expenses

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This is a thread that was started in our old BlissWeddings.com forums by munchkin on 9/20/04. Feel free to add your comments by pressing Post Reply.

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posted by munchkin

Which part of your wedding was the most expensive? From all the research I've begun to do, the reception seems to be the biggest money drain.

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posted by feb-bride

My reception was the most expensive part of my wedding day. Surprisingly, the ceremony was the LEAST expensive part of my wedding day. My dress cost more than the chapel and minister fees combined!

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posted by vandygirl

From what I've seen, most budget planners/calculators will tell you that HALF of your budget will go into the reception. That includes space, food, drinks, decorations, cake, etc. Second largest seems to be attire.

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posted by TheaterDiva1

I think for us, the order was reception being most expensive, followed by photographer/videographer, then DJ, then attire.

-Maggie

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posted by Kanona

My budget follows the pattern of Maggie's, and you know what else I'm discovering...all of those little misc items i.e. guest-book, favors, decorations really adds up! IMO, it's really worth shopping around to see where you can get the best prices, because after spending a few $ here and a few $ there, you add it all up, and you've spent hundreds of dollars on little stuff.

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posted by Marge129


Our reception was by far the most expensive thing. But, we also picked the BEST resaurant in town and had a sit down dinner.

The next expansive thing was the photographer... really shop around for this. We got quotes ranging from 5K to 1,200!

My ceremony was also the cheapest part of the day. I had the same thing as feb, my dress was also more expensive.

Margie

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posted by lilhoney1976

I'd say the reception is what will call you the most money. You can cut costs though depending on what you are looking for. I'm no expert but, in my opinion,it is best to find a reception site that is all inclusive meaning although you may have to pay a certain price per guest, at least your food,decorations,centerpieces,(and in some cases),beverages(non-alcoholic and/or alcoholic) and cake are all included in the price. Some places will even let you choose the color scheme, linen, and will even throw in personalized napkins and matchbooks. But, I believe that if you just rent a space, you may end up paying more by the time you're finished paying for everything individually but, that's just my opinion. Good luck!

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posted by lilhoney1976

P.S. Marge is right.The photography is the second most expensive thing and if you're paying for videography....

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posted by catina

Reception, Dress, Limo bus, photographer, flowers, DJ, cake, church. I think that's all!

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posted by wynelle

Of the last four weddings, the reception was the most expensive. (And we got the family discount because 3 of the receptions were in the same place!!) For the fourth, it was in North Carolina, and the rehersal dinner (whuch we ended up paying for, even though the groom's mother claimed credit for) was almost as expensive as the reception, because the groom and his mother wanted to hold it at the Special Forces Museum. I did all the legwork (and paid the final check) , her name went on the invitations. The wedding dress at this wedding was the next most expensive item ($6500), where in the other three weddings, the photographer was the next most expensive (same photographer $2,500 per wedding, starting with the rehersal dinner and all day at preparations for wedding, wedding, reception and followed to airport).

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posted by feb-bride

$6500 for a wedding dress? Holy cow!

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posted by Kanona

Good Gracious...my entire wedding isn't costing that much ....but hey, if you've got it, why not. You only get married once (hopefully)

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posted by catina

The dress is on the high side, that's for sure! It must have been gorgeous though! And, when you think about what the celebrities pay for theirs, suddenly $6500 isn't that bad!!
The photographer at $2500 sounds very reasonable, considering how longe he/she spent with the bride and groom!

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posted by Marge129

Holy Cow! My dress was $500 and it was gorgeous! I can't imagine what a $6500 dress would look like. It must be beautiful!

$2500 for a photographer isn't that bad either. I think after the bridal portrait session and the wedding day itself our photographer came to about that.

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posted by wynelle

I have to admit her dress was gorgeous. It was strapless, fitted, inverted pleat in the front, cathedral train in the back. pearl buttons all the way down. It was the interior tailoring that made it worth it (at least for her-her mother paid for the dress) there were about three different layers- a soft inner layer, then a 3/4 corseted middle layer, the the dupioni silk outer dress. It had a beautiful structuring that maintained its shape. She is also the most beautiful of the three daughters. 5'6", 110 pounds, very elegant features. Her hair was in a low knot, with a double veil, cathedral length for the wedding, short for the reception. In one of the pics, I was just amazed at how she resembled Audrey Hepburn. This was not a child bride, she was 35 at the time.

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posted by Marge129

That dress sounds AMAZING! Did she have it preserved so she could keep it beautiful forever?

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posted by wynelle

That was another $750. And she doesn't plan on having children. (her husband was 47 when they married) so I guess she might be saving it for her nieces. Of which there are none yet. Daughter #1 wore a sort of slip dress with 2 or 3 gauzey layers for a garden wedding, sort of floated in with the April flowers, daughter #3 had a dress that wore her if you know what I mean. It was one of the poofy David's Bridal dresses with heavy embroidery on the bodice and a big butt bow and a chapel train.

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posted by feb-bride

For $6500, I want that dress to walk me around so I don't have to!

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posted by lilhoney1976

Wow, $6500 is the price of a reception!I think a reception may even be cheaper than that depending on where you have it.The first time I got married my gown cost $2200.My mother paid for my gown. Everybody thought we (my mother and I) were crazy.This second time(and hopefully last-God willing) my mother has offered to pay for my gown. Now that I'm older, I tend to think more economically and not selfishly.(Please don't think I am calling the bride with the $6500 dress selfish because I don't even know her and apparently, they have the money to spend.I'm just referring to the fact that I feel I was being selfish in terms of my mother). Anyway, this time around, if I even decide to let her pay for it, I will be more reasonable. As a matter of fact,even though I'm not getting married until 2006, I've already chosen my gown and it costs $699. When I told my mother, she was tickled pink! She said, "Wow,compared to $2200, that's nothing!I can buy you an extra one just in case that one gets dirty! It still would be cheaper than the other one!"

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posted by Kanona

Feb~ I'm with you...that dress had better fly me wherever I want to go that day

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posted by Marge129

LOL!

I can't believe how much preserving dresses costs. I still haven't even had mine cleaned! It's sitting in garbage bags (yes garbage bags... the dingy who dressed me cut out the things so I could hang it back up!) in my Mom's dining room. I told my Mom to have it cleaned for me for my b-day this year! I'll never be able to afford it.

Margie

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posted by wynelle

The bride and groom (of the $6500 dress) said they were paying for the wedding themselves since they were adults. So the bride's mom thought since she didn't need to chip in for the wedding, she would buy the dress (and held the post-wedding brunch), and helped with the flowers. She "doesn't do parties", so I drove up about every other weekend from January- April (from Georgia to Fayetteville, NC) to help the bride with the planning. Her dad and I did the invitations, bought the champagne, made all the placecards, tble tents, etc, I held the bridesmaids luncheons, bought the bridesmaids dresses, arranged all the music (including ordering the special music, arranging for the organist, the script for the DJ), paid the hotel bills for the BMs as well as the bride, 6 rooms of out-of-town guests, initiated the arrangements for the Rehersal Dinner (since the MOG lives in Pennsylvania) AND we ended up sending the bride $3500 when the final catering bill came in from the rehersal dinner. I think, the only thing the B/G really paid for was...hmmm, I don't think they really paid for anything.

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posted by rwillmot

How did you find a dress for that price range as i'm a size 24 & cant find many dress that will fit me.

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posted by TheaterDiva1

My budget follows the pattern of Maggie's, and you know what else I'm discovering...all of those little misc items i.e. guest-book, favors, decorations really adds up! IMO, it's really worth shopping around to see where you can get the best prices, because after spending a few $ here and a few $ there, you add it all up, and you've spent hundreds of dollars on little stuff.

We made a lot of the "little stuff" ourselves (he made favor, I made placecards, flower girl basket and cardbox), so we saved money there. We also got most of our stuff at Michael's, and we usually get 50%-off coupons from the Sunday paper, so it cost even less!

-Maggie

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posted by feb-bride

rwillmot - I'm not sure what your budget is, but I was a size 18/20 when I got married. I was able to find a dress for under $1K at a bridal salon.

You do have other options. You can check the local consignment stores. You can even wear a white prom dress that is not specifically a wedding dress. I know that Jessica McClintock carries plus-size dresses in white. Or, if you know someone who is good with a sewing machine, you could have your dress made.

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posted by Kanona

Rwillmot~ do you have a David's Bridal near you? They have some awesome dresses, at reasonable prices, and they go up to a size 26W. I got my dress there for $400 (size 18/20), and it is absolutley gorgeous. You can find a really nice dress, and it may not even be $400, it could be less if you go at the right time. They are ALWAYS having sales.

What is your budget for your dress???

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posted by Marge129

Look around at bridal stores. Buy your dress off the rack, they're usually a lot cheaper.

David's Bridal is very good too... as Kanona mentioned. They always seem to be running their "$99 Bridal Sale."

Margie

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posted by Netty

Ok, I don't know if anyone else was confused about dress sizes, but I normally am a 14, but my wedding dress was an 18. I got mine a Canadian Department store, but I have heard that David's bridal is very good - and you can find some great sale items.

Another option (which my SIL did) is to rent your dress. You can get a beautiful dress for a fraction of the cost! My SIL got a very $$$ dress for only $350 (and that is Canadian dollars). Which works out to about $15 US! Just kidding, it is about $260 USD.

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posted by lilhoney1976

I agree with the David's Bridal suggestion.They have absolutely beautiful gowns for very reasonable prices. As I stated in my previous post,although my wedding isn't until 2006, I have chosen my gown already and it costs $699. That gown is from David's bridal. I would like to hope that by the time I get prepared to purchase,it will be even cheaper(on sale).But I doubt I would be so lucky as to have it be $99.(although I do know that they have those deals sometimes).The gown I chose is one of their more extravagant ones and if they sold that gown for $99, they'd be crazy. But anyway, I do reccommend them because I've been on their website and not only do they have beautiful gowns for women of all shapes and sizes, they also have gowns for the entire bridal party including the mother of the bride .I was a little surprised because usually for the mother of the bride, some places have these granny dresses, but David's Bridal has some beautiful ones and even mix and match separates. They also have accessories and shoes as well. So, I think they're definitely worth checking out. Good luck!

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posted by vandygirl

Has anyone ever bought a dress off the internet? I'm curious about a dress I've seen that is gorgous. They offer a satisfaction guarenteed policy and all the comments on the dress have been great. Its through Ebay, so I know the comments are real. Anyone know anyone who has ever done this? Of course I'd make sure the size is big enough to be taken in or let out if needed.

**Colleen**

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posted by HeatherR

FAIR WARNING:
I had the absolute worse experience with David's Bridal. I would blow up the building if I thought I could get away with it. There are WAY too many incidents to list as to what went wrong. I would never buy from them, nor recommend them to anyone else.

Check out:
http://www.moosedogtoo.com/mt/archives/000417.html

Heather

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posted by Marge129

OMG Heather... how on Earth did you come across that site? It just goes on and on and on and on...

I will say one thing about David's Bridal. I've never been to one, but my best friend's SIL used to work at one. This girl is the BIGGEST idiot I've ever met in my entire life. Seriously. So, it doesn't say a lot about the type of people David's Bridal will hire.

Margie

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posted by feb-bride

I've heard many negative things about David's Bridal, but I've never been to one myself, so I have no idea what they're like.

I have heard of people having good experiences buying dresses off the Internet (e.g., eBay). You just have to make sure you know the measurements of the dress before you bid.

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posted by HeatherR

OMG Heather... how on Earth did you come across that site? It just goes on and on and on and on...

I came across while doing a little research on David's bridal. I wanted to see if any other women had the same experience as I did. Sure enough... there are thousands of us, lol.

Heather
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posted by hermom

Heather, I'm sorry you had such a bad experience. We bought DD's dress in July at one of those famous 99.00 sales. It wasn't til after that that I started hearing of unhappy brides. I don't know what your experience was, but I have decided that we are not having alterations done there. The only thing the dress needs is a very small bussel, but I'm going to take it to a professional seamstress I know and she can do it. They want the dress 15 weeks out from the wedding for such a minor alteration. Something in the pit of my stomache says keep the dress local rather than letting them send it God knows where for alterations.
In all fairness, we did not have any bad experience when we were there. I just am listening to the small voice in my head (those voices talk to me a lot) that says not to take it back there.

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posted by HeatherR

Listen to that voice hermom- it's talking for a reason, lol...

Heather

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posted by marchbride05

I had a wonderful experience at David's Bridal and I just went in the store to look. A word of advice, those stores get crazy busy so go early in the morning if you can! I made my appointment for right when they opened and it was great. The lady who helped me was fantastic. I showed her the styles I liked and she found a dress for me that was perfect! It was one of the older styles so it was marked half off. It was originally about $800. Thank goodness I don't need any alterations! I know for a fact that they charge a lot for those! That is where they make their money I think. I guess that is how they can afford the $99 sales. I could use taking my dress up a little at the bottom but have decided to wear higher heels than normal. Heather- I'm sorry you didn't have a good experience there. I never thought I would buy my dress from there but I did and I love it!

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posted by catina

if you get higher heels than normal, make sure they're comfortable enough to wear all night dancing. You'll be tripping over your gown if you take your shoes off!

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posted by Kanona

Man Heather~ I'm sorry you had such a terrible experience with them. My experience was FANTASTIC....actually Marchbride, our experiences are very similiar.....

I went into the store not even expecting to find a dress that day, just sorta looking. I admit, everyone was very busy, but I was still acknowledge and signed up for a bridal consultant. I looked around at bridesmaid dresses until my consultant was ready, and then she showed me all the gowns in my size. I didn't see anything I liked and was on my way out the door, until the manager on duty approached me and asked me to allow her to show me some dresses. I told her I didn't like anything, but she insisted and I obliged. You know what, she pulled out two dresses (that me and my MOH frowned upon because they looked awful on the hanger , or so we thought), she asked me to trust her, being as though she's there all day and knows what the dresses look like on all skin tones, shapes, and sizes.....I bought the very first dress I tried on, no alterations needed. It was a discontinued dress marked at half off. It was like the dress was made specifically for me. Needless to say, we went back there to get the dresses for my girls......

It sucks when you have a bad experience with anyone in the service industry. Everyone should have the same experience with a chain franchise (one store should mirror the other), but unfortunately it varys from one place to the next....does anyone know if the David's Bridal stores are independently owned???

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posted by Netty

Marchbride05, if you get higher heels than normal, make sure they're comfortable enough to wear all night dancing. You'll be tripping over your gown if you take your shoes off!

Same thing for my dress. It was ALMOST short enough. So, instead of trying to find a comfortable pair of heels (that was totally impossible) I found a pair of white platforms. They are very cute, and just the right height. Not to mention, nobody sees them, so it didn't really matter what they looked like. It was also like I was wearing flats, too.

Just make sure whatever pair you get, walk in them every night (for about a week) at home (not outside) to get the feeling of how they are. Mine were really hard to get used to, and you don't want the first time you walk in them to be when you have a heavy dress on that will have a mind of its own!

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posted by marchbride05

Wow, Kanona, we really did have similar experiences! The dress I ended up buying was the second one the salesperson brought to me. I think you are right... they are there all day long and watch thousands of people try on dresses so they do have an idea of what looks good on people. That is one job I don't envy!

Catina and Netty- thanks for the advice about the shoes. I haven't tried them on with the dress yet but I will be sure to do so. Netty, my shoes sound like yours. They really are in between platforms and heels. They have a high heel but a thick one I can walk on . I prefer chunky shoes since I'm a little clumsy!

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posted by catina

My daughter wore white satin ballet slippers all day and night. very comfy. And they looked very cute.

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posted by feb-bride

I originally planned on wearing ballet slippers. I had bought them already when I found out that my dress could NOT be shortened. It had a 6-inch lace bottom on the skirt, but the lady at the bridal salon said that the dress could be taken up from the waist. When my step-mom tried tackling it, she said that because of the way that the zipper went past the waist, there was no way to do it without taking the entire dress apart. I didn't want to risk it, so I ended up wearing 3-inch heels at the wedding. I didn't have a hard time walking, but I was taller than my husband, which he wasn't too happy about. I told him that if he wanted to spend hundreds to redo my dress, then I'd nix the heels, so of course I wore the heels!

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posted by Kanona

Catina~ that's what I'm wearing. They're the kind that lace up around the leg.....really cute!

Feb~ your husband sounds like my FI. I had to go with flats because if I dare put on a pair of heels, my FI can forget it. I would tower right over him.... that's one day I'll let him have the advantage

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posted by feb-bride

I know, Kanona. My husband and I are the exact same height when we're barefoot, so I can't even wear a one-inch heel without being taller than him.

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posted by lilhoney1976

If I were to put on 6 inch heals I would still not be taller than my FI.Not even if I wore stilts-ha,ha! I'm 4'11 1/2 and he's 5'11. I come up to his chest. I feel like a hobbit-LOL! Oh, and about the David's bridal thing, my cousin bought her gown from them and had a wonderful experience.So did my friend's sister in law. I went on Davidsbridal.com and they have a section you can click on with hundreds of Brides and success stories.More success stories than the bad stories that you showed us, Heather. They have the recent brides and archived brides. I hate that you had such a horrible experience though,especially on one of the most important days of your life. I hope everything else went well and that the screw up was something you were able to fix. It must have been a staff issue in that particular branch.I still intend to purchase my gown from there. Having my alterations done there is iffy.What exactly happened to you when you did business with them? (if you don't mind me asking)

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posted by HeatherR

Oh boy... I'm not sure where to start. I agree with you on one point though, a lot of my problems with them had to do with the particular branch here in Albany NY.

1. I went in there for the 1st time to browse dresses, by myself. Not one person came up to me. I had to find a salesperson and when I attempted to ask her a question, she was extremely rude and brushed me off when I explained I was only looking but for the first time. I left in tears.

(Should have learned my lesson at that point...)

I gave my wedding party the option of picking their dress to wear. Unfortunately they chose a dress from David's. (I had 5 BM, a Maid of Honor and a Matron of Honor.)

2. My sister- the Matron of Honor, purchased her dress about 8 mos. before the wedding. When she tried it on they put a black scarf around her neck that hangs in the back. When she paid, it was itemized as two pieces. When the dress came in, it was only the dress, no scarf. They said they were just putting it on her to show her what it would look like. I showed them the rec'pt where 2 items were listed- oops, that was a mistake on their part.

3. Two of my BMs went to the DB in Syracuse. They didn't have my name on file as a registered bride there. (I had taken care of all that when my sister bought her dress.) They wouldn't fit the two girls at all or let them place an order. I had to call the DB here and have them call the one in Syracuse.

4. A fourth BM went to the one here in Albany. This time, they had no paperwork on me at the store that I actually registered at! (This is where my sister purchased her dress and I registered in person.) They wouldn't let her try on a dress and/or order. She called me from the store and I had to explain everything AGAIN to the manager.

5. One of the BMs who ordered in Syracuse- her dress came 5 WEEKS late and the wrong size. They made her go back to the store in Syracuse (she lives in Albany) to return it and order a new size. SEVEN weeks later another came, wrong size again. It's now about a week before the wedding mind you.

6. We had to call the Vice President of DBs and leave messages for three days before a call was returned. They eventually sent three dresses (diff. sizes) to the Albany store via FedEx. She was able to get her size- three days before the wedding.

Heather

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posted by lilhoney1976

Wow! I'm from New York(Queens, New York-born and raised all my life-live in Georgia now-4 years) so I know how attitudinal we can be-lol.(that was geared toward their attitude,not yours) However, I would think that they would have the common sense to be a little more tactful than that,considering that there is money involved.I don't understand the thing of not letting your girls get fitted. Whether they are are registered under you or not, they are still customers and potential buyers which means more money in their pockets(the sales people there work on commision-or so I've heard). Nevertheless,I will be trying them out anyway. Hopefully it was an isolated incident.To be honest, I find that although I'm from NY, the people down here are much more pleasant, especially in stores and restaurants. Hopefully,I have better luck because I will not tolerate any b.s. from anyone for any reason. I consider myself a peaceful person,very kind, very respectful,very friendly,always smiling(just don't piss me off). But, I will not have a problem making my presence known in that place if necessary.I'm not an obnoxious woman, just a realist and one who does not tolerate being mistreated, or dealt with in an unprofessional or disrespectful manner. Anyway, I hate that that happened to you.Wish me luck(or should I say THEM-lol).

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posted by Kanona

Hey~ what happened to RWILLMOT??? I haven't seen her on here lately!

Rwillmot~ if you're still out there..... how are things working out for you?

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posted by kirstin

I agree with everyone about there comments about David' Bridal. I had a great experience when I went in the first time. The sales lady was great. The next time I went in it was AWFUL. Everyone was rude. I had an appointment and still they acted like I was bothering them but being there and oh how I could go on. David's is AWFUL. I got a great dress for $450. BUt all of the other "perks" are not worth it.

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posted by MOBMEMBER

One more vote against David's Bridal. My daughter and I had a very frustrating time there. We had an appointment, but they made us wait an hour before helping us. This was on a Monday morning. Several girls came in without appointments and got help right away. They threw a few dresses at my daughter and didn't help with veils or anything else, I ended up walking around and bringing her dresses and veils.

Finally we left. There was one dress she really liked so we considerd going back after checking a few other stores (this was our first stop on the dress hunt).

Here's the real clincher. A girl followed us out of the store to where we stopped at a nearby gas station. She was a bride who had bought her dress at David's. She noticed how frustrated I was at the store. She said she wanted to tell us NOT to buy a dress there. She had a terrible expereince with them since the day she bought the dress. She reffered us to another salon, where her sister had bought a dress and that's where we ended up buying my daughter's dress.

We got a custom-made dress that we pretty much got to design ourselves for $1,000. It was a good deal for us cause it had all the features my daughter wanted.

MOB

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posted by lilhoney1976

Hey, ladies! After careful consideration and all the posts I've read, I've decided against David's bridal.Although I do know a couple of people who have had wonderful experiences with them,It's really not worth it to me to take the chance of having a bad experience. Besides, I found this dress in a bridal magazine that I absolutely am infatuated with. I have got to have it.It is a gown designed by Demetrios and I found a reputable shop that carries it and charges much less than the retail price. I had chosen a couple of dresses in a bridal magazine that I thought were beautiful and that gown was one of my favorites. I wanted to see if my FI and I had the same taste in gowns and if he would like any of my choices, since he's the one I'm supposed to be looking beautiful for-hee hee!I was going to show him the magazine but, he ended up picking it up and thumbing through it himself. He saw the Demetrios gown and loved it! Something has to be really nice for him to be impressed. So, when I saw the look on his face and saw how he reacted about that gown & he turned to me and said, " Now, this gown is nice! I know it's your decision but, I think you should wear this!", AND I looked at it and realized that it was one of the gowns I picked and was on the "mental favorites" list I had made for myself, I knew I had to have it. I have stopped my gown search.I have not tried the gown on yet though.I still have aways to go before the big day.I do however, hope the gown looks nice on me. I was thinking about trying the gown on just for the heck of it though.My mom thinks I should try it on and put a deposit on it now. She feels that since the wedding isn't until July 2006, anything can happen between now and the time I do have to begin ordering the gown and since gown styles are so often updated, that gown may get discontinued and then I will have lost out. Well,wish me luck ladies!
P.S. Has anyone heard from Kanona? If so, has she posted any wedding pictures?She said she would and I've been dying to see them!

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posted by wynelle

If that is absolutely the gown you want, then you do need to try it on, and have it ordered. Most gowns are only "in style" (ie made by the manufacturer) for about a year, so what is in the magazines and stores now probably won't be this time next year when you would be doing the buying. On the other hand, by next year, the big Internet wedding discounters may have it at 50% off. The problem always lies in (a) will you still want this particular dress next year, and (b) will you be the same size next year?

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posted by lilhoney1976

Well, the dress is so fabulous that I'm positive I'll still want it. What I think I might do is buy it too big and then go to a local seamstress to have it taken in. That way I can avoid the issue of it not fitting. BTW, do you know if those internet gown dealers are any good? I bought this awesome book called,"Bridal Bargains: Secrets to Throwing a Fantastic Wedding on a Realistic Budget". In one of the chapters they listed and rated a bunch of gown websites.I've never known anyone that's purchased a gown online.However, I looked on some of the websites and I couldn't believe the prices! $2,000 gowns for like $500-$800! The only thing is that my gown was not to be found,nor the designer. Demetrios is one designer that somehow has banned companies from selling some if not all their designs online. Anyway, keep me posted regarding any feedback you have about online dealers. Thanks!

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posted by syringa

I have had several brides who have purchased their gowns on-line and were very happy with the results. If you purchase from a reliable shop, you shouldn't have problems. Many of the gowns are discontinued styles or overstocks, so are nice gowns.

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posted by CupieJen

lilhoney1976,
i'm just curious...do you have a photo of your dress?? I LOVE gowns!!!

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posted by munchkin

Oh man I finally finished reading through that website that Heather posted....we don't have Davids Bridal in Canada, but if we did I'd certainly never buy my dress there, despite what looks like many beautiful dresses. However, those are also magazine ads so of course they look beautiful.

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posted by lilhoney1976

Hey, Jen! The gown is on demetriosbride.com.It's style #1226 in the 2004 Demetrios Couture collection. If you click on it and zoom in, you can see it close up.(the normal picture doesn't do it much justice)If you zoom in, you can see the crystals around the sleeves and the bottom. It's gorgeous! I love it! Take a look! My second choice(if I can't get that gown) is to purchase a gown online. I've seen some beautiful gowns some of those websites(not as beautiful as my first choice) but, they are beautiful.

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posted by munchkin

wow, that is an amazing dress! I hope you can get it lilhoney, I'm sure it would look beautiful.

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posted by lilhoney1976

Hey, Munchkin! I hope so too! I fell in love with it as soon as I saw it in the magazine and the fact that my fiance' suggested it before I even told him that I loved it, just seals the deal for me! What I'm worried about though is that since I'm not getting married until July 2006,the gown may be discontinued by then.You know how these designers discontinue designs like they change undearwear! I'm really wondering if I should take my mom's advice and order it now to be sure that I'll have it. I'm sure that I'll still love it by then and I'm sure styles will not change that drastically by then. If anything they may get wierder-hee hee! Have you seen some of these monstrousities(hope I spelled that right)that they've been coming out with in these bridal magazines? Luckily, a lot of the companies are sticking to the traditional look but, even some of them are trying out these new wierd looks.Blach! Yucky! Maybe I'd better order the dress soon-lol!

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posted by lilhoney1976

Hey,munchkin and Jen! Well, maybe not Munchkin because you mentioned that you saw it but if you were having problems zooming in on it, it was because I gave you the wrong site. Although that was the correct dress, The Knot has a better view of it. The picture they have on The Knot is the one I gaze at and daydream about, just about every half hour-lol(only kidding-every HOUR-lol) Anyway, I know that all you girls are busy with your own plans and lives but, if anyone is interested, my gown is on theknot.com. On the home page,there will be a choice where you can search bridal gowns. When you get to wedding gown search, there will be a drop down menu.For designer,choose Demetrios Couture;for silhouette,choose A-line;for neckline,choose square; and for price, choose three dollar signs($$$).Then, click go and 2 dresses will pop up.It's the first dress on the page. The one with the short cap sleeves. Click on it and then you can zoom in and out. Oh, and for anyone who is looking for ideas of what type of gown they would like to wear,The knot has a wide selection of gowns! Take a look!

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posted by CupieJen

lilhoney,
that is a very beautiful gown! have you gone to the store and tried it on yet? i actually did the same as you...i found my dress online and fell in love with it and THEN tried it on. Thank God it looked good on me! I had my heart set on it. I say...if you look at it and drool over it every hour and it's all you can think about, if it was me, i'd go ahead and order it.

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posted by lilhoney1976

Yeah, I think I will.I haven't even tried it on yet. I don't know.I guess I just didn't want to go to soon. By the way, when are you getting married?

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posted by wynelle

I noticed that this dress was in the 2004 Collection and the new 2005 Co0llection is also on his web page. That means the 2004 Collection will only be there for a few more months. If you want that dress, you will need to order it soon or it may not be available. On the other hand, the price might go down!

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posted by CupieJen


Lilhoney,
We were married this past summer, on August 20th.

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posted by munchkin

I agree with wynelle. go try it on, make sure you love it and that it looks good, and buy it. Gowns get discontinued really quickly once the other ones are out, as my FSIL found out when her gown was gone by the time she went to order it.

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posted by lilhoney1976

I think I will do that. I'll probably go sometime next month.BTW, do you know how much time elapsed between the time she saw the dress and the time she went to order?

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posted by munchkin

I don't know off the top of my head, but I'll ask her when I see her this weekend.

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posted by Lilianevii

I just thought I would add about my DB experience. I went in when I first got engaged and tried on some dresses. The gril was nice, but didn't bring out any veils or shoes, she just helped me into my dress. I tried on 6 or 7 dresses but knew the second one was the dress. I left and went home and talked to my mom who lives out of state. She said to get the info and she would order it through the DB close to her. She and my sister opened a credit line through thme and they put my sis as the bride and not me. So everytime I go in there now I have to give her name, not mine and they always ask if I am a bridesmaid. It kinda bothers me cause they take away from my Bridal glow. Anyway. Mom ordered the dress and it got here about 6 weeks later in a small box. I really didn't even think it was my dress, the box was so small. I opened the box and my dress was folded and squished into that box in a clear plastic bag. it wasn't even in a garment bag. I went back to DB for my bridemaids dresses cause my sis lives in florida and my othere BM lives here. I figured it would be the easiest way to get them matching dresses without much trouble. And it wasn't too bad ordering them. Both dresses came in about 3 weeks later. Neither had to be altered. My dress did and the girl was just as sweet as she could be, but the cost was outrageous. I pick it up Friday the 13th of May so I will tell you what I think. My feeling towards David's Bridal are very mixed. But if I was left to do it again I don't think I would. They don't take enough time out for the customers. They need to understand that when we bride to be's come in we are anxious and excited and nervous and need a gentle person to help us through the experience.

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posted by feb-bride

I feel that you get what you pay for with many bridal salons. David's Bridal has a reputation for being less expensive than other salons, and I think that brides pay for this by receiving reduced customer service. I'm not saying that all DB locations are like this, but there certainly does seem to be a trend.

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posted by e-star

Just to slightly change the topic - are people going dress shopping/showing pictures of dresses to their fiances? I thought it was bad luck? I've not been letting my fiance set foot into a bridal shop with me because of this, although I would like to -he's got a great eye for what styles I look good in!

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posted by e-star

Oh forgot to ask, how much did everyone end up spending/are you budgeting for stationary expenses (invitations, name cards, postage etc.)?

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posted by SuzyBride

I don't care if FH looks at dresses even if he looks at mine, as long as he doesn't know its mine!

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posted by munchkin

No, my FH will not be seeing my dress or going dress shopping with me. I'm bringing my mom and my bridesmaids with me to go shopping. I'm not in the least traditional but I still don't want my FH to see my dress ahead of time.

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posted by labeadel

My FH won't be seeing my dress either. He doesn't even really want to know anything about it. I've offered to show him the tiara and veil, and he won't look at it. He's very traditional, I'm finding. Who knew?!