Buying A Wedding Dress Online
April 27, 2008 by Weddings-R-Us
Filed under Shopping Online
So many brides are starting to see tremendous savings in both time and money when they buy an online wedding dress.
But why would any sane bride-to-be even think about purchasing the most important dress of her lifetime online? Well there’s more to it than just going online and buying a wedding gown that’s for sure. But when you know the ins and outs of this type of shopping, you will not be sorry that your purchased your wedding dress via the Internet. In fact, if you are a bride on a budget or even if you just can’t justify spending thousands of dollars on a dress that you will only wear for a few hours, buying online is definitely a good thing.
First here are the shocking facts. Your average $1,500 designer wedding dress probably cost about $320 or less to make. And yes that includes labor and materials. Why then would anyone pay $1,500 for this dress? It’s simple really, retail markups. Normally retail markups are about 100%. In other words, if the retailer buys something from the wholesaler at $150, then the formula says that they should sell it to the public for $300. But for some reason, wedding dresses seem to be the exception to this formula. Now sure there are variances to this like say a retailer that sells in higher quantities. Naturally, this type of retailer can lower their profit margins and make up for it with the number of units that they sell.
But the other factor in this formula comes in form of one word, “wedding”. It seems that once this word gets out, then it is like a permission slip to charge more. However, it is also important to understand the cost factors of wedding gowns. When you know how much they really cost and what types of materials and features to look for, you will find that the online wedding dress is the answer to any sane brides prayers.
Just because an online wedding dress costs less doesn’t make it of lower quality. It just means that you have to ask more questions and know what you are looking for.
Before you buy online, make sure that you know the difference between a designer gown and a replica wedding dress. If you are shopping for a labeled gown, then make sure that the designers name is clearly displayed in the description and in your shopping cart before you hit the purchase button.
If however, you are not look for an authentic designer wedding dress, but rather a replica or designer inspired gown, make sure you see what the actual gown that you will be getting looks like. In other words, you find yourself on a website that has a picture of the $3,000 designer wedding dress that you want, but it is only $185. Now the picture looks the same and everything else about the details looks identical, but there is no mention of the designer.
This is a designer replica and while it is OK to purchase these gowns as long as they are “inspired” not exact replica’s infringing on copyright laws, it is not OK to purchase one of these unless you see the actual dress that is made by the website displaying the dress.
So Stop! Do not purchase anything until you see their interpretation of the wedding dress. This little step is extremely important. Then ask the following questions; What materials is the dress made of? Is it lined? If it is strapless does it have the proper of amount of boning? Does it have a crinoline sewn into the dress? Does it have an intra lining or foundational layer?
With the exception of the first question. The answer to the rest of the other questions should be yes. Take note of the materials, they should be made of a quality bridal satin or taffeta and other materials like organza, chiffon or tulle. Do they use ancelon laces? If they don’t you might not want to purchase because the lace might be very stiff and cheap.
If you get satisfactory answers to your questions and their return policy is acceptable, then go ahead and buy an online wedding dress. You just saved yourself a tremendous amount of time and money. Now you can have the dress of your dreams at a fraction of the cost.
Wedding Shoe Advice
April 27, 2008 by Weddings-R-Us
Filed under Wedding shoes
A pair of bridal shoes is often the last thing that a bride thinks about, you always imagine what you will look in your wedding dress on your big day but totally forget about the bridal shoes even though they are the second most important item after your wedding gown.
And the unexpected wide range of choice on offer can be daunting. But there are some key points to bear in mind when choosing your shoes. Firstly it is your day and just because the traditional way is to wear a plain ivory or white court shoe, there is a lot more choice and style on offer if you look around.
Timing is very important, if you are having your dress made or if your dress requires any alterations then you will need your shoes for the dress fitting to get the correct length for your dress.
Some of the key points to consider when looking for your shoes, if you are looking around shops then carry a fabric swatch with you to compare them, but remember although it may match the swatch the colour can look very different when seen against the whole dress, and in different light settings. It is also worth carrying a popsock with you if you intend wearing stockings or tights on your big day, and remember that your feet will swell later in the day.
The actual style choice is vast, from the very traditional court shoe to the contemporary open toe sandal, silk
and satin is still the most popular choice of fabric and does enable the shoe to be dyed. Most brides prefer a higher heel but do remember that you will be wearing them for a long time on the day and that it will be difficult enough to walk in your dress, so they need to be comfortable and you need to be able to walk in them with ease. If you normally wear flat shoes don’t decide to wear a pair of 10 cm heel shoes as it could spoil your wedding day, there is nothing wrong with wearing a lower heel. Although a higher heel is very flattering to the leg, a shoe with an ankle strap is very flattering on all shoes even the lower heel shoes, and helps to keep the shoe secure on your foot.
If the heel height is a concern because you are taller than the groom, then consider the heel height on the groom’s shoes as well, it is possible to find men’s shoes with a discreetly higher heel than normal but without it looking like a left over from the 1970’s.
A big decision is colour, should you match the shoe or contrast the shoe with the dress. It is becoming very popular to contrast the shoes with the gown, especially for bridesmaids, for example a gold gown will give a gorgeous contrast with chocolate brown, or red shoes. Silver is a good choice of shoe to contrast with most dress colours, but do remember to co-ordinate any jewellery if choosing gold or silver shoes. If you are having your shoes dyed then consider whether to have them dyed to daylight or artificial light, as this can affect the colour of them.
If you’re getting married in the outdoors, consider having a shoe with a wedge, to stop you sinking into the ground. And for outdoor weddings in a hot climate it is advisable to consider a sandal to allow your feet to breath. A consideration for beach weddings is toe posts or slip on shoes, as they will allow the sand to pass thru the shoe.
Finding the right shoes for Bridesmaids can also be a struggle, especial if you have a wide age range of Bridesmaids, unfortunately most manufacturers do not offer a complete size range in the same shoe from very small to adult, they are usually available in staggered size ranges and different style i.e.: sizes 7-1 for the small bridesmaids and flower girls, then the junior size range of sizes 1-5 and finally the adult size range of sizes 3-8.
No matter where you choose to purchase your shoes from, be it a High Street shop, Bridal Shop or the online the best advice is to check the return and refund policy for the shoe, it is such a big day for you, you need time to make sure they are what you wanted.
Finally the best advice is, choose what is comfortable for you to wear and what you feel happy with whether that is an unusual colour or style, although you will only be wearing them for just one day, they will last in the wedding photo’s forever.
Choosing the Right Wedding Shoes
As you will know, the wedding gown is one of the most important items in your wedding. It is important because you would like to be a perfect bride when you walk down the aisle. All your guests will be looking at you. As a result, you will try your best to search for the best wedding dress.
Yet another item you should also be paying attention to will be your wedding shoes. You have to make sure that the style and design of your shoes match your gown. You will just ruin all your effort in searching for the wedding dress if your shoes do not match it. Consequently, you should never overlook the importance of your wedding shoes.
No matter you are search for your gown or your shoes, the first thing you need to consider is comfort. Yest comfort should always be your most important consideration when you are choosing your wedding shoes. You will be wearing the pair of shoes for the whole day. And it will hurt you badly if you do not feel comfortable when you are wearing the shoes. There is no point to hurt yourself on your big day. As a result, even if the pair of shoes is very beautiful and they match your gown very well, you should never choose them if you do not feel comfortable when you are wearing them.
You might want to purchase your wedding shoes and gown at the same time. In most cases you will be choosing them in the same shop. One of the advantages of doing this is that you can make sure that they will be a matching pair since you can try them on together. You will not be able to do it if you are not purchasing the dress and shoes from the same shop. In case the you buy them from two different shops, you should bring a photo of your gown to the shop you are going to buy the shoes from so that the experts in the bridal shop can give you opinions on the wedding shoes you should choose. If it is possible, you should also try to bring some samples of the fabrics from your wedding gown. This will greatly help when you are choosing your wedding shoes.
Some brides may want to choose high heel shoes as their wedding shoes. You have to think of it from two aspects. Firstly, people may not be see the high heels if you are going to choose a long wedding dress. Besides, you should also consider if you feel comfortable when you are wearing a pair of high heel shoes. If you are accustomed to wearing high heel shoes, it will not be a problem to you. However, if you are not the kind of person who usually wear high heel shoes. You should consider carefully before you choose a pair of high heel wedding shoes.
Of course bridal shops are not the only place you can find your wedding shoes. You can also try to search for your wedding shoes from some online shops. You may even be able to get discount from these online shops.
Choice of Wedding Shoes
Because you want your wedding to be perfect in every way, it is important to pay close attention to your choice in wedding shoes. Though seemingly one of the little things about your wedding, less worrisome than say the cake or where to seat everyone, wedding shoes are just as important for many different reasons. Think of everything you will be doing in these shoes. You will do things like:
• Dance
• Walk Down The Aisle
• Take Photographs
• Greet Attendees
• Cut your Cake
With everything you have to do in your wedding shoes, it is extremely important that you take great care in choosing the right shoes. Therefore, here are four things that your wedding shoes must have.
Comfort
If your wedding shoes are not comfortable, you will find that spending that many hours in them and doing all the things you must do at your wedding to be unbearable. While looks are important as well, comfort should be at the top of your list of things you wedding shoes must have. Try them on, walk around the store, could you see yourself spending hours in these particular shoes?
Heel Height
The height of the heel on your wedding shoes makes all the difference in the world. In most cases, your shoe type should be picked out before you even have your wedding dress fitted. This is because the dress is fitted around the shoes. Stilettos are often the highest pair of heels you can get, if you do not wear these often, it is best to go with ballet slipper, kitten heels, or platform shoes. It is not a wise idea to choose stilettos if you are not used to wearing them.
Fabric Type
You do not have to go with the traditional fabric of wedding shoes, such as satin or silk. Your wedding shoes can be of any fabric you would like. However, make sure that you have the wedding shoes done, if they have to be customized, before the dress fitting.
Style
Your wedding shoes must portray your style. Not only your personal style, but also the style of the wedding itself and your wedding dress. You do not have to conform to tradition; it is after all your wedding. Make sure your wedding shoes fit your style in every way. Remember, it is your day.
You Must Try Them On
It is not good to buy a pair of wedding shoes without trying them on. What happens if that style does not fit right? What if you are not comfortable in these shoes? Then you will have to start all over again. It is best to try on your wedding shoes in the exact same environment as your wedding will be. For example, because you will be on your feet during the day of your wedding, it is best to try on your shoes after being on your feet all day.
The more you are on your feet, the larger your feet become due to swelling, so this is when you should try on your wedding shoes. Furthermore, if you are wearing hose or stockings during your wedding, these should be worn when trying on the shoes as well.
