
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I agree with PP
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Legend March 2017
Pirate & 60s Bride · on December 15, 2019 at 11:20 PM
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Bridal shops typically carry different designers or different dresses from the same designer so do shop around. A shop *might* be able to order a dress for you from a designer they carry but it’s not recommended if you can’t try it on. If you love a designer, find out at which local shops will they host a trunk show where the designer will ship more dresses of their collection to that shop for a weekend (and you’ll often get 10% off if you order a trunk show dress).
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Legend March 2017
Pirate & 60s Bride · on December 15, 2019 at 11:23 PM
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PS You’re about 18 months before your wedding which isn’t too crazy early if you want to start. 😊 It typically takes 6-9 months for a dress to arrive and 2 rounds of alterations you’ll want to start 6-8 weeks before your wedding.
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Master October 2021
Sexypoodle · on December 16, 2019 at 9:40 AM
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The bridal shops you go to can answer those questions
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Devoted March 2019
Katie · on December 16, 2019 at 12:14 PM
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If you have a dress or designer in mind, I would plan initial appointments around shops that will have what you're looking for. I was in a similar situation where I found a brand/collection with several dresses that I instantly loved. I then made appointments with three shops who carried that collection. The shops who had the collection but not the specific dress(es) I was interested in said that they could ship the dress to the store but there may be an additional fee. Each shop will be different, but you should be able to get a feel for brands/designers/collections they have before your appointment, and a quick phone call with this question can give you more info you need!

Last bit of advice...don't forget to keep an open mind! I made my first appointment because I knew they had a very specific dress I wanted to try on. It wasn't *the* dress, but the shop had a variety of other gorgeous gowns that fit my vision, style, budget, etc. and I ended up finding my dream dress which was pretty different from what I came in thinking I wanted.
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