By Laura Johnson
Wedding dress shopping can be simple and inexpensive for women if they plan ahead.
Liliana Leong, a sales associate at Frenze in Sandy, said once a woman has an idea of what she wants it”s a good idea to plan a day to shop for a dress.
“Go dress shopping when you”re not stressed or short on time and you can bring your mom or a friend with you,” Leong said. “Sometimes people go at the spur of the moment and even if they find a good dress they aren”t prepared to buy it. If you plan a day to go and have someone with you for a second opinion, most girls will end up finding and buying a dress that day.”
Leong said most girls have an idea of they general style they want and that”s what they end up getting for their wedding. Occasionally, Leong said she will suggest something different from what the customer had in mind and they end up liking that style better.
“No matter what, we always make sure to have accessories – veils, bracelets, necklaces, all the jewelry, tiaras – for girls to try on along with the dresses,” Leong said. “Little touches can make a big difference and they need to get the full effect.”
There are many different styles available from long-sleeve to sleeveless, embroidered, two-piece, and wrapped.
Diane Daniels, co-owner of Sweetheart Bridal, said the most popular dress styles at her store are the wrap style with fabric gathered to the side of the dress and the split look where the fabric splits in the front of the dress with another layer of fabric underneath. Daniels said designers are making more dresses that have spaghetti straps or that are sleeveless but there are still many LDS retailers who make temple-ready dresses. Daniels says modesty is a big factor here in Provo and there are wholesalers available to cater to those needs.
Daniels said with dress shopping it”s important for girls to start shopping as soon as possible so they can find a good dress and so they can have time to order one if they can”t find the dress they want.
“Dress buying is all about juggling your budget, the style of dress you want, and your time,” Daniels said. “It”s hard if you”ve never been through the process of dress buying with anyone but if you learn what you want you can get the best dress for you at a good value.”
One option for a woman to consider when dress shopping is whether she wants to buy or rent. Prices for buying or renting a dress are comparable depending on what a woman is looking for.
Pamela Weight, owner of Gowns by Pamela and designer for 22 years, said her store specializes in rentals for $270-$380 but she also sells her dresses for about $1000.
“I try to design my dresses to look cutting edge so they aren”t anything you”d find in a regular store, but they are still temple-appropriate,” Weight said. “There are thousands of choices and we make sure the dresses are taken care of. I hired clothing caretakers to clean the dresses and keep them in good shape.”
Even thought Weight bought her own wedding dress she is a big advocate of renting.
“We did a survey in the Utah valley and found that you can save about $800 by renting instead of buying,” Weight said. “Most girls have a very sentimental mind-set, but I hear of so many girls who are trying to sell their wedding dresses. Why not take the money you save and use it for your honeymoon, or furniture, or school?”
Dresses by Pamela includes all accessories, alterations, and cleaning in the rental price. Weight said she has tried to think of everything that she would want for herself and to provide that for others.
