Common Wedding Dress Questions

Q. Why do made to measure designer dresses cost so much?

There is a popular misconception that as with anything to do with weddings, brides ordering made to measure designer dresses are somehow being over charged. This is simply not true for the following reasons;

Firstly made to measure dresses are generally hand made in the UK and labour costs and overheads are obviously a lot higher than for dresses manufactured in China. Designer stores also offer a much higher level of service and have a major investment in sample dresses for brides to try.

Secondly brides are paying for the experience and expertise that designers have acquired over many years in the business. Dealing with designers who actually make their own dresses should give brides confidence that the dress will fit properly and be ready in time, which is not always the case with imported dresses.

Some brides decide to use a dress maker to copy a designer dress to save money. Dressmakers can often under cut designers on price, because they have much lower overheads. But brides considering this option would be well advised get references because this can often prove to be a disaster. NB: Not all dressmakers have the necessary skills or experience to manufacture a comparable dress for less money.

Q. What happens if I want to lose weight?

Brides are notorious for wanting to lose weight for their weddings. This is understandable and most stores will make some allowance for this in the fittings, provided the weight loss is not after the dress has already been altered to fit. As most brides will appreciate it is very difficult for bridal stores to hit a moving target. During the peak wedding summer months (June to August) bridal workrooms work to a very tight schedule, due to the number of dresses that they have to finish.

Q. What style of dress will suit me?

Once the potential bride has decided which stores she should make appointments to visit, the next problem is working out what style of dress will suit her figure and the type of wedding she is having??

Looking through bridal magazines will help, but the quickest way is to go and try dresses on. It is also helpful if the bride is able to get some professional advice on what styles suit her figure, her budget and her venue.

Thankfully, there are a reasonable number of reputable west end bridal designer stores, which offer a good selection of styles (at prices from £1500 to £10,000) These can often be off the peg, made to measure or couture dresses, depending on the bride's budget. Luckily for brides looking in London's West end there are a number of designer own label bridal stores, which offer a personal made to measure service on many of their designs, unlike the majority of stores outside London.

Bridal etiquette: Getting the best from your appointment.

Before proceeding it is worth noting that most reputable West End bridal establishments are busy and usually see brides on an appointment only basis.

Ideally one should make appointments at a number of these more reputable stores to try on styles and hopefully get some intelligent advice of what styles will suit the bride's figure, her style of venue and budget. It is best to be honest about how much you are prepared to spend. There is little point is trying on £3000 dresses, if your budget is £1500.

This advice is normally given for free, but brides should be aware that it is extremely frustrating for the bridal stores, (and unfair on other brides), when brides fail to show for their appointments.

The best bridal stores always have a waiting list for appointments and when brides do not bother to turn up or cancel, this effectively deprives other brides of that appointment slot. For this reason, many of the top designer bridal boutiques (including Johanna Hehir) charge a cancellation fee if you do NOT give them 48hrs notice of cancellation in writing.

Saturdays and week day evening appointments are generally in high demand for obvious reasons, so it pays to book well in advance.

Normally customers are asked to remove their shoes so as not to damage the carpets and request that brides wear gloves when trying on dresses, to help minimise soiling, from being over handled. Otherwise expensive wedding dress samples are ruined within weeks, by the sheer number of people trying them on. Most brides would understandably prefer not to try on shop soiled dresses.

Bearing in mind these small courtesies makes for a memorable and thoroughly enjoyable experience!