Shopping for Your Dress

Over the next few months I'm going to talk about shopping at different wedding shops in the Nebraska area, but I want to talk about different ideas for shopping for your dress.

In every aspect of the wedding industry, prices are jacked up just because of the word "bridal" in the title. Most different types of vendors give escalated rates for weddings (with the exception of a few types of vendors). No place is that more true as it is in the wedding gown industry.

So step back. Just because a store isn't a bridal boutique doesn't mean it doesn't house your wedding dress. On a recent trip to Los Angeles, my friend Allison and I were trying on formal gowns at the Nordstrom at The Grove. I sent a picture of me in a peach colored dress with a lace flower overlay. It was a gorgeous designer evening gown. Every person I sent it to thought that I was in a bridal boutique trying on dress (by the way, I have vowed to never put a gown on until I have a ring on my finger).

That's when it hit me that you don't have to go to a bridal store to get a great dress at a great price. The dress I was in was absolutely gorgeous and could have easily have been worn as a bridal gown. The best part is that is was only $400 and it was impeccable quality.

There are plenty of discount bridal stores that you can find a dress for around $400 or less, but take a look inside those dresses. Do you see any tags? No. They have been cut out because these dresses aren't the designer gowns they look like, and they aren't made of what the designer gowns are made of. Discount shops purchase inexpensive knock-off copies of famous designer gowns. They cut out the producer tag and the fabric tag to avoid you knowing exactly what it is you are buying. These dresses look a lot like their designer counterparts, but they are made of lower quality fabrics that may be more susceptible to staining and wrinkling. If the tags are cut out of a gown, proceed with caution.

There are lots of great boutiques that carry gorgeous gowns. But let me start with three major department stores that off fabulous white gowns that you can wear on your wedding day.

Nordstrom actually markets dresses for brides as both gowns and reception dresses. These gowns are at great prices with a guarantee of high quality gowns.

Macy's also is marketing white gowns as bridal attire as well. You can also search in their bridal area for bridesmaids dresses, which I'll talk more about in a later post.

Saks Fifth Ave doesn't specifically market to brides with their fashions, but they carry an extensive line of evening gowns with plenty in white.

It's difficult to see the difference in quality over the internet. I encourage you to go into a discount store and take a look around and then step into a Macy's or Nordstroms and just feel the fabrics. You'll be able to get a much higher quality dress for a comparable price. And by all means, if you have the budget to purchase a full-price designer wedding gown, go for it.