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The most common dilemma facing brides when looking for their wedding dress, is deciding what style of dress they want and where to get it from?
Unless they have done their homework, it can take considerable time to figure this out.
Brides don't particularly want to waste time going to the wrong stores and the bridal boutiques certainly do not want to waste time on 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 £500 to £50,000. (and also in terms of what you get for your money). For example, you can purchase a perfectly adequate off the peg dress, from bridal chains such as Pronuptia or Berkertex brides, for as little as £300. But you have to accept, that at this price, the dress is likely to be mass produced (ie: manufactured in the Far East), and is unlikely to be in silk fabrics nor particularly unique.
On the other hand you can also buy famous brand designer dresses for £3000 or more (which are also manufactured in China and then altered to fit you) from top West end designer bridal stores such as Selfridges and Browns Bride. 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 simply paying for the name.
In our opinion, if the bride is prepared to pay £3000 for her dress, it should (at the very least), be made to measure. Altering dresses to fit is never that easy and often not very successful.
At this point it is probably helpful to understand the difference between altered to fit, made to measure and couture dresses.
The 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. Unfortunately some bridal stores attempt to pass this off as "made to measure". 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.
There are also a number of designers who mistakenly describe their dresses as “couture” when in fact they are made to measure. These are all rather 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.
Made to measure is where the bride chooses an existing design, that is then made up to fit her. The price quoted normally includes a number of fittings. Made to measure dresses typically start from £1500 upwards. In the ideal world, all brides would have their dresses made to measure, to ensure a perfect fit.
Couture is where the customer sits down with the designer and the dress is designed from scratch to the customer’s specification. With couture, there is usually always a toile fitting, (to check the fit of the pattern), before the dress is cut and made up. Couture dresses typically start from £3000 upwards, as they are very time consuming and expensive to manufacture.
Q. Why do made to measure designer dresses cost so much?
There is a popular misconception that as with anything to do with weddings, brides ordering made to measure designer dresses are somehow being over charged. This is simply not true for the following reasons;
Firstly made to measure dresses are generally hand made in the UK and labour costs and overheads are obviously a lot higher than for dresses manufactured in China. 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 often 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?
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 8 to 12 months before the date of the wedding, particularly if the wedding is during the peak (June to August) summer 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 bridal stores 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.
Q. What style of dress will suit me?
Once the potential bride has decided which stores she should make appointments to visit, the next problem is working out what style of dress will suit her figure and the type of wedding she is having??
Looking through bridal magazines will help, but the quickest way is to go and try dresses on. It is also helpful if the bride is able to get some professional advice on what styles suit her figure, her budget and her venue.
Thankfully, there are a reasonable number of reputable bridal designer stores, which offer a good selection of styles (at prices from £1500 to £10,000) These can often be off the peg, made to measure or couture dresses, depending on the bride's budget. Luckily for brides looking in London’s West end there are a number of designer own label bridal stores, which offer a personal made to measure service on many of their designs.
Bridal etiquette: Getting the best from your appointment.
Ideally one should make appointments at a number of more reputable stores to try on styles and hopefully get some intelligent advice of what styles will suit the bride's figure, her style of venue and 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.
This advice is normally given for free, but 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 charge a cancellation fee if you do NOT give them 48hrs notice of cancellation in writing.
Saturdays and week day evening appointments are generally in high demand for obvious reasons, so it pays to book well in advance.
Bearing in mind these small courtesies makes for a memorable and thoroughly enjoyable experience!
If you have any questions for any of our experts please send them directly to info@westbride.co.uk