January 26, 2009 | Author: Sonja, Mistakes I Made, Setting a budget, Wedding Gowns
The Mistake(s) I Made
This is one area that everyone seems to have similar issues and months of burden. I for one changed my dress about 3 times before deciding on the gown that was right for me. My first gown was ordered off of the internet and cost roughly $295 with shipping and handling. It now sits in the bag it was shipped in. My second dress was exchanged at the cash register during checkout and I went with another design! None of the previous eight dresses that I tried on or the one, I had purchased and purposefully left at home nor the one I had partially purchased and then exchanged at the register during my fitting grabbed me like the one I wore during my vow renewal. It was lace, it had beads, it was strapless, and it flattered my figure! Simply put, “It was awesome!” It screamed, “Sonja!” and I knew it was the one for me. My husband was sold the minute I stepped out of the fitting room. Did, I say that everything was right? “That’s right, even the length was perfect!” After the bust was taken in and the bra cups added I thought I would be on my way…Not! The last thing I had to have added was the bustle, then the last alteration was the waist due to my extremely large…well that’s another story in itself. One that got a little costly once the changes were marked.
After spending about $200 on alterations for a under $500 gown I was a little angry,but you have to make mistakes to learn from them. Now I get to share with you all what I learned; the hard way!
What I learned from:
Mistake #1
Don’t order a gown off the internet unless you have a professional seamstress measure you!
Ladies, you know those size proportions you always loose sanity over? Well, if you were made in a mold I would say, “No sweat, order your size or send in the measurements for your size.” But, I can’t say that! Every woman is different and just because you are a size 5 doesn’t mean that you have a size 5 waste…it could be a size 2 or 3 waste, and your hips can be that of a size 6. You could be squeezing into a pair of pants or a dress that appears to fit all the right areas just fine yet, you had to have alterations, or the material has give. This normally isn’t the case with a gown so don’t risk money over “Final Sale” which to my understanding all gowns are. Be sure to check return policies before you purchase.
Mistake #2
It’s okay not to solicit advice from the bridal gown consultants. It’s your body, your style and you know what you like and what makes you feel good!
I asked for a particular style when I first walked in, and although it didn’t work for me I was given nothing but “suggestions” after that. The consultant went away from my unique style and my body type. Here I was early 30′s trying on something that looked like it was from the 30′s!
Mistake #3
Don’t take bratty little sisters, or the rushed with you to try on your gown(s). They will yell, “That’s the dress”, and you will walk away with an eggshell burlap sack that “is you in every way!”.
When in doubt, try it another day with someone else, another group of friends or family. Or, make sure you have stopped for a bite and it is not around lunch or dinner time.
Mistake #4
Too many opinions causes too much confusion!
Originally, I was going with a simple white dress before I decided I wanted something simple and elegant. This too could have worked, but I wanted to step it up a bit and decided on something that was more elegant, yet not too over the top. The same people that said, “Why get a wedding gown…you’re already married had no clue about the style options available for brides. Everyone just “assumed” I was going to walk down the isle with a big poofy ball gown! When I didn’t the oohs and aahs as I walked down the isle were priceless. Thank people for their opinions not to offend and state to them that you will take it into consideration and move on because if you linger you will waste precious time and a few good brain cells in the process.
Mistake #5
What rule says that you have to get it altered where you bought it?
None! However, this is where policy gets tricky. In the event that you purchase the gown and you have it altered somewhere other than the shop you purchased it. The shop isn’t liable for anything past the point of purchase unless of course it is a defect in the material. So, although it may save you big bucks taking it to your favorite seamstress don’t do so unless they too have a policy to replace at full cost your gown in the event of some unforeseen mishap.
Tags: mistakes, purchasing wedding gowns, wedding gown alteration, wedding gown fitting, wedding gown mishaps, wedding gown mistakes, Wedding Gowns
menu advice from but it goes like this, “If you can’t pronounce it, you can’t afford it.” When shopping around for vendors and other wedding items, you should already have a general idea which are out of your budget range and which are workable. Don’t go “window shopping” and then agonize over something you saw that you suddenly decided you cannot get married without.
I came across a sample wedding budget that can really help brides in prioritizing which is which when it comes to how to spend their money. This wedding budget breakdown is available over at