Money Saving Tips for Wedding Dresses & all things Bridal
Thousands of brides lose their money and their gowns when the largest internet gown dealers declare bankruptcy. See Wedding Disasters elsewhere on this site.

1. Always order your gown from a reputable salon, one that has been in business for a long time. Never, ever, order a gown over the Internet unless it is from an old established firm. The Internet is now full of sites offering gowns for huge discounts. Most of these sites are operated out of nothing more than an office with a desk, often in someone's basement. There are dozens of sweatshops in the orient cranking out look-alike gowns for these disreputable dealers, cheap knock-offs that are difficult to alter and often poorly made. Typically, you have to pay them everything in advance. We have heard from many brides that once they get your money, they are suddenly not very interested in helping you. Notice that most Internet bridal gown sites say no returns or cancellations at any time. Do you really want to take the risk with your hard-earned money and your wedding day fast approaching?

2. Order your gown in plenty of time to have it altered and correct mistakes before the big day. Nearly one-hundred percent of gowns need some alteration--they are made to your closest size and are fitted on a fit model whose body type may be different than yours. Nearly forty-percent of gowns have some small mistake that the bride wishes to alter. If you only have three or four months till your wedding, buy off the rack and have it altered.

3. Beware of hotel sales. They often sell knock-offs and seconds. Check for yellowing, irreparable damage and permanent stains. Was that off-white gown originally white? Look under folds of material to see if it's the same color. When the sale is over, you will never see that dealer again, no matter what they tell you. Never pay for a gown and have it shipped. Pay the full price and leave with it in your hands. Hotel sales are rarely bargains and often leave the bride with serious regrets.

4. Advantages of ordering from a full-service salon instead of an Internet service or a mail order discount house:
            • A full service salon will normally handle problems and correct mistakes at their own expense.
            • In response to competition from the Internet, most salons now offer competitive pricing on popular gowns and unique designer-gowns.
            • You establish a relationship of trust with an experienced salon. They understand your needs and unique problems and are eager to solve them. They take into consideration the date of your wedding, the time of day, the size of your bridal party, your color theme, and every problem that confronts you in the important choice of a bridal gown or bridesmaid's dresses. They are eager to please you and solve any problems because of this unique relationship you have established with them. This is the most important day of your life. Isn't this the way you would want to choose your gown?
            • Many salons have their own seamstress who will evaluate your dress for alterations when you try on the sample, and give you an idea of what it will cost to alterate it, how extensive the alterations will be, whether they can be done at all, and how it will effect the final appearance. Heavily beaded gowns or gowns with filigree, lace, or other ornamentation are difficult to alter without radically altering the appearance on the sides.
            • A beautiful, well-designed salon is a fun place to shop. The atmosphere and the enthusiasm of experienced, professional salespeople make the experience a real pleasure. Your excitement is contagious and everyone in the salon will pick up on it. Shouldn't every part of your wedding shopping be an enjoyable and rewarding adventure?

5. Music: Many bands break up or change musicians frequently, so the band you hired eight months before your wedding might not be the same one that plays. If you like an individual musician or singer, get their name on the contract. Make sure the contract spells out the date, time, and number of hours they will play, the number of breaks they will take and how long.

6. Reception Hall: Some halls have been known to double-book a room and then bounce you into an inferior room, sometimes even a basement. Be sure and get the room in the contract. Specify the exact time you will have the hall rented, leaving enough time for clean-up if there was another wedding in the same hall. Make sure the contract specifies fees, if any, for clean-up, traffic director (usually an off-duty policeman), gratuities, cake cutting, coat room, etc. Make sure your contract spells it out and says that no additional charges will be added.

7. Photographers. Beware the friend who offers to photograph your wedding, no matter how much experience they claim to have. Politely suggest that you don't want them to work at your reception, that you would rather they enjoy it as a guest. If they still insist on taking photos, get a pro anyway, because "you want as many photos as possible". Letting a friend photograph your wedding is even worse than letting a relative bake your wedding cake (another frequently reported disaster). You will regret nothing more than poor photographs. When you sign a professional photographer that you like, make sure the contract specifies that he will be taking the pictures. Some pros overbook and send an employee or co-op to take the photos. State in your contract that if the photos don't turn out, your money and all deposits will be refunded.

8. Cake. Beware the relative who offers to bake your wedding cake, no matter how much experience she/he may claim to have! Too many wedding planners have told us that this is not the way to save money. They have seen cakes slide, collapse, and otherwise self-destruct when baked by a well-meaning relative. What do you think keeps twenty-five pounds of cake from caving in or collapsing under its own weight? Professional bakers use an assortment of heavy-duty hardware inside the cake to keep it's structure. Dowel rods or straws, recommended in many cook books, simply won't work! So how do you get out of such an offer? Simply tell your relative that you want him/her to be a guest at your wedding and not a worker. Explain that you want them to enjoy the reception as a guest and not have the responsibilities of a vendor, including decorating the cake table, delivering and setting up the cake, and cutting it later on.

8. Flowers. Specify in the contract that the flowers will be delivered at a certain time. There is nothing worse than a florist hanging flowers on the pews after the guests are seated. Indicate what substitute flowers are acceptable if the original bouquet is not available.