I read the message boards every day to see what girls are saying about vendors, what questions they ask and what they are worried about. Sadly, I can't post on the boards because I am a vendor! So, I have decided to "post" some advice here in hopes that some of you will read this and get answers.
On dresses: for the bride who wanted to know about bridesmaid dresses and her plus size sister- please order your dresses from one shop and have them shipped to your out of town girls. Take your sister shopping and let her pick the style and then tell the other girls. NEVER let the girls order the same dress from different shops!!! The dresses will not be the same color. And, as I have said before- ordering on line can be risky and you have no recourse if something is wrong and no one to alter the dresses.
On realistic budgets: you have to be realistic in your expectations! If you only have $20,000 to spend on your wedding, then research your options and keep your dreams in check. In actuality, weddings are expensive!! All of the articles about how much weddings cost must have come from the Midwest or some obscure location. If you are getting married on either coast or in any metropolitan area, expect to spend at least $35-$40,000 for a larger wedding. Quality speaks for itself and you DO get what you pay for. I have helped many brides to plan beautiful weddings without breaking the bank. But, you have to be ready to compromise and make concessions.
On DIY projects: LADIES! You are the bride! Pay people to make the dresses, bake the cake and do the flowers!!!! Sure, favors are something you may want to do yourself. But, you have enough to fret over and there will be plenty of unexpected things that arise. Don't add to your stress by trying to wear too many hats! Wear the tiara! Let the professionals do the rest!!
I would be glad to answer more questions for you ladies! While the message boards are a good place to share ideas, brides all have their own personal take on things- from budgets, to tastes, to personal experience. Let someone with years of experience and many brides to pull from answer your questions. Your wedding is too important to follow the crowd. Write to me!
4 comments:
Hi. I saw one of your comments on the elizabeth ann blog mentioning that you had experience with selling wedding dresses. From your experience, do you know if the size charts are really the rule of law? I'm having a dilemma with picking the wedding dress size. I know that I fit this dress perfectly (AA 1612), but I'm far away from the place that had the dress that fit me and they didn't record the size I tried. Is it the bust size that is most important or the rule that the biggest measurement is the size you get? I measured a 33-26. A size 2 is a 33-24 and a size 4 is a 34-26. It is a corset top.
I've also read on forums not to trust the tags on the dresses that you try on, which has me worried about my bridesmaid dresses. My bridesmaid perfectly fit a 10 in a store, but when I went to go order, they suggested a 12 or 14. There was also the example of my other bridesmaid who fit the 10 loosely, but they recommended she get a 10.
Hi Jennifer: First, bridal shops ALWAYS tell you to order bigger! It is hard for me to tell you without seeing the dress- or you. But, If you measure a size 2 for a corset dress and order a 4 it will be too big. As for measurements- it depends on the dress. If it is a sheath and your biggest measurement is your hips, go bigger. But, if it is a ballgown and your biggest measurement is your hips- foget it! Go with the bust and waist. DON'T ever let the sales person talk you into a much bigger size if the sample fits. However, don't insist that you are going to "lose the weight" before the wedding. Reemember it is easier to take a dress in than to try and make it bigger.
For bridesmaids- I never heard of not trustiing the tags. If the girl fit in the 10 and normally wears and 8 or a 10, go ahead and order the 10. If the 10 is too big, order down. Most samples are 8's to 12's, with the bulk being 10. That is just the norm in samples. I hope I helped. Please feel free to email me at wendyangell@gmail.com if you need more help. I don't know where you love, but I would be happy to assist you if you are in the Philadelphia or tri state area. I guess I need to do more posting about dress sizes.
Thanks Wendy for your advice! It has been very hard to find a consistent rule of thumb for sizing and determining how much leeway you'd really have. With all that detail on some wedding dresses, it'd be really hard to keep the original character of the dress if the dress has to be taken in. Also wedding dress shopping is so different from regular shopping where you can actually try different sizes on so it is a mind adjustment that has to be made....and it's a much more expensive purchase! I've seen it mentioned in other spots, but this thread was mentioning the tags. http://www.youandyourwedding.co.uk/index.php/chatroom/topic/86313
Unfortunately, I live in California, but I've enjoyed perusing your posts...
I will tell you that I have seen a size 20 taken down to a size 8 and the integrity of the dress hasn't changed. But, why would you pay for useless alterations if you can order the right size. Most reputable stores will be honest with sizing. And, every manufacturer is different. There is usually about a 1- 1 1/2 inch seam allowance in most dresses. Again, depending on the dress, you may be able to fudge on the size and order smaller. I wish I could be more help. It is so hard to explain all of this without knowing. If you can send me a picture of the dress and the manufacturer ( both bridal and bridesmaid) I will try to be more specific. But, send it to my email address. That way it is more personal and you can include the measurements. Keep in touch and feel freee to email me with any other questions.
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