FASHION
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Shop early Take note: A designer wedding gown is custom made to your measurements. It will take months of work to create and a series of alterations to fit your body perfectly. In other words, it’s not the kind of garment you can toss into an online shopping cart and have show up on your doorstep two days later—which is why you should go to a bridal salon to shop for your gown. Book your first appointment 12 to 9 months before your wedding date. (Some designers can accommodate orders in six months or less, but even then, you’re cutting it close.) If you’re shopping closer to your wedding, you may be limited to samples or off-the-rack gowns. And smaller stores may not be able to accommodate last-minute orders.
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Do your research Before you start shopping, think about what style you want. Consider your venue and body type to narrow that down. Then look through pictures of wedding dresses online and in magazines, and save the styles you like. The Wedding Lookbook by The Knot app (free, iTunes.com) is a great place to begin—you can search thousands of gowns by style and price, and if you find a few you want to try on, you can see which local salons carry your favorites.
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Hidden costs add up Your wedding gown budget includes more than the dress. Your veil or headpiece, shoes, jewelry, undergarments and alterations (and in some cases, steaming and storing your dress) will also add to your bottom line. Factor in these costs before you give the salesperson your final shopping budget.
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Always book an appointment While you may get lucky and snag a salesperson just by walking in, scheduling an appointment is the only way to ensure you’ll get a full hour of undivided attention. Also, plan to play hooky to avoid crowds. Going in on a weekday will allow you to hit the stores while crowds are at a minimum. You’ll get much more attention from the sales staff if you shop on a slow Tuesday morning rather than a hectic Saturday afternoon.
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Make requests Just because a bridal salon carries your favorite designer doesn’t mean it will have the exact wedding dress you’ve been wanting to try on. But if you phone in advance and request a specific style, chances are that a salon staffer will be able to call in a sample of that gown ahead of your appointment. >>
local spotlight: boca raton bridal The Florida bridal shop owner shares her must-read gown shopping tips. ABOUT THE EXPERT
PLAN AHEAD
BUYER BEWARE
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MONEY MAT TERS
Jan Corcoran is the owner of Boca Raton Bridal, with locations in Boca Raton and Coral Springs. The salon carries a variety of bridal designers like Galia Lahav, Peter Langner and Hayley Paige.
We recommend ordering your gown as soon as you have selected your venue. At least eight months out is ideal—six is really pushing it, and anything under four will result in rush charges.
The most difficult part of shopping for a wedding dress online is you really have no idea what you are getting until it arrives. If you’re unhappy with your order, return policies can be murky at best.
It’s important to make your dress fit your body just right. We generally do three fittings for a gown. If you want more extensive alterations or custom work, you’ll probably have at least four fittings.
Most stores take a 50 to 60 percent deposit when you order your gown. The only exception to this is if you purchase a sample gown off the rack, you may be required to pay in full.
BocaRatonBridal.com
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11/10/17 9:39 AM