Smaller designers like Jesus Peiro of Spain, Rebecca Schoneveld of New York and Lea-Ann Belter of Toronto can customize your dress to special measurements if needed, modify necklines and skirts and deliver your dress in 30 days or even 6 weeks if needed. This is also a great option for a bride that knows what she wants and can’t find it exactly and can visualize a change, or for a very petite bride or large bust bride – so cocktail dresses those special measurements can be done to help the dress fit you better, aiding in alterations and time.

All brides including those with a dress budget under $3000.

This is where I say being open-minded really comes into play. You have so many options depending on how you look at dress shopping. And this applies when a designer doesn’t have a rush option, inventory of the dress or a short shipping window.

Off the Rack – This means you can buy a shop sample and take it home with you the same day! Almost every bridal store has a sale rack with amazing dresses ready to sell. These gowns are at times new, they may have been discontinued or just a style that wasn’t everyone’s favorite. And the best part is, it’s on sale! Usually for at least 20-30% up to 85% off retail sometimes. The only part is, typically they are usually in tight homecoming dresses bridal sizes 8-12 (street size 6-10) unless its a shop known for its plus-size selection. So keep this in mind, if it zips – you can always let it out by size if it’s too tight or takes it in up to two sizes. But use the guidance from the shop to help you. I do have a few racks full are great gowns ready to sell and you can check out them out here.
Shop online and try at home – Some stores have a program where you can buy and try on sample/off the rack gowns at home and ship them back. They offer almost a mini experience paired with a virtual stylist to help you at home. Check out a few shop friends of mine: The White Dress by The Shore and Luxe Redux.
Buy online and be able to return – Now bridal shops, where the majority are small businesses, are restricted to accept returns because the designer will not take the return and we are not able to stock inventory like department stores. Our business is based on special ordering a dress for you. But there are online shops that offer a return policy as part of their policies or they are department stores/big chains that stock inventory. For example, The Last Minute Bride sells designer gowns that are sample gowns from other shops and you are able to return your order within a certain time frame.
* Note about shopping online. If it’s too good to be true, it is. Make sure the website has a real address in the USA and there is a phone number you can call and talk to a real person.
Think beyond a wedding dress – There are some gorgeous dresses that are ivory and not a “wedding dress” especially this time of year. Just check out your favorite online shops and search under evening gown.

How is it cleaned?
They carefully hand-clean your wedding gown with gentle chemicals that dissolve the different kinds of stains.  Plus they take extra steps to be certain all new homecoming dresses stains, both seen and unseen, are removed because wedding day spills such as soda, wine, and cake (many times caused by a guest and unnoticed by you) can dry without leaving a visible mark. Otherwise, these sugary stains, which are not dissolved during ordinary dry cleaning, will caramelize into ugly brown stains. Once all the stains are dissolved, your wedding gown is rinsed in pure solvent until all chemicals are removed and your wedding gown is completely clean.

What is preservation?
Preservation means your completely clean gown is carefully packed with acid-free tissue in a museum-quality wedding chest that is also completely acid-free. This archival packaging protects your gown from the air and light that cause unprotected gowns to yellow.

What is green preservation?
The use of any solvent, no matter which kind, generates pajama robes carbon emissions—even if only from the electricity that powers the machines. Carbonfund.org calculated the carbon emissions including your travel to and from us, the cleaning and preservation of your gown, and the manufacture of the wedding chest in which we pack your gown, and we make donations to Carbonfund.org that offset all the carbon emissions.  Then Carbonfund.org uses our donations to plants trees.