| Dec |
| 21 |
By Heather Long, Bridal Consultant, Laura’s Bridal & College Formals
So, you’re off to hunt for that perfect wedding dress. You’ve purchased all the latest issues of “Modern Bride”, “Bride’s”, and all the other thousand bridal magazines there are out there. Now, to begin your search. How do you do that? Well, you start to flip through the pages of these catalogs and get bombarded with ads for different bridal manufacturers. Yet, you’re still puzzled as to where to find these gorgeous gowns. Do you go to a “warehouse” chain of bridal shops, or do you go to an independently owned “full-service” bridal shop? Both businesses have their pros and cons and this article is to designed to help you decide for yourself.
First, we will visit an independently owned “full-service” shop. Typically, these shops will offer many services for the bride at many different price points. They have bridal consultants that will help you every step of the way with every minor detail. They will pay attention to the theme that you are trying to create and will even have ideas that you may not have thought of. You can be assured that all of your accessories, bridesmaids gowns, flower girls and tuxedos will coordinate with your special theme. All of this “hands-free” planning will allow you to take care of the other million details that you need to finish without the stress of trying to formalize your wedding party. Your gown will be of the highest quality with the materials and beading being worth every penny. There usually will be a no-charge layaway available and many times you will not need an appointment to browse. Your personal sales consultant will walk you through every necessary step and you will form a bond that lasts far beyond the wedding day. Upon you’re placing an order with this type of shop, your gown will be made and sent directly from the actual manufacturer. When you receive your gown, it will be pressed free-of- charge.
Second, we’ll look at a national bridal shop chain. This type of shop will manufacture, import, and sell their own gowns, which are available only through that chain of shops. Their prices will almost always be lower, but with lower prices, comes lower quality fabrics, beading, and customer service. Selections and colors available will also be more limited. There may be no coordinating accessories and almost never any matching tuxedos. There will probably be no available layaway and upon ordering, merchandise will be transferred off the rack from one of the other shops in that chain. At many of these shops, you must make an appointment in order to browse at their selection of gowns. Last but definitely not least, your gown will likely not be pressed free-of- charge.
Hopefully, this article will help you decide where to begin your wedding gown search. Your wedding dress is something you have dreamed about since you were a little girl. Don’t let just anyone help you find it, trust a professional bridal consultant.
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