WEDDING DRESS
SHOPPING TIPS

Calculate Costs When calculating your dress budget, don't forget to factor in the cost of your veil and headpiece -- which can run from $50 to $500 -- as well as your shoes, lingerie, and jewelry. Also, keep in mind that almost all gowns need alterations, which will add to the bottom line.

Dress Codes Many houses of worship consider bare shoulders disrespectful. Ask your officiant about specific body-coverage requirements before you start shopping. Or look into a wrap or shawl for the ceremony.

Play Hooky We know you're busy, but if at all possible take time off during the week to begin your hunt -- you'll get more of the salesperson's time and attention than you would on a busy Saturday

Ways to Save Want to save? Avoid ornate, hand-done beading or lacework. Shop sample sales for floor models sold at discounts. Consider a bridesmaid dress in white. Wear your mom's dress. Choose a simple headpiece and veil. Or try browsing through a consignment shop.

Open Your Mind When you're in the bridal salon, don't eliminate anything at first glance. Even though certain styles work best on certain body types, don't let the "rules" narrow your search too much. It helps to try on all different kinds of dresses, and then to decide which shape and style you look and feel best in. So if the salesperson brings you something she says you must try -- try it, even if you detest the way it looks on the hanger. Many a bride has ended up going ga-ga for a gown the salesperson had to persuade her to try on.

Shop Around You didn't get engaged on your first date, right? Likewise, you shouldn't buy the first dress you try on. Give yourself all the options and the time to think by shopping more -- and elsewhere -- before you buy.

Sleep On It Even after you think you've found your gown, take a day to be absolutely sure it's the one for you. Since bridal gowns are custom-made, most salons put a no-return policy in their contracts; if you can get any money back, it probably won't be any more than 50 percent of the cost.

Trust Your Instincts If you have to be reassured that the dress looks great on you, it's probably not the one. Is this how you pictured yourself looking as a bride? Can you really see yourself walking down the aisle swathed in this gown? If not, take it off and move on.

Take Proper Measures When you're ready to order your gown, the store will take your measurements: bust, waist, and hips. Each manufacturer has its own measurement chart, and this is what the store will use to determine your size. A knowledgeable store will know how a particular designer's gowns are supposed to fit. Ask to see the sizing chart so you can have a better understanding of the way it works. And make sure the correct size gets ordered, using your largest measurement as a guide. One thing to remember: bridal gowns run small, so don't be alarmed should your final size measurement jump up a number or two.

Focus on the Fit Know, too, that every dress needs alterations to fit precisely to your frame. When your gown is altered correctly, you should be able to move comfortably with everything staying in place. Alterations can be as simple as taking in the waist and shortening the hem; in more complex alterations, the sleeves may be abbreviated, the bodice taken in, and lace or beads added.

Go Undercover Bridal designers advise wearing undergarments in a tone close to your skin color. The more similar they are to your coloring, the less likely you'll see them through your dress.

Fit In Fittings You'll probably have at least two or three fittings, which you'll schedule with the store when you purchase your gown; more may be necessary, so leave ample time before the wedding. You should also ask for a written alterations estimate at the time of purchase, since this service is not always included in the cost of your gown. If the store doesn't do its own alterations, ask the salesperson you've been working with to recommend a trusted tailor or seamstress.

Prewedding Poses If you're planning to sit for a bridal portrait, you'll also want to find out if the store will let you borrow your gown for pictures, then return it to them for pressing so it will look fresh for your wedding.

Cover the Bases Find out exactly how long it will take for your dress to come in, and be sure to pay with a credit card. For such a big purchase, you'll want to be able to dispute a payment just in case something goes wrong.

Test Your Seamstress Think you've found someone to create your wedding gown? Have her make you another dress -- a shift for work, maybe -- so you can see her work and how you work together before you entrust your wedding dress to her.

Buyer Beware There are plenty of wedding-related purchases you'll want to make online, but your wedding gown isn't one of them. Trust us, we've heard all the horror stories. Online retailers go out of business regularly and leave brides high and dry. Even the biggest ones disappear (like DBS which went of business in July 2005) leaving brides without gowns close to their wedding date, scrambling for something to wear down the aisle. Additionally, gowns from online retailers are often designer knockoffs (not the real things they claim to be) and once you've bought one, you're stuck with no recourse for exchange or return.

Source: The Knot