Attire & Accessories Forum — The Knot Community

Experiences with Bridal Boutiques - Particularly in terms of communication

missdelilah — Tue, 05 Aug 2014 18:00:45 +0000

This post is a little belated, seeing as I purchased my dress last week, but now that we've all had the discussion about whether we loved or hated dress shopping, I thought I'd see what everyone's experiences with boutiques was like.

I contacted about seven of them by email, as suggested on their website, generally because I was looking at dresses on Sundays, when these shops aren't open. I did expect to hear back from them on Tuesday when they reopened, but only received a response from one. I was very specific about the dresses I was looking to try on, and I'm wondering if they just didn't have any of them in stock and their response to that was to ignore the original message. Is this normal? I can't see why so many business are turning away customers by not getting back to them. Wouldn't the normal response be, "I don't have those in stock, but I have similar styles if you'd like to try them on"? I could have called on a weekday, but I figured that not responding to emails was probably a bad sign, and I shouldn't work such a company.

The ones I ended up visiting were the one that responded to my email (and the owner actually responded pretty immediately on her day off) and the three that I called, because I hadn't emailed them yet.

I was a little worried about the store that I ordered the dress from because the internet reviews said that their customer service declined sharply after the sale had been made. I was promised that I'd receive an email on Saturday with an ETA for the dress (the sales associate knew that I was worried about it because I'm on a tight time frame now) and ended up having to email them this afternoon. They responded pretty quickly. I guess she just forgot. I'll let this one slide, and not worry too much about anything except following up from them if I don't hear back close to the time that the dress is scheduled to arrive.

I'm just curious to know what experiences other members of the community have had during the dress finding process. Do I just live in an area where bridal salons have particularly bad customer service?

Colored Dress That Doesn't Scream Prom

MommyKristin88 — Fri, 25 Jul 2014 17:31:22 +0000

I never pictured myself in white on my wedding day. I really want a platinum gown, but my family is saying I'll look like I'm going to prom, not my wedding. What do you all think? Can a gown that isn't white or off-white really look wedding "appropriate"?

Silver and Gold?

Lmichinock — Mon, 04 Aug 2014 01:02:58 +0000

So stupid question, but I have to get some feedback. I purchased my dream shoes which are light bronze Jimmy Choo (Evelyn) before dress shopping this past weekend. I said yes to the dress which has a champagne color satin sash with glass crystals with more silver tones and I added capped sleeves which are very "blingy" and match --again on the silver side. Can I still wear these shoes? I think the answer is that I can wear whatever I want--it's my day, however I cannot get the whole silver gold thing out of my head.

Does Anyone Know the Price of this Dress?

dragonavicious — Sun, 03 Aug 2014 22:32:00 +0000

This is a Maggie Sottero dress, Bethany. I've looked everywhere for the price and I can't find it. I don't think there are any stores in my area that have it but I really like it a lot. I just want to know what the price is so I can know if it's worth the trouble of running all over to find it.

Here is the site --->

My groom has interesting tux ideas...

jenijoyk — Mon, 04 Aug 2014 16:56:40 +0000

And by "interesting" I mean "eeehhhhh." I told him what he picked for himself, groomsmen, and our dads was totally up to him, thinking "Yay! One less task for me!" and plus, it only seemed fair, since he has no say in my wedding get-up.

Then this weekend he told me he decided on classic black tuxes, no vests, and all the men in black straight ties, except for him. He would like to wear a black bowtie and adamantly feels that he should stand out (hello, groomzilla) and he believes different colored lapel flowers aren't enough. His actual words were "I believe it would be a faux pas for me to not have a different tie." Haha, um, sure.

I can't really wrap my head around him wearing a bowtie, while all the rest of the men are in normal ties. Ties seem "tied" (haha - pun) to the level of formality. So we should either have a black tie wedding and wear bowties, or we shouldn't, and wear normal ties. Am I just being too nitpicky?

On the formality scale, our wedding is fairly classic, but falls short of black tie. While the bridesmaids and mothers are wearing floor length sequin gowns, it is an outdoor wedding in a courtyard, and the ceremony starts at 5, about an hour before the sun will go down. (This is not a hipster wedding. There is no bowtie+suspenders+colorful argyle socks look going on so he can't justify the bowtie that way.) Should I just let this go and let him do whatever he wants, or should I try to save him from himself?

Is this too much for a tropical outdoor wedding?? (pics)

eliza621 — Tue, 29 Jul 2014 15:20:23 +0000

I had always pictured a simple, maybe lacey gown for our destination wedding in Hawaii. We are literally going to be in the jungle by a waterfall and will probably take some pictures on the beach as well. Every dress I try on is just "okay" except for this one that I love. It seems like maybe it's too fancy for it's setting though, what do you think???

Low back shapewear???

[Deleted User] — Mon, 04 Aug 2014 16:08:52 +0000

Do any of you have suggestions of shapewear brands? I only know of Spanx and they don't seem to have what I'm looking for!

Wedding Dresses of Celebrities Past!

goldchocobo.defunct635829490514903826 — Tue, 05 Aug 2014 02:08:59 +0000

BUZZFEED has a list of 41 celebs and what they wore to their weddings. Diana's sleeves are huge. And of course Liz Taylor is on there a few times.

Enjoy!

Can't move in my mermaid...really nature of the beast??

Arielhyacinthe — Mon, 04 Aug 2014 19:45:45 +0000

For my entire wedding vision, I have always pictured myself in a beaded mermaid and finally found the dress of my dreams and bought it. When I tried the sample dress on it was a size 12 and I had to be clipped in so that I could see the "big picture." Problem is, I am a size 4 so when my real dress came in, it fit completely different. I never realized how hard it is to move in them! Actually, I literally can barely move at all, I was told you're not even supposed to sit, you're supposed to "perch!" I was never ever told any of this when trying them on, nor had I ever had such an issue as I do in my dress now, and I am freaking out that I won't have a good time or be able to dance or even sit properly without looking crazy, help!

Groom & Groomsmen attire

reedabook10290 — Sun, 03 Aug 2014 15:15:12 +0000

My groom wants to wear a suit like this but I have no idea what we would put our 3 groomsmen in...? The three options I see are they would the wear the same thing (but then my groom wouldnt stand out which I believe is what he is going for....lol) Wear the same suit and tie but a solid shirt or wear a different suit (Maybe some shade of grey?) Also Im worried that this is the new baby blue suits that were popular when our parents got married...will our kids look back and laugh at us?

Beautiful Maggie Sottero Dress "Mia" for sale....

kguitarchic18 — Mon, 04 Aug 2014 23:09:04 +0000

The link is here for sale. Only worn for maybe 4 hours, beautiful dress

http://www.preownedweddingdresses.com/dresses/view/110538/Maggie-Sottero-Mia-Size-4.html

Wedding Gown Swatch

carmellahaha — Mon, 04 Aug 2014 20:08:33 +0000

I purchased my wedding gown from David's Bridal and they have just informed me that they have no way of providing me with a swatch of it. Does anyone have any ideas on where to get a swatch of a Galina gown? If it's even possible?

Dresses vs pants

Brittaheart — Mon, 04 Aug 2014 05:14:08 +0000

My fiancee is a women and she does not want to wear a dress witch is fine with me, But we are having trouble with other alternatives she's not crazy about a penguin suit and i was thinking a half dress looking thing with pants... any ideas. Or even websites that i can fine more ideas from thanks

Unhappy with dress.. Ideas?

drina0218 — Wed, 30 Jul 2014 17:38:54 +0000

I had my dress altered to a sweetheart neckline and I feel like it's crooked and I'm starting to look at my dress and think blahh. Anyone else start to resent their dress? Any ideas to make it look better? I was think about adding little sleeves or a different belt but with the wedding a month away I don't think I'm in the right frame of mind to make decisions.

I just don't understand... (VENT)

bmydesigner — Mon, 28 Jul 2014 16:14:37 +0000

My family is driving me crazy about my BM's attire. I wanted them all to be comfortable, so I let them choose different dresses in the same color. They ended up coordinating together anyway, and all except the MOH are going to be in the same material/length, just different styles. My mom has finally come to terms with this, but she just doesn't understand why I would not pick just one dress and can't fathom different dresses looking good. Even after I've shown her pictures.

Now, we're on shoes. I really don't care what will be on their feet, I probably won't even notice. They all wanted a little direction, so I just said anything in gray/silver. Again, mom thinks this will not look good. My aunt and I were arguing about this and I said to her: "No one goes to the wedding to look at the BM's shoes." and she actually said back, "I do!" Like, wow. I can't.

I try to talk about this stuff as limited as possible with family, and I now change the subject immediately when it is brought up. I know that is all I can do, I just thought I'd share/vent with you guys!

Help with heel height vs hem!

angiw8 — Sun, 03 Aug 2014 16:35:10 +0000

For my first fitting, I hadn't found my shoes just yet, so brought a pair I already owned thinking I would have no problem finding a heel with the same height! The shoe I wore to my first fitting had a 3 3/4" heel, and this pair I've found online has a 4" heel. It doesn't seem like a huge difference, but I wanted to make sure it wouldnt affect where she has my hem pinned before making the purchase. The platform on both shoes are the same and its just the 1/4" heel height thats different. Can anyone advise?? Thank you!

How did you decide on your dress? My own indecisive moment.

missdelilah — Thu, 31 Jul 2014 01:54:09 +0000

I ask this because I'm a big indecisive mess at the moment. I have real difficulty imagining what a tightly pinned size 20 will actually look like after I order a size 8 and have it fitted. I feel as though I should make a decision this week, as I'm a little worried about the time frame (alterations have to be complete by the beginning of February). I've mentioned before in various threads that I don't believe in "the" dress, at least not as far as I'm concerned. There are any number of dresses that are beautiful and would work perfectly well for every bride. All that said, I've narrowed it down to two dresses that are completely different, and (I think) would look great when all is said and done. To be honest, I'm finding working out which styles will suit me easier based on the designer photos, rather than trying on the way too large gowns. Not because I look like the models at all, but simply based on their similarities to other dresses I own or off the rack products I've tried on.

I'm really heavily leaning towards a dress that has a very low back. I know that this dress will work for me. My only reservation is that it's possibly too sexy for the occasion. It's probably going to be the more comfortable option, as it's likely to be extremely hot. Do you other ladies have any thoughts on this?

How did you decide on your dress? Did you really know it was "the" dress, or was it more a matter of, "this dress looks/will look great!"? I'd love to hear what your decision process was like.

Fall wedding - alternative to the bolero jacket?

Theksop — Wed, 09 Jul 2014 00:35:05 +0000

I am having a wedding in a semi-outdoor location (it's a barn) in fall in Vermont. The weather could be 80. Or it could be a cold, damp 35. I'm trying to plan ahead and have something warmish to wear, but I'm not seeing myself as a bolero sort of gal, and that seems to be 90% of what's out there.

Anyone have any recommendations on alternative jacket-ish ideas? Worst case scenario, I might just get an ivory pashmina and use that, but I was hoping for something a little bit more artistic/unique.

If it helps, this is my dress...

Thanks!!

Do I have to get bridesmaids dresses at same place I bought my gown?

kmedeiros89 — Mon, 04 Aug 2014 03:32:02 +0000

I love the place I ordered my wedding dress from but looking online I haven't found any bridesmaid dresses that I am crazy about. Do I have to get the bridesmaid dresses there or can I shop around? I don't want to insult the people where I got my gown but I don't want to settle for the bridesmaids either

Bridesmaids with different dresses

Soraya99 — Tue, 15 Jul 2014 19:42:18 +0000

I'm having my bridesmaids pick their own dresses. The only requirements are the color and that they're short. Has anyone else done this and how did this work out?

Recognize this dress??

kylene718 — Fri, 01 Aug 2014 19:02:04 +0000

I have been searching all over for a mermaid style wedding dress with a detachable/removable skirt. Nothing gaudy or totally off looking. I was sent the picture of this dress, but dont know the designer or style or anything about it. Any one out there who does know this dress? ...Or a dress similar?

Please help me pick a dress!

Knottie94916226 — Fri, 01 Aug 2014 19:31:26 +0000

Hi all, I have narrowed it down to 3 dresses and am super torn about which to pick! I have asked a lot of friends and family, but opinions differ a lot between them too. I decided it might be best to get some unbiased opinions here, thanks for your help!

Update: Anxious about altering my lace dress

beachyone15 — Wed, 30 Jul 2014 21:15:48 +0000

So I was reading another thread about altering lace dresses and it got me worried about my own gown. I have my first alterations appt this Sat so I'm not sure what to expect. My dress fits well but I'm worried about the hem. It's scalloped lace and there really isn't any horizontal seam on the dress. How are they going to be able to hem the dress - by creating a seam somewhere? Cutting the scalloped lace and re-attaching it? Has anyone else been through this that can ease my mind?

Buying fabric for bridesmaid dresses?

mazilora — Tue, 17 Dec 2013 14:56:39 +0000

The fiance's sister made an interesting suggestion--purchasing many yards of the same fabric for bridesmaids, and then letting them have their dresses made to their own taste and flattering style. I have a few questions if anyone has any experience with this--
--How much would it cost my girls to get a dress made (I'm okay with paying for the fabric myself)?
--How quickly could it be done? We're thinking August 2014 for the wedding, but I won't really be able to do any serious planning until early January.

If you've done this, how did it go over? How many yards does one need per dress?

Thanks a million!

Shoe rant, & what's a comfy brand?

novella1186 — Sat, 26 Jul 2014 21:29:36 +0000

I'm not much of a brand person, and I never spend the money on designer labels, but I decided the one splurge for my wedding would be a pair of Badgley Mischka high heels. When else am I ever going to buy something like that? I wanted shoes that were really girly and pretty but also comfortable since I'm not much of a high heel person (but I didn't want flats because my FI is 6'3" and I'm 5'1"). After 6 months of relentless searching, talking myself out of them because of the cost, and then talking myself back into them because everything else for our wedding has been coming in under budget and I haven't splurged on anything, I finally found the most amazing, perfect pair I've ever seen. They arrived yesterday and I ripped the box open like a little kid on Christmas. Could not put them on fast enough. And then I almost cried I was so disappointed. For designer shoes that cost nearly $300, you'd think they'd be just a tiny bit comfortable. I have several pairs of comfy heels that I can wear for hours. But these were not one of those pairs. They are seriously the most uncomfortable shoes I have ever put on. I could not even walk down the hallway of my house. I'm sending them back, but I still keep staring at them and feeling like crap because my dream shoes suck.

I just ordered a pair of Betsy Johnson shoes from her "Blue" line because a lot of reviewers said they were extremely comfortable to walk in, so hopefully I won't be returning those. Again, I've never been into brand names, but I just want the stupid shoes to be special and beautiful and something I can splurge on just for me, since I don't typically do that. Has anyone else bought a pair of super comfy, pretty heels? What's a good brand? If the Betsy Johnson pair doesn't work, I will be at a loss.

Wedding Band Ideas for Halo E Ring

kittennurse08 — Fri, 01 Aug 2014 19:08:55 +0000

Hello, I'm new

I have a double halo split shank e- ring. I have no idea what to do about a wedding band. I don't want a gap, and not so crazy about a curved ring either... but I guess I may have to get used to that idea.

Can you ladies show me what you did about your halo rings w/ bands?

Here is my ring.

Second Dress?

decembergrl2014 — Thu, 24 Jul 2014 15:12:54 +0000

I'm getting married on 12/12/14, and am debating on whether or not to get a second dress. I know that I only have 4 1/2 months left and I would probably have to get a sample/off the rack dress, which I'm fine with. I'm looking for opinions. What made you decide/not decide to get a second dress?

Are these shoes ok?

emz101 — Thu, 31 Jul 2014 23:02:34 +0000

Ok after searching I finally found shoes I like, however they are so not 'wedding shoes'. Since I don't wear heels I wanted to buy something I actually like and were inexpensive. Are they ok or are they not weddingy enough? I mean really who notices the bride's shoes anyway?

Did anyone hate their dress when they went in for their first fitting and then completely freak out?

jenijoyk — Tue, 29 Jul 2014 17:16:09 +0000

Because this is my recurring nightmare. I bought my dress almost 6 months (and 20 pounds) ago. I went right after I got engaged and was brimming with excitement and found one I liked the first place I went. Since then, I haven't opened the garment bag once. My first fitting is at the end of August, and I am freaking out that I will get there, put it on, and completely hate it. I keep googling images of other brides wearing my dress, and then critizing them to no end in my head. I can't figure out if I truly don't like my dress, or if I'm having weird emotional baggage issues that have gotten all entangled up the giant white poofball hanging in my closet.

Did anyone else have irrational fears going into their first fitting? Did anyone get to their first fitting and completely freak out and scrap the dress? Should I just face my fears, go home from work tonight, and try the dress on at home? Or is that just the worst idea ever given that it will probably be three sizes too big and I won't be able to imagine it post-alterations without professional intervention? I'd love to hear from others and hopefully calm down my nerves.

Rosewood dresses NOT from DB?

Knottie33322192 — Thu, 31 Jul 2014 23:42:23 +0000

So, for my wedding, I have an ivory gown with a champagne/gold beaded overlay. I love the Rosewood color at David's Bridal for my bridesmaids, but am not crazy about the styles (or the prices) DB offers. I have six gorgeous bridesmaids and would really love to find gorgeous dresses for them, but I can't seem to find any other places that have a similar color. Any suggestions?