It is your wedding day, you are going to be the princess of the day. You want to have everything to be perfect and wonderful. Of course you want your gown be to be like in fairytails. 

So, first of all, sit down with your fiancé and/or your parents and anyone else that will contribute financially to your day and decide how much you want to budget for your wedding attire. Of course, everything depends on your financial situation. For some idea of the prices you could pay in the UK, an off-the-peg gown from a UK high street shop could, at the time of writing, set you back anything up to around £400. A middle-of-the-range designer wedding dress could cost between £300 and £1500, and haute couture and other designer dresses can cost thousands of pounds. One important thing to bear in mind is that if you don’t tell people, nobody will know what you spent on your dress - so budget for what you can afford. You will certainly be able to find something suitable in every price range, and it is best to set off with a budget in mind so you don’t accidentally try on and fall in love with a designer number that completely breaks the bank.

Remember, even with a limited budget, you can wear wonderful a wedding gown. All you need is to have some knowledge and preparation. There are numerous options when it comes to buying a wedding dress, and which you go for will depend on your budget, taste, and the amount of time you have before the big day.

Buying Wedding Gown from Bridal Shops/Boutiques

An obvious place to start is in a bridal boutique. Many of our towns and cities have these kinds of shops somewhere on the high street and in your pre-engagement days you may well have walked past one many times without noticing it. There are several large chains of bridal boutiques that sell their own range of dresses, and there are smaller, independent shops that will sell gowns from a number of different designers. If possible, try to go to places that have been recommended and ask around to find out if anyone you know has used a particular shop before. Many shops will have a website, and it is a reasonable approach to have a look at that before you go as it should give you a list of the different designers stocked by the store – this will also give you some idea of the prices of the dresses you are likely to find there.

The dresses that can be bought in these boutiques are often made to order, you will see a sample dress in the shop and when you place your order your actual dress will be made and sent to the shop. The lead times on the dresses can vary dramatically, but most shops will tell you that you need to order six to eight months ahead of your wedding day in order to allow time for it to be made, shipped and then altered to fit you.

The last point there is important, made to order does NOT mean made to measure, you order a standard size which (unless you are lucky) will then need to be altered to fit you perfectly. It is always worth asking the shop about the cost of alterations before you order as this can substantially increase the cost of your outfit. If you are planning to lose weight for your wedding, it is worth trying to do this before you need to order your dress as most shops will not allow you to order a size that is smaller than your current size, this is because it is usually much easier to take in a dress that is too big than let out one that is too small.

The shops do not stock samples of every dress in every size. A high quality shop will have at least one dress in each of the dress shapes in every size, but this is not always the case. When you try on an outfit it is more than likely that the sample will not fit you, and you will either have to have the assistant holding the dress up because it cannot be fastened or pinning you into it because it is far too big, in order to give you an idea of how it will look in the correct size. On the strength of this you are expected to make the most expensive clothing purchase of your life - without ever actually seeing yourself in it properly6. It is possible to purchase a dress on a shorter timescale, but there is often an extra charge for rushing the dress through in less than 12-16 weeks7. Alternatively, you may be able to purchase the sample dress from the shop. At the end of each season the shops often sell the end-of-line samples at discounted prices. If you choose to buy a sample then be sure to thoroughly check it for any damage it may have sustained while being tried on in the shop. One other tip is to haggle; you may be able to get the shop to throw in some accessories when you buy your dress.

Buying Wedding Gown from High Street Shops and Department Stores

Increasingly, high street stores are producing good quality bridal outfits off the peg. These are generally considerably cheaper than the dresses in bridal boutiques, but are often no less beautiful. An advantage here is that the stores often stock the dress in all sizes so you can try on the correct size for you before buying. Also, there is no waiting period for the dress to be made, unless you need to order a size that has run out, so these dresses can be bought much closer to your actual wedding date. This is handy if you are having a short engagement or are planning to change size in the months leading up to the big day. It is important to check the dress that you buy for any damage it might have sustained while being tried on in the shop.

Buying your Wedding Gown on the Internet

There are many online stores for buying wedding dresses, although not every designer allows their dresses to be sold in this way. A popular method of online shopping from the UK is to try on the dresses in the shops then order online from the USA. Prices are usually lower from the American stores, even when import tax and VAT are taken into account. If you are feeling brave then you might like to bid for a dress on one of the online auction sites and there are also sites where it is possible to buy once-worn dresses. This is a great way to find a designer dress at a bargain price but pay attention to the height of the bride who is selling the dress! If she is several inches shorter than you it is unlikely there will be enough material in the hem to adjust it to be the right length for you. But of course, you may want to just wear once and touch your dress before you buy it.

One-off Gowns

If you have visited all of your local bridal stores and have been unable to find what you are looking for you may want to consider having a custom gown made by a dressmaker, a talented relative or yourself8. It pays to get recommendations if you plan to use a dressmaker, and if you aren’t able to use somebody that you already know then make sure that you obtain and check up on their references. Most dressmakers will be happy to show you samples of their work and should be able to put you in contact with brides they have worked with in the past. The costs for having your dress made can vary dramatically depending on the type of dress you want, the kind of detail that you are after and the material that it is made from but compared to some designer dresses this can turn out to be a very cost-effective option. The major benefit of this method is that you can have exactly what you want and you know it will be totally unique.

Getting you Wedding Gown from Charity Shops

Several of the major charity chains in the UK have a shop devoted to bridalwear, and it is well worth hunting these out as they are the perfect place to find a bargain. You might be lucky and find the ideal dress, or you may find one that can be altered by a dressmaker to give you something beautiful and unique. Charity shops are also great places to pick up vintage dresses if that is more your style.

What to wish on your first dress shopping trip

On your first shopping expedition it is a good idea to go with a completely open mind and try lots of different things on. Take a trusted friend along who will be honest about what suits you and, more importantly, what doesn’t suit you. Many bridal shops require you to make an appointment to come in and try dresses; this is because an assistant will be dedicated to you for the time you are there, so be sure to call and check this beforehand. It is a good idea to wear a well-fitting bra, and take a good strapless or multiway one with you too for the different styles of dresses. It is also a good idea to wear nice pants that you don’t mind being seen in, as the assistant will come in to the changing room with you to help you in and out of the different frocks – this can be embarrassing if you are just in a thong, or a pair of greying, elderly knickers that have seen better days! Most shops will be able to lend you a pair of bridal shoes to go with the dress so you can get an idea of how it will look.

What happens next

Once you have chosen your dress you need to order it. Bridal shops often require a 50% deposit at the time of ordering with the balance to be paid either when the dress comes in or when your fittings are complete. It is a good idea to pay the deposit and balance on a credit card as this will give you some insurance if there is a problem later, for example if the shop goes bust.

One thing that often comes as a bit of a shock when you order is the size of the dress, so be prepared! High street shops have altered their sizing over the last fifty years to reflect changes in women’s figures, but wedding dress sizing has stayed the same. You may be a UK size 14 in normal clothes but might find your wedding dress needs to be ordered in a size 16 or 18! You will be measured by the shop and they will compare your measurements to their sizing charts - the size that is ordered will be the one needed for your biggest dimension so if your waist requires a size 14 and your hips need a 16, the 16 will be ordered and you will need to have the waist taken in when the dress arrives. It can be quite upsetting having to order a larger-than-normal size, especially if you have been slimming for your dress but remember, the size label is on the INSIDE of the dress. As long as it fits you and looks fabulous, nobody is going to know what size of dress was ordered.

Once your dress arrives at the shop (or after you have received it from the online retailer) you will need to see if it needs altering. Unless you are very tall it is likely that the dress will need taking up, and other changes may need to be made to fit the dress to you precisely. This means that when you go for fittings you will need to have the shoes you intend to wear on the day, and also the underwear you will have on. You might also want to look for accessories in time for your final fitting so you can see your complete outfit.

After the big day?

Some brides like to keep their wedding dresses forever, as a reminder of the day - maybe getting it out to do the hoovering in from time to time. If you bought a two-piece outfit it may be possible to wear either the bodice or skirt again, teamed up with something less weddingy. Other brides decide that they won’t wear it again and sell it or donate it to a charity shop to sell for another bride to enjoy. It depends on your choice and feeling of your marriage.