Purchasing a Dress

I returned to Canada about 2.5 months before my wedding day. This was pretty much a guarantee that I would be buying something directly off the rack, which was scary because the sample's in-store were usually 2 sizes too big. I found one that I liked, but the total, after alterations and hemming would be more and $1000. I found it hard to rationalize that price, so I did some more hunting.

I never, ever, thought that I would purchase a wedding dress at a consignment store. When I thought of consignment dresses, I thought old and ugly. I avoided the consignment store that my Mom suggested I visit, but after seeing he reality of a $1000 dress, I thought I could at least take a look. The shop I visited was packed full of dresses. The owner only accepts  dresses that are 1-2 years old, so there were none of those scary dresses. Unlike the reserved bridal stores I'd been visiting, this was fun and relaxed. Grab the dresses off the rack, grab a room and try them on until you're exhausted. There was no pressure whatsoever, and no one trying to bully you into the veil, tiara, jewelry, shoes... Long story made short, this is where I found my dress and veil. I made an offer on both and was able to lower the prices even further.

What was great about my dress? 

1.) It fit. It was a real size. In the store there were heaps of dresses in every size. Trying on something that fit me, really let me know whether I liked the dress or not, because I was seeing it how it was meant to be. 

2.) It was already hemmed. The dress was basically the right length. It only took a few minor adjustments to be perfect, and I escaped a hemming charge.

3.) It was less than half-price. Choosing where to spend money is important. The difference in the price of this dress and the brand-new one was the price of my out-of-work maid-of-honour's plane ticket. I'll take the plane ticket!

Lessons Learned From Dry-cleaning

Months and months my wedding, tired of fighting with my wedding dress every time I wanted to get something out of my closet, I took it to a reputable local dry-cleaner to have it cleaned and boxed.  Here are a few lessons I learned:

1.) Get a quote in writing before you leave the store. Have it written on both copies of the receipt. My price went up to almost 3 times what the person at the counter told me. I was quoted for the box, and not the entire service. That was an unpleasant shock when I tried to pick it up.

2.) Inspect your dress at the cleaners. Open the box, make sure it is your dress! Take a close look at it and make sure it has been cleaned properly. My dress had a mark on it -- one that came from the cleaners, not from wearing it on the day.

3.) Many dresses today do not require dry-cleaning. If you are not concerned about having it boxed up, don't bother getting it cleaned at a dry-cleaner.  More about purchasing a dress later, but my dress was bought on the spot, not ordered, so it needed to be cleaned. They just threw it in the washer. Depending on the fabric of your dress, you might want to just wash and box it yourself.