Provided by: Alexandra’s Bridal Boutique

The quest for buying your wedding dress can be either one of the most exciting and fun-filled parts of planning your wedding or it can be one of the scariest. There are so many designers, different styles, fabrics as well as intricate beadings and delicate lace patterns to choose from. With so many options available some brides feel overwhelmed and afraid of making a mistake by choosing the wrong wedding dress. Your dress will set the tone for your entire wedding and there are few times in your life where you will be so hard pressed to make the right decision. As the owner of Alexandra’s boutique in Fall River Massachusetts for over 25 years I have seen thousands of brides struggle with this dress dilemma and I wanted to develop a way to help make it easier on my brides when shopping for their wedding dress. I have uncovered 21 of the biggest mistakes a bride can make when buying her wedding dress. So before buying your dress make sure you read this article regarding the 21 biggest mistakes that brides make when purchasing a wedding dress and ways you can avoid these mistakes. This report will save you time and money, and most importantly it will make your whole wedding dress shopping experience more enjoyable and less stressful.

1. Do not wait too long to buy
In our world of instant access and express deliveries, it’s hard to believe that it takes over 6 to 8 months to order a wedding dress. The number one mistake that brides make when searching for a dress is: they wait too long to make a purchase. Most brides believe they have plenty of time to shop before their wedding day, but lead times are long and certain industry factors create delays that increase transit time significantly. Labor shortages in China, a weaker American dollar, foreign holidays and shipping congestion are all contributing factors to the lead time in the wedding gown supply chain. The vast majority of bridal gowns are made to order, overseas and designers generally do not have wedding gowns hanging around in warehouses waiting to be shipped. Each designer hand makes every dress to order and each designer has a different shipping schedule, so make sure you have ample time to permit any mishaps that could occur. I recommend brides order their dress at least one year in advance, because it’s better to consider a longer approach to dress shopping, rather than being rushed at the last minute and not being able to get the dress you really want.

2. Have a budget in mind
Step into any bridal shop and you will find yourself looking at the most expensive dresses. It happens all the time and many women struggle to resist the urge of buying the most expensive dress in the shop. Don’t fall into this trap, as it will only have you leaving the bridal shop in tears. Once you fall in love with a dress that is over your budget it will be hard for you to find another dress inside your price range to match it. The best advice I can give any bride is to have a budget in mind before they step into the bridal store. I know very few people like budgeting but not having one can add a significant burden to your wedding day plans. Most salons will ask you what budget you have in mind for your dress purchase. This is a very important question because they do not want to sell you more dress than you can afford. It helps the bridal consultant select dresses that are in your price range. Always leave yourself wiggle room in case you find your perfect dress just slightly over you budget. Remember that there are other things you will need for your big day, like undergarments, shoes, jewelry, veil, headpiece and don’t forget alterations. So develop a budget, it will save you time, money and most of all heartbreak. Regardless of budget there is a beautiful wedding dress out there for you.

3. Online purchasing is a nightmare
While there are some very reputable companies that sell wedding dresses online, the ugly truth is that there are far more bad companies than good ones selling over the internet. Each week we hear horror stories from brides who shopped online and call our store to help them fix a dress they bought online when it arrives damaged. We hear about dresses that are the wrong size, color, and style. Some dresses were damaged upon delivery with missing beads, crystal and lace. Some dresses came in spotted, or with stains that are hard to clean on delicate fabrics. Some dresses ordered looked completely different from the picture that was online. These vendors have very strict return policies that make it nearly impossible to be refunded. You might be able to save some money upfront on the cost of the dress but in the long run you end up spending much more fixing the mistakes that would otherwise be taken care of by a full service salon. I recommend looking online and getting an idea of what kind of wedding dress you like and then go and visit a reputable bridal salon with a large selection of dresses to choose from in your budget. Bridal salons have the actual gown in stock for you to try on, and they are there to help you. The consultants are knowledgeable about their inventory and understand how every dress fits each and every body type so you are sure to get the best fit possible. Remember the better Bridal Salons have a reputation to uphold and protect. Above all, they have experts who can help answers all your questions and remove the stress of buying a dress.

4. Knowing the right questions
Often a Bride is so overwhelmed with choosing her wedding dress that she may over look some small details. After all, it’s not everyday that you buy a wedding dress. Keep theses questions in mind when shopping at your local bridal salon: What sizes do they carry and do they charge extra for plus sizes? Do they require an appointment? Do they do alterations on site? Do they sell Bridesmaids, Mother of the Bride and Mother of the groom? What other accessories do they sell? What Price ranges to they sell in? It is very important to clarify the return policy with the bridal salon at the time of your purchase. Remember it’s all about you so enjoy and yourself and don’t be afraid to ask questions!!!

5. Choosing the dress by committee
Ladies, I have seen more tears in our salon over this one issue than all the others mistakes combined. Large entourages can often cause more problems than help because they often can confuse a bride with to many opinions, and too many opinions is never a good thing when shopping for a wedding dress. Brides often make the mistake of inviting too many people so they will not hurt anyone’s feelings. Good friends and family are eager to give their advice base on their need not the brides. This can lead to some very tense moments in the bridal salon. Do yourself a favor and leave some people home. A good rule of thumb is to bring your Mom, your closest friend, your sister, the mother of the groom and of course the person who will be paying for the dress. You want to bring people who will support you with your decision. Remember in the end the final decision is yours. I always recommend three things to a bride when choosing her dress. 1. Always pick the dress that you love, 2. Choose the dress that best accentuates your body type, and most importantly 3. Choose the dress that fits your personality.

6. Pre Judging a dress on the hanger
There are two very simple conclusions to avoid when shopping for your wedding dress. First, what looks good on the pages in the magazine looks completely different on every body type. Second, when you visit a bridal salon remember that a dress in a bag or hanger well it just looks like a dress in a bag or on a hanger. If something intrigues you about a wedding dress, whether its the beading, a color, some beautiful lace, a silhouette or a particular fabric whatever dress catches your eye remember to TRY IT ON!!!! Listen to your bridal consultant they have years of experience working with brides and they know what styles look the best on every body type. Remember a wedding gown always looks better out of the bag and on you. You so some have fun and try it on!!!!

7. Getting stuck on one style of dress
Brides generally have only one or two styles in mind when they visit the store for the first time, but they may be missing other styles that are more flattering and comfortable for their body type. Brides tell us all the time that the dress they fell in love with was not the style they had in mind. Communicate with and listen to your bridal consultant’s advice as she knows the store’s inventory and knows what dress will work on every body type. Try on gowns you never considered and even the ones you did not love on the hanger. They will look different when you try them on and you’ll be pleasantly surprised.

8. Being too rigid on the color White
There are many shades of white on the market, like alabaster, pearl, crème pearl, diamond white, ivory and magnolia to name a few. There are so many different shades of white in my opinion because not everyone looks good in a pure white dress. You need to pick a color that works with you skin tone. Remember that your guests will perceive you in a white dress regardless of the shade.

9. Make a final fitting 1 to 3 week before the wedding
We are always on the weight loss roller coaster and this becomes even more prevalent right before our wedding day because brides are trying to look their best for the wedding. I see this all the time: bride going on a serious diet before her big day. So I recommend that you have 3 fittings to accommodate for any changes in weight from the time you place your order until the time you pick up your dress for the wedding. All our brides get three fittings and any less would be a mistake. The first fitting should be done two to three months before your wedding. Your second fitting takes place about one month before the wedding. The final and third fitting should be done one to two weeks before the wedding. You picked out the perfect dress and how it fits is equally important so don’t skimp on this part. Trust me, a proper fitting dress makes a world of difference on your wedding day

10. Not wearing under garments to your fitting
Ladies, always wear underwear when you’re going to try on wedding dresses and at every fitting. At better bridal salons the bridal consultant will be helping you get in and out of different wedding dresses. Wearing under garments can save potentially embarrassing moments for both you and the bridal consultant. It will also assure a more proper fit of your wedding gown.

11. Accepting poor treatment
You are making one of the biggest buying decisions of your life. The minute you walk into the bridal salon to the time you pick up your dress you should expect exceptional treatment. If you are tall, short or a plus size bide it is the bridal consultant’s job to work with you with the utmost respect to your body type. I recommend forming a good relationship with your bridal consultant she will be with you every step of the way to ensure you have a great experience. All brides are beautiful and should be treated as the gorgeous woman that you are, so never accept anything less.

12. Choosing Price over comfort
Most people have a tendency to value things that are expensive. This is why many brides want the most expensive wedding dress in the store. But what most brides don’t take into consideration is comfort. Not all expensive dresses are comfortable. Your aim is to find your dream dress that is comfortable and fun to wear. So when your trying on wedding dresses have fun, and don’t be afraid to move around. Remember you may be sitting, standing, kneeling, eating, laughing, and dancing the night away in your dress so make sure it is comfortable as well as beautiful.

13. Buying a wedding dress from a salon that does not offer alteration services.
Nothing can put a damper on your wedding dress experience more than dragging your dress all around town to get it altered. Not to mention that most alteration places do not have storage so you have to keep your dress hidden somewhere in your house until you’re next fitting and/or until your wedding day. You have many more important things to concentrate on for your big day besides finding someone to alter you dress. I strongly recommend that all brides buy their wedding dress from a bridal salon that does all their alteration on site. They should store your dress for you free of charge until your wedding day. They should do no less than three fittings before your wedding and they should store your wedding dress at the location where you purchased the dress. You don’t want anyone else moving your dress around town. A good bridal salon will keep your dress in a climate-controlled room. This is a big plus in keeping the condition of you wedding dress perfect. So make sure you choose a Bridal Salon the does all of the above when it comes to storing and altering your wedding dress.

Another very critical thing to be aware of when shopping for your dress is free alterations. Avoid stores that lure you in with free alteration on your wedding dresses. My father always told me that nothing in life is free. Free alterations are never really free. The bridal salons have to pay someone to alter the dress. People do not work for free and the cost of the alterations is always packed into the price of the dress. The problem that I have with this practice is how do you know what alterations you will need to have done to your dress. They have no clue what alterations you need either, but their prices are set before you even enter the store. so often you are paying for extra services that you do not need. Just because they say your getting it for free don’t believe it’s free.

14. Limiting yourself to a traditional dress
Many brides think that the only wedding dress they should wear is a traditional dress. This is a big mistake. There has never been a better time to buy a wedding dress with a little flare. Designers are pushing the envelope on their designs and making absolutely beautiful and unique wedding dresses available to everyone, not just the rich and famous. With more and more competition between the bridal designers, you should be able to purchase a truly unique dress that fits your personality.

15. Not knowing what to do with the dress after the wedding
You should have some ides of what you would like to do with your wedding dress after the wedding. One of the most popular things to do is to have your dress preserved. Ask your bridal salon for suggestion on how to preserve your dress most good bridal salons offer this as an additional service. Some newer ideas include making a christening dress from the fabric of your wedding dress for your first-born child. A really new and fun thing to do is a trash the dress photo shoot. You can take pictures rolling in the surf at the beach or in the mud at your favorite watering hole. Some brides even donate their dress to a church to give to a less fortunate bride a chance to ware a dress on her wedding day. Regardless of what you choose to do, remember to enjoy the experience.

16. Not making an appointment
You are the bride to be, and all attention should be focused on you, so why not be treated like one by making an appointment. Most bridal salons recommend an appointment to try on bridal gowns. You may wonder why is this necessary, especially since most places you have shopped in up till now never required an appointment. You might even think that this is an inconvenience. However, making an appointment will actually make your search for your wedding dress easier and less stressful. You won’t have to wait very long, because the bridal salon will set aside block of time just for you to try on dresses of your choice. They will also assign a bridal consultant to work with you, one on one, for a more intimate experience.
Another reason for an appointment is that shopping for a bridal gown is different than anything other clothing you have purchased before. For a dress this important, a dress that you will stand in front of your family and friends and devote yourself to share a lifetime together with the one you love, a lot of care has to go into finding such a special dress. You want the expert guidance and assistance of a master bridal consultant who can best understand what dress will express your personality and expression of love. Keep in mind that weekends are always the busiest time for shopping. You might want to consider a weekday appointment, but either way, make an appointment for the best service.

17. Visiting to many Stores (don’t over shop)
Of course you want to make sure that you have the perfect dress for your perfect wedding. You also want to make sure that you choose the best place to buy your dress by shopping around at many stores and getting the best price. However keep in mind the best place may not always sell the cheapest dress. You should do your research and pick a reputable store with the largest inventory of the designers you like that are within your budget. A salon that will store you dress on site, free of charge and does all alterations within the bridal salon as well as pressing and steaming your dress for the wedding day at no charge to you. Try not to get caught up in the whole experience of shopping. The more stores you go to the more confused and harder it becomes to find your dress.

18. Trying on to many dresses
This goes hand in hand with visiting to many stores. Do not over shop because the more dresses you try on the more confused you will become. Remember to have a plan, do your research and trust your bridal consultant. You will never have buyer’s remorse if you buy the dress you love.

19. Not relaxing
Buying your wedding dress does not have to be a stressful experience. Relax. You already did the hardest part by finding your soul mate. Remember to enjoy the experience and have some fun with the people you are closest to. One of the most important decisions you can make is to pick a reputable bridal salon. The right bridal salon will make your shopping experience much easier and less stressful.

20. Do not make the dress into something it is not.
With so many good and different dresses on the market don’t try to be your own designer. One of the mistakes a brides can make is to try to change the look of the dress. Don’t get caught up in all the little details if the dress does not work for you, tell your concerns to the Bridal consultant and she will listen to your concerns and pick another dress that will better suit you.

21. Don’t be afraid to buy on your first visit.
I know this is a scary thought for many brides and some of you might be cringing right now thinking about it. Through all my years of experience this is often the biggest mistake brides make over and over again. I have found that 80% to 90% of brides usually buy a dress during their first bridal appointment, so it is perfectly ok to buy on your first visit. The first visit is often the best time to get the greatest deal from the salon. Better bridal salons will offer incentives to their customers if they buy on the first visit because it is more costly to bring them back for second and third visits, so ask what deal you can get if you purchase that day. Remember you are in control on the first visit to get the best deal and do not be afraid to ask for one.