So frustrating

[lmurden]

I recently began to look into trying on wedding gowns but almost no one except for David''s Bridal has any of the gowns that I like. I never knew wedding gown shopping was so hard. I have called over ten bridal shops all over Maryland and Virginia and no such luck! Even the Jessica McClintock specialty shops don''t have the gowns or a decent size that I want. Is this the norm

? The one good thing is that the David''s Bridal gown that I tried on looked amazing so worst come to worst I guess I can just get that one.

 

[njc]

I dont know who you have called or what not, but here are my suggestions...

Try Lady Hamilton in Arlington (Ballston/Clarendon Area). I went there and they were just fantastic! LOVED them. http://www.ladyhamiltonbridal.com/

The Macy''s Bridal Shop at Tyson''s Corner Gallaria has a lot too (Maggie dresses to name one). I noticed a lot of the bridal mags mention their dresses are at that store in particular.

Katherine''s Bridal is on Duke Street in Alexandria between Landmark and Olde Town, right at 495. http://www.katherinesbridalboutique.com/index.htm

Hannelores is another place in Olde Town Alexandria. I never went there (heard they were a little snobby), but worth a try. http://www.hannelores.com/

 

[codex57]

If you like it and think it looks amazing, get it. My fiancee got horribly frustrated over finding a wedding dress she liked. You''re lucky cuz you found an "amazing" one at David''s Bridal which is pretty affordable.

My fiancee found one she fell in love with, but it was waaaaayyyy too expensive. She "settled" by getting one she merely liked (not totally in love) cuz it was more affordable. It still cost a lot.

 

[lmurden]

There are two Jessica McClintock dresses that I like but one dress they don''t have and the other is too small for me to even try on and I''ve been inquiring about the one they don''t have for almost two months.

 

[lmurden]

Here''s the second one

 

[lmurden]

This is the Davids Bridal dress

 

[lmurden]

Date: 8/2/2005 4:08:19 PM
Author: codex57
If you like it and think it looks amazing, get it. My fiancee got horribly frustrated over finding a wedding dress she liked. You''re lucky cuz you found an ''amazing'' one at David''s Bridal which is pretty affordable.

My fiancee found one she fell in love with, but it was waaaaayyyy too expensive. She ''settled'' by getting one she merely liked (not totally in love) cuz it was more affordable. It still cost a lot.

I don''t want to buy the first and only dress that I have tried on.

 

[lmurden]

I can''t find this one either, Raylia Bridal, Macey

 

[lmurden]

Date: 8/2/2005 4:03:45 PM
Author: njc
I dont know who you have called or what not, but here are my suggestions...

Try Lady Hamilton in Arlington (Ballston/Clarendon Area). I went there and they were just fantastic! LOVED them. http://www.ladyhamiltonbridal.com/

The Macy''s Bridal Shop at Tyson''s Corner Gallaria has a lot too (Maggie dresses to name one). I noticed a lot of the bridal mags mention their dresses are at that store in particular.

Katherine''s Bridal is on Duke Street in Alexandria between Landmark and Olde Town, right at 495. http://www.katherinesbridalboutique.com/index.htm

Hannelores is another place in Olde Town Alexandria. I never went there (heard they were a little snobby), but worth a try. http://www.hannelores.com/

Thanks for you help but I am looking for specif dresses. I though narrowing my dresses down would make my search easier but I guess not.

 

[MelissaSue]

What I would recommend, is instead of going a wild goose chase to find the dresses in the pics, whic you might never find, and maybe not even like when you see them.. is to just make appointments at several shops, bring your pics along, so they can see which styles you like, and try on lots of dresses!

 

[lmurden]

Date: 8/2/2005 4:30:50 PM
Author: MelissaSue
What I would recommend, is instead of going a wild goose chase to find the dresses in the pics, whic you might never find, and maybe not even like when you see them.. is to just make appointments at several shops, bring your pics along, so they can see which styles you like, and try on lots of dresses!

Thanks for the recommendation. The thing is I don''t think that I will find dresses like these that are under $500.00. The last thing I want to do is to try on a dress that I twice as much as I want to spend.

 

[psuheather]

My suggestion would be to call salons in the area and tell them up front that you are looking for a dress under $500 and ask if they can accomodate that. If they can, go ahead and make an appointment and when you go in, take in pictures of the dresses that you like, reminding them again that you only want to look at dresses under $500. They won''t force you to try on anything that you don''t want to (and if they do, walk out immediately!) When I went looking for gowns, I brought pics with me of what I thought were my dream gowns and they used them to guide me towards dresses of similar styles in my price range. I actually ended up finding dresses that I liked much better than the pictures that I had and eventually found my dream dress. Good luck!

 

[ame]

Something to consider---look at BRIDESMAID gowns. Most lines put out dresses in ivory or white or some even do both. You can find something really cool in those selections. Unique, fitted, etc.

 

[rms]

Date: 8/2/2005 5:51:27 PM
Author: psuheather
My suggestion would be to call salons in the area and tell them up front that you are looking for a dress under $500 and ask if they can accomodate that. If they can, go ahead and make an appointment and when you go in, take in pictures of the dresses that you like, reminding them again that you only want to look at dresses under $500. They won''t force you to try on anything that you don''t want to (and if they do, walk out immediately!) When I went looking for gowns, I brought pics with me of what I thought were my dream gowns and they used them to guide me towards dresses of similar styles in my price range. I actually ended up finding dresses that I liked much better than the pictures that I had and eventually found my dream dress. Good luck!

I totally agree with what psuheather and others have said. The dress I ended up choosing was within my budget and was actually chosen by the sales lady at the shop I went to. I would have NEVER picked my dress from the model pick alone. The style of dresses that I brought that I was interested in did not look nice on me when I ended up trying them on. So give yourself a chance to explore a bit.

Personally I think that of the dresses you posted, the David''s bridal dress is my favorite. If you love it, go for it.

 

[FireGoddess]

Of all the gowns you posted, I like the David''s Bridal and the Raylia Bridal dresses the best. I only looked at David''s Bridal because I wanted to keep the dress cost to a minimum, and I didn''t want to have to order my dress 9 months before I needed it (heck, I got engaged 10 months before the wedding!). There are a lot of designer and couture dresses out there, but I paid for my own wedding and wanted to keep the dress cost low so I could spend more money on the rings and other things. I have never once regretted that decision, because have I/will I ever wear that dress again? Nope. So the fact that I only spent $350 on it (it was on sale) makes me super happy! My SIL paid $3500 for her dress. TEN TIMES what I paid for mine...but hers is in a closet now just like mine is.

Anyway, I digress. You''ve gotten some great ideas already...don''t try anything on that is over your budget so that you won''t be tempted by it! I definitely agree though...call up places first...there are some salons that don''t even carry dresses that are only $500...so do some fancy legwork on the phone before you end up doing too much footwork for naught!

 

[lmurden]

Thanks girls you really gave me some good ideas. I was sooooooo close to just giving up! I really didn''t want to be stressed out while planning my wedding and I want to stick to the budget as much as possible. Funny thing is that I talked to a friend and she thinks that I am crazy for wanting a dress under $1000. She said that she can''t even image. I told here the David''s Bridal dressed looked amazing even though it was only $399. I just can''t justify spending a whole lot on a dress that I will only wear for 6 hours. Anyway thanks again.

 

[Tybee]

Lmurden,
DON"T give up! It is totallly doable. Like Psuheather says, just let the sales women know what you are looking for. They can be extremely helpful. There are beautiful dresses out there in your price range.
Thinking about you. Your dress shopping can be super fun, or it can be frustrating.
I hope that the rest of your experiences are on the super fun side

Tybee

 

[abradabra]

To answer your original question, it is very much the norm to not have a good selection of sizes at a bridal shop. Even the "inexpensive" bridal gowns are expensive and most stores cannot afford to have a lot of dresses in many different sizes. The problem is exacerbated at both ends of the spectrum--with the less expensive dresses, margins are lower--so it''s harder to tie up cash in inventory. With the couture dresses, it is unreasonable to expect a salon to spend $5k more than once to have multiple sizes of the same dress on hand. A lot of designers will only send samples in certain sizes and only allow stores to have a certain number of samples on hand. It stinks as a consumer, but that''s how the industry works (kind of like the diamond industry--most jewellers can''t afford to have a ton of diamonds on hand).

Another option you would have would be to have a seamstress make you a dress that meets your specifications. Then you could go to any old bridal shop and try on dresses in the style you like without worrying you''ll spend a fortune.

Although it''s a ways outside of the city, I remember Jeanette''s Bride n'' Tux in Manassas has a lot of inexpensive dresses in addition to its couture selection. They had a huge selection when I shopped there.

Since njc mentioned it, I just wanted to say that I got my dress at Hannelore''s and have had nothing but fantastic things to say about the staff and the store itself. I''ve read a bunch of negative stuff about them on certain other wedding forums, so I just want to throw my two cents into the mix. Anyway, I had a really good experience and I think a lot of the complaints I''ve read are unfair for a myriad of reasons that I''m not going to go into.

 

[BrightSpot]

I agree w/ what everyone else has said. Another thought: you can try on dresses at a local salon, then often find a better deal on them by ordering from an online discounter.

I know what you mean about not wanting to spend lots of money on a dress you'll only wear for a few hours. It seems wiser to sink the budget into something sparkly that you'll wear forever...

Speaking of which, how's the progress on your ring at Quest?

ETA: I also had great experiences at Katherine's of Old Towne & Jeannette's in Manassas when I was shopping for my (first) wedding dress... I was surprised at what a wonderful selection Jeanette's had...

 

[lmurden]

Abradabra, Tybee, and BrightSpot

Thanks again for all the input. I actually have a lot of time but I wanted my dress shopping experience to be very easy and stress free.

Speaking of Quest my ring should be ready by the end of this week I can’t wait! I never knew I would miss my ring so much. It’s very strange how special a girl feels wearing a diamond ring. I guess it tell the world how much her man loves her.

 

[BrightSpot]

Yay, how exciting! And you won''t have to wait for a proposal to get it!!

I''m sure Quest did a fabulous job on your ring! I can''t wait to see it! You''re right...it does feel different & more special with a ring on your finger.

It''s so nice to be able to wear a symbol of your sweetie''s love & commitment.

 

[lmurden]

Date: 8/3/2005 11:33:44 AM
Author: BrightSpot
Yay, how exciting! And you won''t have to wait for a proposal to get it!!

I''m sure Quest did a fabulous job on your ring! I can''t wait to see it! You''re right...it does feel different & more special with a ring on your finger.

It''s so nice to be able to wear a symbol of your sweetie''s love & commitment.

Exactly!

 

[navybluiz12]

I actually found that dress and ordered it. It took about a week of calling all around my state and it was actually in my home city the entire time. Sooo cheap too, I only paid 630$ for it. I wish u luck in finding it!

 

[Tacori E-ring]

LM- I got my dress at David''s. I love that they stock dresses in so many sizes so you can actually try on the right one. I tried on many that I liked. I cannot remember exactly how much my dress was (maybe 500??) I love it and am so excited to wear it. Like you I just couldn''t see sending 1,000s on a dress. I also kind of like the feel of davids. It is SO relaxed and low pressured. The other shops just "feel" different and snotty if that makes sense.

 

[JCJD]

Date: 8/2/2005 9:32:01 PM
Author: rms

Date: 8/2/2005 5:51:27 PM

Author: psuheather

My suggestion would be to call salons in the area and tell them up front that you are looking for a dress under $500 and ask if they can accomodate that. If they can, go ahead and make an appointment and when you go in, take in pictures of the dresses that you like, reminding them again that you only want to look at dresses under $500. They won''t force you to try on anything that you don''t want to (and if they do, walk out immediately!) When I went looking for gowns, I brought pics with me of what I thought were my dream gowns and they used them to guide me towards dresses of similar styles in my price range. I actually ended up finding dresses that I liked much better than the pictures that I had and eventually found my dream dress. Good luck!

I totally agree with what psuheather and others have said. The dress I ended up choosing was within my budget and was actually chosen by the sales lady at the shop I went to. I would have NEVER picked my dress from the model pick alone. The style of dresses that I brought that I was interested in did not look nice on me when I ended up trying them on. So give yourself a chance to explore a bit.


Personally I think that of the dresses you posted, the David''s bridal dress is my favorite. If you love it, go for it.

Me too. I was correct on the style of dress I ended up getting, but my sister picked MY dress out for me to try on. On the hanger, it was OK, but on me, WOWZA!!! I never would have picked it without outside help. And another piece of advice - wedding dress shopping is FUN!!!!! How often do you get to try on gorgeous expensive gowns in luxurious fabrics and varying styles??? Try on LOTS of gowns, and you''ll know whether you should keep hunting your specifics. The sales ladies really know what gowns look like on real bodies, so let them help you with what they''ve got in stock.

 

[lmurden]

Date: 10/1/2005 4:28:53 PM
Author: navybluiz12
I actually found that dress and ordered it. It took about a week of calling all around my state and it was actually in my home city the entire time. Sooo cheap too, I only paid 630$ for it. I wish u luck in finding it!

Navybluiz12, Tacori E-ring, and JCJD,

Thanks girls for the update!

I don''t care what people say David''s Bridal they have great prices on wedding gowns!