Wedding Dress Shopping Frustrations?

Looking for a dress with sleeves definitely had me upset!I also wanted something very simple with little beading, or lace, but could barely find it anywhere!

Oh I have a list!!!!

1.) I went to DB, but my consultant was MIA the entire appointment until the end when she pressured me to make a decision. (After trying on 8 dresses that were not my style at all without help!)

2.) The front desk lady scoffed at my $800 max budget (even though there were tons of dresses within my budget) they made me feel like a cheap bride.

3.) I couldn't find anything that looked like my Pinterest ideas (I know, I know, I shouldn't have went there.) So I cried thinking I couldn't afford to look how I wanted. I also wanted sleeves so bad but decided against them when I found one I loved!

4.) Prices are crazy for something you wear for a few hours. A few people made me feel bad for not being able to afford the boutique dress, or the designer I love, but oh well. I'm in love with my dress!

I know a lot of people complain about the opposite but I was frustrated that all the sample sizes were so big. Out of the 70+ dresses I tried on only 2 of them fit me with no clips needed. It was hard to envision how the bust and lace details would look in my size. I almost bought one of the dresses that fit me just because I could see exactly how it would look and feel but I ended up going with a different style in the end!

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Long sleeves? Oh no, I feel like I saw more come out in 2016/2017 "after" I got my dress of course. But you're right, most dresses with sleeves have lace! ARG.

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Ok, lemme just say to #1... what the H*ll? That's almost laughable. "Here, try these on and I'll be back when you decide."

No bridal shop should make you feel bad about your budget. Ugh. I did go to one or two where the sales reps were snooty or very preoccupied (with what I have no idea, it wasn't serving clients).

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That can be tough too. I'm glad I ordered extra fabric because I needed to add more to the back of my bodysuit. Since the one I tried on was big, I didn't realize the sheer back was very open so I added more lace. The very wide "U" made me look so wide across the back. Ew.

The only thing that really bugged me was my appointment at DB. It was REALLY crowded when I went. There were also a lot of men standing near the stage when everyone was trying on dresses which was kind of uncomfortable. My consultant was sweet but the environment was just too much for me lol.

Anyone else get frustrating trying to find out dress costs? The Knot was the only one that seemed to show actual retail prices. Either no prices anywhere (honestly, not happy when I show a magazine dress to a shop then THEY have to tell me "Oh that's $3500.") Even a price range is challenging. Does "$750-$1500" mean closer to $750 or $1500???? That's kinda a big difference.

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I went with a friend to DB and the one in our area was like that. Kinda zoo like.

Girl! The first place I went shopping the lady kept bring me dresses that were too small even after I told her I couldn't get into them. By no means am I large but I'm not small either. I dress I eventually ordered was a size 10. But this lady would bring me 10s and I liked the way they fit and then next dress would be an 8 and I couldn't even get into the 8 so I told her yet she kept bringing me 8s after that. It drove me nuts. Worst experience ever. Then when she realized I wasn't liking any of the dresses she brought over she gave up and you could tell she lost all interest. I had some bridesmaids with me that were explaining to her along with me what I liked and what I was looking for and she would do the complete opposite.

The second time I went shopping I went looking for a specific designer so I could try her line on so I knew what size I was so I could order direct online and so the lady at the place let me try on dresses but I wasn't finding anything I liked then she went out on a limb and asked if she could bring over dresses she thinks would be flattering so I said sure and I fell in love with those dresses. I ended up purchasing that day and I am beyond excited and in love with my dress! And the stylist was just amazing. She did a great job!

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Be proud. I had a firm budget set of like $900 and the sales people were bringing me dresses that were like $3000 + it was crazy. In the end I actually fell in love with a dress well out of my budget but luckily my mom helped me with is. That dress ended up being $1700 after taxes and I love it but definitely broke my budget there!

I haven’t been dress shopping yet, and honestly, I’m not at all looking forward to it. I highly dislike high pressure sales people. And I’m not spending a fortune on a dress I’ll only wear for a few hours. I’m highly debating on just getting an online dress so I don’t have to deal with the hassle. However, I’d like to go to a bridal shop so I can try on a few dresses and see what style looks best on me. But I don’t want to deal with them pressuring me to buy.

I went to a shop that specifically catered to plus size brides. I found a dress I loved, but they didn't have it in my size. Additionally, they (very politely, but still...) suggested that if I lost some weight it could work for me...

At the next store I went to, the consultant told me it was a good thing that the dress I'd bought online (Tradesy) got lost in the mail because it probably wouldn't have fit anyway. The funny thing is that the dress that got lost ended up being the same size as the one I eventually ordered (and I didn't order from either of these two store, for the record.)

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Wow, what a difference a sales rep can make! Your first experience sounded awful. Good for the second one to ask if she could make some suggestions. And YAY for finding a dress!

Yaaassss! I prefer dresses with sleeves and it drove me nuts that most are without sleeves. The prices were horrendous. I’ve never bought a dress for more than $300. I thought of buying a dress for $2,000 or up that I would only wear ONCE, made me anxious.

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I really only found one store be a little more eager to sell me the dress but most know you'll probably want to come back and try it on again and will be cool to you. Plus, I did most of my shopping by myself so it was easy to say, "I do like this one but I need to think about it and bring my mom back to see it."

Allure, Moonlight Bridal, Morilee are a few that have some gowns around $1K or under. You can also call up shops to ask about their sales because it's worth it. My Moonlight reception dress was about $650 but the sample on clearance was less than $200!

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My dress

Yeah sales rep makes all the difference, but I knew that ahead of time because I am a sales rep. I knew after that first experience that I needed to find a sales person that actually enjoyed their job and not just the sales it resulted in!

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Did the Tradesy one work for you? I looked but couldn't find any with sleeves when I was shopping.

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Wow, didn't realize so many brides wanted sleeves. I want long-sleeves fitted bodice with a full (non-lace) tulle skirt. If you can find a long-sleeved dress, it's a sheath or fit & flare. To get the look I wanted, I finally bought separates.

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I loved the pictures, but unfortunately the dress got lost in the mail. It took forever to get it resolved, but that could be partly my fault; I tried to get in touch with the seller instead of just calling Tradesy.