Where to start with dress shopping...

Hi ladies!

So I am getting married in about 10 months and realize I need to get the ball rolling with looking for wedding dresses. I have done nothing more than pin dresses I like on Pinterest. I have an idea of what I want (lace dress with 3/4 sleeves,) but not really sure where to look to get real examples. I do not want to spend too much, ideally less than $1500 (I think my mom said she would pay for it but I still want to keep it affordable for her).

Where should I look to find models of dresses? Should I google designers? What stores should I check out? Do all of these stores need appointments? Do all dresses really take so long to come in? Is it possible to pay more to have dresses come in sooner?

Sorry ladies, I'm just a little nervous since I feel like I lost time.

Thank you in advance!

Where to start with dress shopping...

I can't tell you what will work best for you, but this is what I did - the first stores I went to (Estelles and Village Bridal in Farmingdale) were very low key and I just tried on dresses in every different style, whether I thought I would like them or not, just to see what looked best on my body type.

Then, once I knew more of what I wanted, I went to Davids and a couple other little boutiques and tried on dresses in the style I knew worked best for me.

Just a heads up, because I wanted a dress with lace sleeves too originally, sleeves are realllly hard to find. Unless you have a particular dress in mind and call the shop ahead of time, be prepared to see mostly strapless or spaghetti strap dresses. I didn't want to do strapless and that immediately eliminated about 85% of the dresses in every shop.

Basically, have a vision in mind, but at first try on everything to see what works for you.

Where to start with dress shopping...

I went to Renates Wedding Boutique in Lindenhurst on Wellwood Ave. They were amazing, the first dress I tried on I really liked and then the second one I tried on I started crying because I was in love. But not only that all of the dresses I liked were between $1000 and $1500 I actually don't think I even saw any over $1500! Also I wasn't excited to try on dresses because I was scared because I've gained 10 lbs, but they make you feel so special when you're there that it completely changed my mood around! And my favorite part was that there are no mirrors in the dressing room so the saleswoman helped me tie up the back of my dress (they were all corset) and helped me pick my veil before I even left the dressing room so that my mom could get the whole feel before I even saw myself, and I got to see her genuine reaction right away too!
After Renate's I went to another bridal boutique and it was the complete opposite, the store was packed, the dresses weren't in bags (like at Renate's), and they had beads falling off and they were dirty, and having mirrors in a tiny dressing room where the saleswoman would only clip the dress just didn't flatter any of the dresses and made me feel uncomfortable. In the end the second shop had the same dress as Renate's and offered me a deal so I said ok I'll be back tonight with my sister (the saleswoman didn't take any of my info) and when I went in my car I called Renate's and they matched the deal!! Pretty much Renate's was amazing and I highly suggest any bride go there for their dress, bridesmaids, mother of the bride/groom, or even tuxes because they have it all!

Re: Where to start with dress shopping...

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Posted by kedjmay2015

Hi ladies!

So I am getting married in about 10 months and realize I need to get the ball rolling with looking for wedding dresses. I have done nothing more than pin dresses I like on Pinterest. I have an idea of what I want (lace dress with 3/4 sleeves,) but not really sure where to look to get real examples. I do not want to spend too much, ideally less than $1500 (I think my mom said she would pay for it but I still want to keep it affordable for her).

Where should I look to find models of dresses? Should I google designers? What stores should I check out? Do all of these stores need appointments? Do all dresses really take so long to come in? Is it possible to pay more to have dresses come in sooner?

Sorry ladies, I'm just a little nervous since I feel like I lost time.

Thank you in advance!

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If you have a specific designer mind, find stores that have that designer. I actually found The Knot's wedding dress directory to be very helpful. They list lots of the designers and even the price range (I had a price of under $700, which I was able to meet). You can also list by dress type and go from there too.

I originally intended not to go strapless, but I ended up going strapless. But I did get a lace gown, which was what I wanted. I think if you go in with an open mind, you will find what you like. I found that I can Pinterest dresses all day long, but it is different when in the store.

I just purchased my dress about 2 weeks ago and it is coming in around Halloween, so it can take 3 months to get the dress. You can also always go off the rack, which was my original intention, but I found a dress that I liked. My sister got married in 3 months and went off the rack and looked beautiful on her day :)

Yes, you can pay for some dress to come in sooner, but you will pay. It depends on the store.

Where to start with dress shopping...

First I decided on the style of the dress I wanted based on my body type. I eventually ended up with a mixed dress style labeled an aline/ mermaid dress witch worked perfectly for me since I didn't want a dress that was too tight (that was not my vision as a bride)..then i went to a bridal suite of bayshore(needed an appointment) and told her the style I was looking for in the color I wanted and details i like.. i ended up falling in love with a dress that was discontinued so I purchased the floor model (so I never had to order my dress).. you can find a dress you like then shop around for pricing..after you find a designer you like try net bride.com to see if they carry it since their pricing is pretty competitive ..

Where to start with dress shopping...

Good to know. I will definitely be open minded and try on different styles of dresses. I'm excited to start looking. I will make appointments at the bridal stores you all suggested =]

Where to start with dress shopping...

I started in David's bridal to figure out what style I liked best... Then I went around to different stores with the style I wanted... Although in the end I got a dress completely opposite of what I thought I wanted

Re: Where to start with dress shopping...

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Posted by haw4

I started in David's bridal to figure out what style I liked best... Then I went around to different stores with the style I wanted... Although in the end I got a dress completely opposite of what I thought I wanted

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Haha this will probably happen to me!

Where to start with dress shopping...

Like everyone else said definitely be open minded you never know what you'll like until you try it on. If theres something on the dress you don't like and its something small that can be changed definitely try it on anyway. I fell in love with a dress that I didn't like the back of and if I do end up getting it I will be changing the back

Where to start with dress shopping...

Like everyone else has mentioned, make appointments and keep an open mind. Also, keep an eye out for Trunk Sales where the designer offers discounts at that time – just don’t let them pressure you in to anything just because you are looking for a bargain.

Another piece of advice, from my experience, if you find a dress you like and you want some type of alteration or addition do not just go by the sales person's word. Ask to speak to the actual seamstress. I wish I had done this.
I loved my dress but wanted something with more sparkle and the sales lady told me 'Oh our seamstresses are wonderful and can add anything you want on. And it won't be pricy.” So I ordered the dress and when it came to alteration time, I got the run around about adding crystals, the seamstress said someone else does that, the store told me the seamstress does it. They wanted to charge me more than half of what the dress cost in the first place to add these sad little string of crystals on my dress. Had I seen what they considered to be nice crystals, I would have looked a little more for another dress or found another seamstress.

Where to start with dress shopping...

I definitely recommend trying RK Bridal if you have something particular in mind like sleeves. As someone said, most dresses are strapless or spaghetti strap, so if you want something different, you need a place with a lot of selection. The smaller stores I went in only had a few options when I said I wanted a tulle ballgown (and I ended up going with something that was a little different since I went to a store with a smaller selection and fell in love with something that was different than what I was trying on at bigger stores). I found that RK also has the most options in terms of price and will keep you in your budget.

Go on a weekday-- it was pretty stress free. I've heard it can be crazy on a weekend.

Re: Where to start with dress shopping...

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Posted by HesLIgirl

I definitely recommend trying RK Bridal if you have something particular in mind like sleeves. As someone said, most dresses are strapless or spaghetti strap, so if you want something different, you need a place with a lot of selection. The smaller stores I went in only had a few options when I said I wanted a tulle ballgown (and I ended up going with something that was a little different since I went to a store with a smaller selection and fell in love with something that was different than what I was trying on at bigger stores). I found that RK also has the most options in terms of price and will keep you in your budget.

Go on a weekday-- it was pretty stress free. I've heard it can be crazy on a weekend.

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good to know!! I will definitely be going to RK Bridal. thank you!