Wedding Has anyone ordered a dress they didn''t try on?

[Octavia]

I tried searching for this but there are so many wedding dress threads, I didn''t have any luck. So...has anyone ordered their dress in a style you weren''t able to try on in the store? I''ve come across a dress that I can''t stop thinking about, but none of the bridal shops nearby seem to carry it and there''s a limit to how much travel I can do for a dress. I have an appointment next weekend at one of the shops that carries that designer, and they said they have similar dresses but not that particular one.

I really hope I love one of the gowns I get to try on, but the "mystery dress" combines almost everything I''ve really liked so far about dresses I''ve already tried. It''s probably too much of a leap of faith to order a wedding dress sight unseen, but anyone has done it I''d love to hear how it worked out!

 

[meresal]

I didn't do this personally, but here is my input...

Some dress stores buy their samples for about $250-300, depending on designer and gown of course. They will ask you to pay that amount, and then if you want to buy the dress you can put "said" amount towards the price of the dress. Just an idea though. I'm not sure if the deposit is refundable, it would probably vary by salon.

 

[Octavia]

Ooh, meresal, that''s a great idea! I''ll make sure to ask whether they''ll do that. Thanks so much for suggesting it!

 

[brandy_z28]

I ordered my dress like that. It''s a Mori Lee style 2177. No one that I could find had it in stock within 100 miles of me so I went and checked out two very similar styles and liked them. I was originally wanting the Alfred Angelo 1516 but with a sweetheart neckline. The seamstresses I talked to said it would be nearly impossible to modify with the band of color and beading up top. AND if they could do it it''d be pricey. The Mori Lee combined everything I liked from two dresses into one so I went ahead and ordered it. I won''t have it until mid to late October though so I don''t know how wise of a decision it was, or wasn''t. If you can wait that long I''ll let you know how it all works out!

 

[pocahontas]

Date: 9/19/2008 3:16:25 PM
Author:Octavia
It's probably too much of a leap of faith to order a wedding dress sight unseen, but anyone has done it I'd love to hear how it worked out!

I like Meresal's suggestion and if you can do that I'd go that route if, of course, you're confident you'll find another dress at the same store should the dress you're thinking of not work out. Otherwise, I highly advise going the unseen route. Before I bought my dress there was one particular dress I was in love with based on the pictures and website. I tried on a lot of dresses that were similar in style, but couldn't get that one dress out of mind. Based on the picture, both my mom and sister agreed with me that it would be "the one." Well, imagine my shock when I finally saw the dress in person and tried it on - HATED it! Yep, you got that right, I absolutely hated it. We kept asking the SA over and over "are you sure this is the same dress?" Just my two cents. Good luck and let us know what you decide.

 

[MissManna]

When I was trying to find a particular style of dress, I called a salon and asked if they had the dress (they carried that particular designer) and she said no, but that they could request a sample for me to try on for I think $90. Then if you bought the dress they would apply that to your price, and if not you just lost the money.

If you think it''s a sure thing, you may want to call and see if they can do that.

 

[Aloros]

I saw a dress on ebay (San Patrick), brand new, that I really really liked. I called around to the local stores and none of them carried it. Since, with shipping, it came out to ~$300, I decided to take a chance and buy it. I measured myself first and tried to match it best as I could to the sizing chart.

It fits wonderfully and looks fantastic! My mom is going to remove the straps and hem it for me (she''s an amazing seamstress).

For $300, though, I figured I really couldn''t lose much. I hadn''t actually tried on any dresses at that point, but I went out afterwards to sort of "confirm" my decision. Didn''t like any of the dresses nearly as much as the one I bought.

I''d count myself lucky.

 

[Gwyn]

I was unable to try on my exact dress, however i was able to try on the dress in a different fabric. Not quite the same as what you are saying. I ordered mine in taffetta after trying it on in silk (and a different color). There is a definite difference in the feel and lay of the two dresses, however I liked them both.

Anyway you can find atleast a dress similar to the one you are looking for. that way you can get an idea of what that particular style looks like on your body and such.

If it wasnt alot of money or if I could return the dress I would in a heartbeat.

On the other side, there is always reselling the dress. You probably will never make back what you put into it but you could make enough of it back that it woudl be worth it.

Given those options, and if i had a good feeling that the dress would look good on my body type, I might go ahead and order it without trying it on.

 

[Izzy03]

I ALMOST ordered a gown without trying it on first and I am SOOOOOO glad I didn''t.

I was sure I would love the dress because it had all the features of the dresses that flattered me the most. I called all over the Orlando area and found a shop that carried the dress. Immediately, I drove across town to try the dress and it looked terrible on me. The dress added about 20 pounds to my 5''2'''' , size 2 frame. NOT FLATTERING.

Unless the dress can be ordered for you to try on without any obligation to pay for it, don''t do it!

 

[Junkenpo]

i only dress shopped once when i was on vacation visiting family in NM. We popped into David''s bridal about an hour before they closed, without an appt....& there was one dress I liked, but i only had time to try on 3....

From that, i kind of had an idea of size & style i liked.... but wound up purchasing my dress on ebay.....for about $50 plus $20 shipping. Anne Barge, pre-loved. Unbelievable price, and gorgeous!!


And... I loved it! I needed to lose a little weight, but had just enough time to shed the pounds. I love love LOVE my dress.

Now it''s after the wedding, and I''m having it professinally cleaned & the cleaners price is more expensive than the dress was!