How to Find a Designer Wedding Dress

Finding the perfect wedding dress is an essential part of your wedding day. By doing a little bit of research both online and in-store, it is quite simple to find exactly what you’re looking for. With so many resources available, you can quickly and easily find a designer wedding dress that looks great and fits your budget.

Difficulty: Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Internet access
• computer

1. Sit down with members of your bridal party, family and friends and toss around several ideas. Be sure to take into consideration your budget, the level of formality of the ceremony, and reception and the theme if any. Listen to any ideas that your group may have and consider each one carefully.

2. Make a list of the various options that you want to explore. This will help you to narrow down your decision. Listing these several options will allow you to remember what was discussed and will make your final decision easier.

3. Consider any designers that you want to look at. There are hundreds of options out there, so this step is very important. Be sure to eliminate any designers that you definitely know you’re not interested in. Eliminating candidates will make this process go a lot easier, and will help narrow the list.

4. Jump online once you have your list prepared. Again, make this a group activity. Bring along your bridal party, family and friends. This is a special day that your family will want to share in, and this is part of that process!

5. Go to your favorite bridal retailer Web site and take a look. Many of these sites have a search engine built in that allows you to navigate to the designer collection. Also, many sites provide a subheading for their designer collections. If that option is available, simply click on the heading. If you don’t have a favorite bridal retailer, just go to your favorite search engine and type in “designer wedding dress” in the subject box.

6. Take several notes on each dress that you like. Take your time and look at several different options. Remember to keep in mind your theme and level of formalness. Many Web sites offer an item ID number that is unique to that specific dress. Be sure to record that number as well, as many stores can find that dress using that number. This allows you to gain access to gowns that your chosen store may not carry, but can get for you using that number.

7. Decide on a few options and head off to your favorite bridal store. Be sure to bring your list, as this can help the bridal consultant in getting an idea of what you want and will allow him or her to make suggestions. It will also help make the ordering process much easier if they don’t carry what you want.

Tips & Warnings

• If you decide to order online, be sure that you get accurate measurements from a good tailor shop or bridal store. Many designer dresses are custom made to the individual’s specific measurements. Most tailor and bridal shops offer free measuring.
• Many bridal retailers will ship their gowns to their nearest retail store. It’s a good idea to have them do this rather than having the dress sent to your home. Having it sent to your home usually opens you up to liability for any shipping damage, while the store remains liable if it’s shipped to them.
• If you decide to order online, steer clear of designer Web sites. Most reputable designers will offer their dresses through well-known bridal and department store retailers. The risk of fraud is too high for such a special purchase.
• If at all possible, stick to well known retailers. They have the resources and training to find exactly what you need with thousands of options to choose from. This will eliminate the hassle of trying to do it all on your own.