Wedding Dress Tips from a Master

Gandma Fishie has been a seamstress for what seems like a million years in reality it's probably been at least 50+ years. This woman has seen wedding dress trends come and go;

The Good,

The Bad,

and the Ugly!

The good part? Her vast experience in the wedding/formal dress industry has led to a great multitude of tips for future brides and anyone else who has to try and help them wade through the mess. I present them here so that other brides may benefit from this woman's wisdom in this one area.

Source

1. 
   
   If possible, do not purchase from David's Bridal! I realize that they account for 20% of all the wedding dresses purchased and that there may be brides out there who have no other choice however, in Grandma Fishie's experience their quality isn't the best,and they frequently convince a bride to purchase a dress 3 or 4 sizes too big/small and assure the bride it can be altered to fit. Please realize that the lady selling you the dress has no experience in alterations, case in point: I actually looked at dresses from DB, the woman measured me and told me to order a size 8 then once I mentioned that it was my grandmother who'd be doing the alterations I magically fit into a 4. Yes, you may pay a lower price for your dress but I want to caution you that you're sacrificing quality for a lower price.
2. 
   
   
   Do Not Purchase Over the Internet! The sizes over in China/Korea/wherever your dress is coming from are completely different from the sizes here in good ole' USA and you will wind up with a dress either too big or too small. Also, it's important to try on the dress to make sure it looks right. I realize that in some cases this is inevitable for whatever reason, in that case I suggest doing your research and finding a reputatble company preferably one based in the US with a brick and mortar store as well as an online shop. A site such as Best Bridal Prices.com the important thing is to do your research. 
3. 
   
   When dealing with the bridal store it's sometimes helpful to have a man step in. This was one tip even I had trouble believing since I'm a feminist at heart and believe that anything men can do women can do. But, Grandma Fishie swears this can be helpful the male can be your father, or father-in-law or any male you know that looks important and mean. The reason for this? Bridal shops assume that brides and by extension their mothers will just accept whatever the bridal shop says. Example: your dress is not what you ordered, you/your mother call the bridal shop and are told that there's nothing they can do about it. Your father calls/shows up if possible and problem is resolved, you get your money back or they're willing to put the money towards another dress. This is a real-life example of what can happen, who knows why this is but it's possible the bridal shop will assume that the father is "holding the purse strings" and thus listen to them more. But, when in doubt it never hurts to ask a man to step in if you can't get the bridal shop, or any other vendor, to cooperate.
4. 
   
   Walk out of that store with your dress but don't buy a “sample”! Sample dresses have been worn by too many people before you came in there so they're germy and sweat stained and stretched to the limit. Not to mention the story of the woman who bought a “sample” gown complete with straight pins glued into the seams. Just like with DB; Yes, you may pay a lower price but just be forewarned that you're in danger of sacrificing quality for price. Make sure you go over that dress with a fine tooth comb, note any holes in the lace or sweat stains or even dirt. Then examine if it's really worth the price difference to wear a dress on your big day that any number of women may have worn before you.
5. 
   
   If you order your dress, tell them your wedding is 2 months before the actual date! If your wedding is in May tell them it's in March, if it's in June tell them April, etc. This will ensure that your dress will get to you on time and you will have time to have it altered before your big day. The last couple of weeks before the wedding you'll be running around trying to remember a million things-the last thing you want to worry about is where your dress is.
6. 
   
   Call the shop at least once a month to “check” on your dress! It's true what they say; “The squeaky wheel gets the oil” stuff happens and for whatever reason you're dress may be delayed but if you're calling the shop you'll be on the forefront of their minds. For example, there may be a minimum the shop must have before they order, the factory can burn down, they can get lost in the en route, and any other number of things can happen but if you're calling the shop and asking about the status of your dress at least you'll know what's happening.
7. 
   
   Start shopping early! The more time you're able to spend looking and finding out what you like and what looks good on you, the more likely you are to find something you “love” versus something you “like”.
8. 
   
   When you're being measured for the dress, make sure they order the size based on your bust measurement since that's the most difficult to alter! For example, if you're measurements are 34(Bust)-26(Waist)-40(Hips) and the shop tells you to order a size that will fit your hips JUST SAY NO! Your dress will wind up too big in the bust area and depending on your dress style your hip measurement doesn't even really factor into how well it's going to fit.
9. 
   
   Do NOT order your dress two sizes too small in the hopes that you'll “loose weight” and fit into it! You may loose the weight but you won't necessarily loose the inches and you'll find out a week before your wedding that the dress doesn't fit.
10. 
    
    Just say NO to lace and beading around the hemline! If your dress comes with lace or beading around the bottom hemline and you need your dress shortened, no matter what they told you in the bridal shop it cannot just be made shorter by altering at the waistline. The proportions will be off, and it'll look “funny” when you're walking down the aisle.
11. 
    
    Write EVERYTHING you do down! This is not necessarily wedding dress related but it will save you energy, time, and headache down the road when it's two days before the wedding and you can't remember if you finalized your order with the florist. Or if you're like me, write a blog and hope that someone else will read it and remind you that you forgot something.

Grandma Fishie had plenty of other “tips” and “tricks” for the wedding planning process but these are her “main” tips. I hope some of her wisdom has been passed on and maybe some day she'll finally get around to writing that “how-to” book of weddings. Please don't take these as hard and fast rules that you have to obey more like general guidelines to make your dress shopping experience more enjoyable and beneficial!