Wedding Dress Shopping Tips That Will Keep You On Budget
Before you go wedding dress shopping there are some tips you need to know to have a hassle free experience.
But before you go you need to establish a budget and be resolved to stick to it. This is especially true if you have a limited budget for your wedding.
You also need to establish a budget for your wedding dress accessories. This will help you not to ‘overspend’ when you go shopping at bridal shops.
How so? Let’s start with what happens on your arrival.
“Be upfront about your wedding dress budget”
When you arrive at the bridal shop you will be asked to fill out a registration card.
At some shops they will ask which wedding gown styles you are interested in and proceed to pull some dresses for you to try on.
Is this a good thing? Not if you are a bride on a budget!
When you allow the sales person to pull dresses for you without them knowing what your budget is . . . guess what happens?
You most likely will be shown their higher price dresses. They will have you try them on. And you don’t find out until later what the price is. Why is this done?
The sales person hopes you will fall in love with a dress after trying some on. It’s hard to say no to a dress you are absolutely in love with. And guess what happens now? You are buying that dress and having to adjust your budget to take money from somewhere else.
Bridal shop consultants interested in giving good customer service will . . .
Ask if you have a price range you are trying to stay within, before letting you try on anything. The best way to find out what bridal shops have good customer service is to ask your friends and family for referrals.
Some brides I have worked with found going wedding dress shopping at some bridal shops to be a little intimidating. They found themselves sometimes talked into something they really hadn’t planned on buying.
“But don’t let this happen to you.” This happens more than often to unsuspecting brides.
"Be forewarned! Be pro-active. Tell the sales associate what your wedding dress budget is “before” you try on dresses."
If they don’t ask you what your budget is, you let them know. Tell them you want to see dresses only in your price range.
Wedding Dress tips: I had a bride who felt so intimidated by a bridal shop sales person that she spent $400.00 on a bridal veil even though she was on a limited budget.
She had tried on dresses and veils without asking the price. She found a dress and veil she liked. But she nearly fainted when she heard the price of the dress. She felt so embarrassed that she couldn’t purchase the gown, especially with customers standing around listening.
So reluctantly she purchased the veil. "She mentioned that the veil purchase caused her budget to go over so she decided to compensate by spending less than she planned on her wedding gown."
If you want to build some flexibility in your budget . . . it is helpful to mention a price range a little lower than the highest you would go. This way if you don’t see something you like in that price range. You can choose to move up and still be within your budget.
So if you are a bride on a budget remember before wedding dress shopping set a budget for your wedding dress cost, be proactive. This will give you the control needed to stay within your budget while shopping for your perfect wedding dress.
Don't skip the tips provided on this video! Learn how to best work with bridal shop consultants.
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Wedding Dress tips: I had a bride who felt so intimidated by a bridal shop sales person that she spent $400.00 on a bridal veil even though she was on a limited budget.
