7 Ways to Be a Savvy Sale Shopper

Sale girl

To make way for our new collections coming in, we are hosting some special Spring sales events at The Wedding Shop that are not to be missed! We have our Bridesmaids Bash this weekend – 16th-17th March, with gorgeous bridesmaid gowns on offer from just £30, plus our Easter bonanza being held in April, with amazing bargains on designer bridal gowns, bridesmaid dresses and occasion wear so you can kit out your whole bridal party in one easy swoop, while saving hundreds of pounds!

Sample sales are the best place to head to if you’re short on time to order a dress and wait for delivery times, are on a strict budget or love the idea of falling in love with a dress and taking away your dream outfit the same day! For true sales success though, there are a few steps you need to take before you hit the shops. Follow our tips to sail through the rails with ease:

1) Do your research

It can feel overwhelming heading into a sample sale and faced with lots of rails of dresses, so try to establish a good understanding beforehand of the styles you like, to make the experience as calm and stress-free as possible. Bring some photos on your phone of outfits you love or make a note of the designers you are particularly drawn to ensure you are guided to the right area.

2) Establish your budget

Have an honest conversation with yourself before you hit the shops what you want to spend on a wedding dress, bridesmaid gowns or mother of the bride outfit, that will not only help your search on the day, but if you do have to make a speedy decision on the spot, you won’t regret it later!

3) Have an open mind

While it’s great to come armed with the style, colours and fabrics you are looking for, it’s always good to be a little flexible and be prepared to try on that ‘wild card’ you wouldn’t normally think to choose that may be suggested to you by one of our consultants. Think outside the box a little and take a risk, you never know that gem you might find!

4) Be ready to buy

If you find a gown or outfit you absolutely adore, you need to be prepared to act fast and buy that day as there’s normally only one of that design, so your shopping time is more limited. Sale shopping isn’t the time to be indecisive and procrastinate as the next customer through the door might snap up the very dress you’ve just tried on!

5) Buy the right size

The aim of buying in a sale is to save money, so it’s important that you buy a dress in the right size, to avoid any hefty alteration bills. There is no point falling in love with a size 20 gown if you’re a size 12, so only say yes to a dress if it can realistically be altered to your size. As a rule of thumb, you should be able to have a dress altered one or two sizes either way.

6) Limit your shopping companions

Sale days can be super busy in bridal shops, so it may be best to just bring one or two trusted family members or friends instead of your entire bride tribe. Also, too many people and opinions can make you feel overwhelmed and hinder decision making so keep your group small.

7) Wear the right underwear

Remember to wear nude, seamless underwear when heading to the sales so you’ll feel confident when trying on dresses, have lovely smooth lines and you’ll be able to visualise how your dress will look on the day.

8) Inspect the gown

Before you commit to any purchase, look over the dress for any damages and make sure you’re 100% happy before you leave the store as sale items are non-refundable.

The buzz of a sample sale is hard to beat and when you come to The Wedding Shop, there will be a team of dedicated consultants on the shop floor to offer advice, help you try on outfits and hopefully bag a bargain! To snap up an appointment for our forthcoming events call 01206 767359.

How to Choose the Perfect Bridesmaid Dresses

Sorella Vita Bridesmaid blog

Congratulations on your forthcoming wedding. Now you’ve said ‘yes’ to your dress, it’s time to find gorgeous gowns for your bridesmaids – your bride tribe, girl gang and the most special women in your life who will be by your side on your big day!

We have a very exciting event to tell you about. We are holding our first ever Bridesmaid Bash Weekend Event on 16th March, where you can kit out all your bridesmaids with ease and grab some amazing bargains, with dresses from just £30!

Traditionally, brides would select one gown for all her maids, in the same style and colour, but one of the most stylish and exciting trends over the past couple of years is for bridesmaids to mix and match their dresses. This is great if you have bridesmaids of all different body shapes, heights and sizes and by letting your girls select their own dress style, you can highlight each individual woman, accentuate her best bits and ensure she’s wearing a dress that makes her feel confident, comfortable and happy on your big day!

4 Tips for Bridesmaid Dress Success

  • Mix and match dresses are so fashionable right now however you want to avoid a disjointed-looking bridal party and instead embrace a cohesive, complementary look. Before you start looking at styles, have a think about whether you want the same dress style in different colours, the same dress style in the same colour or go really go all-out with different dress styles and colours.
  • A good rule of thumb with this trend is to only vary one or two things about each gown and keep the rest the same for continuity. For example, choose different necklines and tones but in the same fabric or choose varying fabrics such as lace, chiffon, cotton, but in the same colour. Many bridesmaids gown include beading, embellishment or lace detail so try to complement these as much as you can through the different gowns.
  • As the star of the show, it’s important your look co-ordinates with your girls so even though you are letting your bridesmaids help choose their dresses, your input is essential. You know your bridesmaids well so have a think about the styles and shapes of dresses that you usually see them wearing or particular designs that really suit them.
  • Consider hemlines when going mismatched. A mix of lengths and silhouettes is absolutely fine for this look but be sure to balance your options as five girls in a floor-length and one in a shorter on-the-knee dress may not work in your wedding photos!

It can feel daunting at first, but when you visit us at The Wedding Shop, there will be a team of specialist consultants on hand to help advise your group on getting the best dresses and with a beautiful range of designers, colours and styles, to suit everyone and all budgets, you can just enjoy the experience and have lots of fun!

What is a Concept Weekend? and why you have to be there!

Happy New Year and welcome to our new blog!

If you’re getting married after September 2019 and are searching for your dream dress, don’t miss our upcoming exclusive Stella York Concept Weekend to be held on our bridal floor on 25th, 26th, 27th January.

You may have heard of trunk shows in wedding shops, but you are probably wondering what exactly is a Concept Weekend and why it is an unmissable event on the bride-to-be’s calendar?

A Stella York Concept Weekend is so much more than a normal trunk show and is the ultimate personal bridal shopping experience. We’ve been chosen to unveil Stella York’s sensational new gowns and they need YOUR help choosing their 2020 collections!

The selection of wedding dresses that will be unveiled on our bridal floor are so exclusive that they may never ever make the new collection – meaning that you could have the rare opportunity to buy a one of a kind, unique dress for your big day that no other bride will have!

Plus, a representative/designer from the Stella York team will be on hand throughout your appointment to talk you through all the inspiration, trends and details behind the wedding dresses and ask you what you love (or may like to change) about the gowns – your valuable feedback will go straight back to the design team and influence how the dresses go into production.

Make sure you bring the special people from your bridal party who are key to your dress buying decision – with so many gorgeous gowns to try, the VIP experience from one of our specialist bridal consultants and the valuable designer advice you’ll receive, there is a very high chance you will want to say yes to your dream dress that day!

We at The Wedding Shop feel so excited and privileged to host this top UK event and be able to present so many beautiful, brand new designs to our brides. If you think you can spot the One, get in touch today and snap up one of our very limited appointments.