Here To Help With Weddings

Freebie_Hunter_2

Hello all.
I usually frequent the freebies board but today I have gone a-wandering ;D

If you're getting married soon and you would like any advice on anything at all whether it be what to wear, ettiquette, how to cut costs, transport, catering etc ... even if there's a problem with perhaps friends / family then please do ask away.
If you don't want to broadcast it you can always send me a message and I can reply the same way if you wish (if there's no reply preference then I shall reply on the board).

I have vast experience in the bridalwear industry and am due to open my own bridal hire shop. I also liase with others in the industry such as florists, car hire, photographers so if I can't answer directly then I will find out for you.

I have also recently married and had my fair share of problems including the end of a 10yr friendship!

Hope to hear from you all soon

Woby_Tide

I have also recently married and had my fair share of problems including the end of a 10yr friendship!

Indeed, you wonder why you married them..... ;D ;D

katglasgow

Hi Freebie Hunter, I would LOVE your help!!!
I am getting married next July on a very limited budget. My parents - god love them - are paying for all the reception costs. It is in a nice hotel and there will probably be c.90 people at the meal as my family is huge and we get on so it'll be good fun and not a stuffy do.
My problem is my partner and I have a very limited budget/available funds. We are making our own stationery, cakes, favours etc.. And I am asking for gift vouchers for Christmas and birthday to cover underwear, shoes and tiara from BHS or similar.
My problem is the dress! I had set myself a budget of £300 for my whole outfit, and had been planning to hire a dress - sounds sensible as only required for 1 day? However, it seems that there are actually very few outlets that hire wedding dresses - I have only found one in the whole of the West of Scotland and they only have 6 dresses to choose from. I am not keen to hire from further afield as I am a fussy dresser and I need to be able to try things on before making a comitment (this rules out Ebay too). A few dress shops have told me they have sales on at the moment and I have heard of dresses going for £200 or less? I am planning to try a local bridal shop as well as Debehams, Frasers and Monsoon this Saturday and also going to look at the hire shop - maybe they have the one for me!
I would love any advice you have on the shop brand names who are at my end of the budget, best sales advice, and whether or not you think I am being realistic. Any help appreciated I am a wedding novice and this is my big day!!!

ashmit

I had my dress made for £295. It was a fairly simple dress, but I was very happy with it. Have you spoken to any dressmakers about what might be possible?

Mrs_Thrift

Hiya,

Have you looked through the thread I started when planning my own wedding (and watched with amazement as it grew and grew!)?

http://forum.moneysavingexpert.com/cgi-bin/yabb/YaBB.cgi?board=Families;action=display;num=1061918394

There's loads to read through but some fantastic tips so it's well worth it.

Having said that, I'd also be more than happy to try and help with any specific questions.

As for your dress, Katglasgow, I certainly think you should be able to find an outfit for under £300, although it might depend on what kind of thing you're looking for.

Before you decide what you do and don't like, though, make sure you've tried on every single available style. (The shops don't know you're not planning to buy from them! )

I don't know if it's still there, but about 6 years ago, my friend bought a once-worn designer wedding dress from a shop in Glasgow for about half the original price. They even kept it for her while she paid for it over a few months. I'll try and find out if it's still there and where it is.

And I know you said you don't fancy E-bay as you can't try the dresses on, how about if you could find a stockist where you could try the same dress on, then buy it from E-bay?

Hope it helps, and feel free to ask more questions, either here or in a PM.

Mrs Thrift

katglasgow

Thanks to all who have replied. I am starting to feel a bit more optomistic about my budget not restricting me too much! I have enjopyed reading your original thread mrs Thrift - a wealth of tib bits! Its getting very long so didnt want to print it all out and I thought this thread might be useful to ask specific info re the dress which is my main problem at the moment. I have got my other half on babysitting duties all day sat and am making appointments/visiting Debenhams, Angeline's Birdal Shop (Glasgow shop with sale on), Monsoon and the hire shop. It I see a dream dress in my budget I'll get my bridesmaid to come back with me on Sunday, so I wont buy withouth thibnking about it overnight at the very least and a second opinion! I'll let you know how I get on, maybe someone you would have comments/ideas on the rest of my plans? At the moment our whole budget is standing at £1,500ish maybe between us we can knock it down to £1,000 ;D ;D ;D
PS. I thought you might like to hear my best saving so far: my bridesmaid (sis in law to be) was a bridesmaid for her friend last year and has a fabulous wine coloured silk dress which she is happy to wear for our wedding - all accessories included, she is happy to do this as she loves the dress.

Mrs_Thrift

Hiya, that's a brilliant idea to re-use the bridesmaid dress! They're usually such lovely dresses that it's a real shame you only get to wear it once. Same goes for the wedding dress, but I guess you can't get away with wearing it to the next wedding you go to! ;D

I've asked the question about the dress shop in Glasgow, via e-mail, but I'm not in very regular contact with my friend so it could be a wee while.

Feel free to ask away about other specifics! Or even start your own thread....go on, it's fun! ;D

jockettuk

why dont you do what i did for my wedding dress i went into the bridal shops tried on a few dresses. and then ask them when there season ends .. they normally have four ends of season sales ... i bought my dress in the autumn for my july wedding .. and i got all my bridesmades dresses made in green and white and im from glasgow now in peterborough lol

Freebie_Hunter_2

Hi Kat.
Being in the Bridalwear industry I have found that dresses are priced according to location!!
Sounds crazy I know but if you look in a mall or the high street, the dresses will be pricier than a shop a bit further out - this is because there are overheads and rent/rates are more expensive in a centrally located shop.

An average dress will cost you between £500 - £600 down here. I have found that Venus and the Mori Lee informals are very well priced (in the right area).
The rule goes that the bigger the dress the bigger the price, but it's worth cutting back a bit more to add an extra bit to your budget to ensure you get what you want.

Please don't end up with a wedding dress you'll look back on and regret for the sake of a hundred odd pounds!

E-Bay is a great source of brand new dresses with sellers having hardly any costs.
Spot a few you like - find the website and check for nearest stockist, then phone to see if they have that dress in - try it and ask the shop to measure you and see what size you are in that dress according to their manufacturers chart (DO NOT rely on your own dress size as often you have to go up a size in bridal gowns) - ask them to write down the information including your measurements and if you like it, order away!

Bear in mind that samples in store are just to see what a dress will look like. Don't worry if it's not your size, we have to cater for all sizes. Also it will look SOOOO much better in your size!

For £300 you may get a nice sale dress or a simple style with a small train or none at all. By the way, theres' no such thing as a dress going 'out of season' - if a dress is popular then the dress company will continue the style for as long as the demand is there. Some shops rotate their stock every 6 months and others keep in the older styles that remain popular as well as bringing new styles in.

A lot of thing influence the price of a dress. Things that can bump up the price is:
Material: the heavier satins, silk and some puffier organza dresses.
Embroidery: The heavier the detail the more expensive, some of it is hand sewn on!
Beading: same as embroidery.
Designer: Some designer dresses simply for the name! Trains: Longer trains=more material=£££.
Acessories: Some come with matching veils, handbags, gloves etc. These aren't necessarily optional.

In regards to hiring, a lot of people don't want the responsibility of hiring out due to possible damage, conflicts etc - but when a hire business is run properly and all angles are covered then there's no problem.

If you were nearer we'd let you have a hire dress with our compliments, but unfortunately you're at the other end of the country!


I hope this has helped you a bit. Please do ask if you have any more Q's. Good luck!

;D

Mrs_Thrift

Some very good points there, Freebie Hunter. I definitely agree you've got to be 100% in love with your dress and shouldn't end up with something you regret for the sake of a few pounds, even if it means cutting the budget back elsewhere.

Unfortunately, the place I was telling Katglasgow about is no longer there, according to my Glasgow correspondent, but she said it was called Blue Moon and it might be worth looking for them again in case they've moved premises.

Good Luck, and let us know how you're getting on or if there's anything else we can help with.

Mrs Thrift

Freebie_Hunter_2

Blue Moon ... ahhh, the ballgowns made by Romantica.
Romantica are also a good, well priced brand!

And theyre based down here!