Bought dress internationally?

[Krissie]

Have you ever purchased your dress internationally (or from a location nowhere near where the wedding will be)?

Some background: we currently live in London but will be moving to the US in January. Our wedding is in October 2008 in the US. I had just assumed I would purchase a dress in the US next year, but I have kept my eyes open in London. There is a boutique here that carries an exclusive designer only available here, but also some other European designers (e.g. Pronovias) and I''ve just made a booking to try on their gowns.

However, it''s occurred to me that this could be a logistical nightmare. I would probably not be able to have the dress fittings here in the UK, as the dress wouldn''t be available until after we move to the US. We will definitely be making some trips back here next year, but probably not long enough for fittings. So I could be faced with picking up the dress when it arrives, taking it to the US with me, and having fittings there.

Have any of you ever done this - do you think this would present a problem? I''m not even sure what the fittings process is like, how long it takes, etc. I assume I could find a seamstress in the US to take over?

Thanks in advance!!

 

[april diamonds]

Hi Krissie.

I am *kinda* in the same situation as you. I live in the US now but maybe moving to Bangkok in January 2008 and our wedding is here in the US May of 2008. But I''ve already purchased my dress here in the US.

Lucky for me, my dress will be here by Nov so I''ll have at least for the first fitting. I was planning on doing the first fitting in Nov and then take the dress back with me to my home state (I purchased the dress in PA but live in NJ...its a long story) where I''ll probably find another seamstress or ask the David''s Bridal near me to finish the other alterations. And I''ll try to have another fitting in Dec before I leave.

For the last fitting I was planning on coming back about two to three weeks before the wedding and doing it then. And I am *hoping* that is enough time to do any last minute alterations. But I wasn''t going to take the dress with me to Thailand.

Hmm, I dunno if that helped you at ALL. But I would recommend at least asking if maybe they could ship the dress to you in the US and then just find a seamstress there. Or do your first fitting with them at the salon, and then have them ship it, or if you''re going back to the UK then to pick it up after the first set of alterations.

And who knows maybe you won''t even need that many alterations! But I would say that if your dress was going to be ready in like Mar 2008 and you weren''t going to have anything major done to it then you have plenty of time to bring the dress back to the US and do alterations. as long as you''re not like reconstructing the dress (i.e. asking them to make a straight across strapless instead of a sweetheart), I don''t think alterations take that long. It really depends on the dress and type of alterations.

Yeah, so I hope that helped you even a little bit?

 

[Krissie]

Date: 9/19/2007 8:11:21 AM
Author: April Diamonds
Hi Krissie.

I am *kinda* in the same situation as you. I live in the US now but maybe moving to Bangkok in January 2008 and our wedding is here in the US May of 2008. But I''ve already purchased my dress here in the US.

Lucky for me, my dress will be here by Nov so I''ll have at least for the first fitting. I was planning on doing the first fitting in Nov and then take the dress back with me to my home state (I purchased the dress in PA but live in NJ...its a long story) where I''ll probably find another seamstress or ask the David''s Bridal near me to finish the other alterations. And I''ll try to have another fitting in Dec before I leave.

For the last fitting I was planning on coming back about two to three weeks before the wedding and doing it then. And I am *hoping* that is enough time to do any last minute alterations. But I wasn''t going to take the dress with me to Thailand.

Hmm, I dunno if that helped you at ALL. But I would recommend at least asking if maybe they could ship the dress to you in the US and then just find a seamstress there. Or do your first fitting with them at the salon, and then have them ship it, or if you''re going back to the UK then to pick it up after the first set of alterations.

And who knows maybe you won''t even need that many alterations! But I would say that if your dress was going to be ready in like Mar 2008 and you weren''t going to have anything major done to it then you have plenty of time to bring the dress back to the US and do alterations. as long as you''re not like reconstructing the dress (i.e. asking them to make a straight across strapless instead of a sweetheart), I don''t think alterations take that long. It really depends on the dress and type of alterations.

Yeah, so I hope that helped you even a little bit?

Yup - very helpful, actually! I may try to just have them ship the dress to me in the US as that seems like the least hassle. So, are 3 fittings standard then?

 

[april diamonds]

Yeah I think so. Usually the first fitting when you get the dress. And then once in the middle and then the final one like a month or a few weeks before the wedding. That is what my two sisters and a friend did. So I am using their example.

 

[karasue91]

Hi! Krissie, I just read your post and I am in the same boat you are. I am living in the US now but moving to Canada in 3 months. Found a dress I want to buy in the US (prices are WAY higher in Canada, especially for imported luxury goods) but it won''t be ready until after I move.

The problem I am having is with the shipping to Canada. There are duties and customs to worry about when having items over a certain dollar amount shipped into the country (Canada) when you purchased them in another country (US) but intend on using them in the country into which they are being shipped.

So, just a heads up, you might want to check on the duties. I''m not sure how it works between the US and the UK, but since my dress was made somewhere in Asia, imported to the US and then basically imported into Canada, NAFTA doesn''t apply and I have to pay duty. The other problem is that I have heard horror stories about things being tied up in customs for weeks and months!! My wedding isn''t until next August so I have plenty of time, but it''s just one more thing to worry about!

My fiance isn''t moving at the same time I am, so he should still be here when the dress is ready. So I think I''m going to have him bring it with him when he moves the rest of our stuff up...they don''t charge duty on items you bring into Canada that you already owned and used prior to moving (they don''t have to know that my wedding isn''t until August!).

Don''t know if I helped at all, but just something to look out for! Good luck!