Finding the Perfect Wedding Gown

Excerpted from
Bridal Guide Magazine's How to Plan the Perfect Wedding Without Going Broke
By Diane Forden

When you get engaged and contemplate your wedding day, the phrase, "What will I wear?" takes on a whole new meaning. The wedding gown you select will be the most emotionally significant-and probably the most expensive-garment you will ever own. Though you want to surrender to the emotion, you should view the process with open eyes and make smart decisions, as you would with any major purchase. Enter into the wedding gown market with an established set of priorities. By setting guidelines beforehand-the style, the season in which you'll be wearing it, how much you want to spend-you can narrow the field of dress options substantially. For some brides, price is a serious factor. For others, looks are the key to cinching the sale. Before you shop till you drop, ask yourself the following questions:

What will the style of my wedding be?

The gown you choose will depend on the formality and style of the wedding itself. Will it be traditional and formal? Contemporary and less formal? It's helpful to have decided on that before you buy the gown. As a general rule, the more formal the wedding, the more formal the gown. But if you want to wear an ornately elegant gown to your semiformal do, go right ahead! Remember, at your wedding, you're the belle of the ball, so it's okay to stand out.

When will the wedding take place?

The time of year that you plan to get married may eliminate certain choices because some fabrics and styles are better suited to different seasons. Your wedding date will also control how much time you have to spend shopping, ordering, and customizing your gown. Many custom-ordered gowns require as much as three to six months for delivery, and fittings may take another month or two. Even if you buy a gown right off the rack, it will still take time to have it altered, so you must keep your time frame in mind when you're shopping. If you're submitting a portrait to your local newspaper along with your wedding announcement, your gown will need to be ready even earlier, since most newspapers require photos four to six weeks in advance.

How much can I spend?

Just as you've set a budget for your entire wedding, you'll want to set a budget for your wedding attire. Use the wedding attire budget worksheet that follows to figure out an estimate for each expense you'll incur. Having a budget figure in mind will prevent wasted time looking at dresses way out of your price range, and it can help you determine the stores you'll visit. These days, the average bride spends about $700 on her gown. Remember, this is the average. Many engaged women spend less-and many spend significantly more. A limited budget increases the challenge of your gown search but won't decrease the satisfaction you'll feel when you find the perfect dress at a price you can afford.

Starting Your Search

Shopping for your wedding gown can sometimes feel like looking for a needle in a haystack. The options are overwhelming-more than 3,000 different bridal gown styles are created by more than 250 nationally recognized designers each year. These gowns are available through 7,500 bridal shops, salons, and department stores across the country. In addition, hundreds of regional and local designers and dressmakers contribute at least 2,000 more styles to the bridal gown design pool. It's an embarrassment of riches, so try to be pleased with the number of options rather than confused or overwhelmed.

Discount Warehouses

If you're most concerned with cost, you might be inclined to shop at a discount warehouse. Often, these places have the lowest prices, offer a large selection, and, if you're lucky, you can find an incredible bargain. Some also offer special discounts if you purchase both your wedding gown and your bridesmaid dresses.

Note. Don't expect individual attention here. You'll find and buy your dress off the rack, so getting it fitted is up to you.

Bridal Brokers

You fell in love with a gown you can't afford. A bridal broker promises to order the exact dress you're enamored of at a greatly reduced price.

Note. Bridal brokers can be risky, since they require cash payment in full, up-front, and you can't see what you're paying for ahead of time. Because they're not authorized dealers, there's also no guarantee that they can secure the dress. And since finding the dress requires a third-party transaction, it can take a long time. Or, they may give you an inferior-quality knockoff of the gown you asked for (something you may not be able to notice immediately). Most important, if anything goes wrong, you have no recourse-except perhaps small claims court.

The Fine Print

Virtually all bridal retailers require a 50 percent deposit for custom-ordered merchandise. Deposits are generally not refundable - even if your wedding is canceled. Always use a credit card when purchasing your gown. This will afford you some negotiating power in the event that a dispute arises.

Purchasing a custom-ordered gown is a contractual negotiation. Many stores will require you to sign an actual contract; others will simply specify all details on the reverse side of your receipt. Either way, be certain all the terms and conditions of your purchase are itemized-before you leave the store-including whether alterations or any accessories come with the package.