If you’re a bride with a tight wedding planning timeline or you’re looking for budget-friendly dress options, then a sample sale might be perfect for you! The advantage of a sample sale is that you’re getting a designer dress at an amazing price. At a sample sale, when you fall in love with a dress, you get to bring it home the same day! We know that it can be tricky trying to find the dress during a sample sale, but don’t stress! We’re here to help with all of the sample sale tips that you will need.
What is a Bridal Gown Sample Sale?
Let’s first break down what a sample sale even is. A bridal sample sale is when a bridal shop sells their sample gowns that are in the shop at a heavily discounted price. During these sales, brides will purchase the gown and bring it home the same day — they are ready to wear! You just might need alterations or a cleaning done first.
Usually, a sample sale offers gowns between 10 and 80% off. These gowns have been tried on before by other brides during their appointment. Most samples are in a wide range of sizes, prices, and designers.
Know what you want
Sample sales are pretty busy and you will have a limited appointment time. We highly recommend that you come in with some sort of idea of what you’re looking for! It will be easier for your stylist to pull the right dresses for you.
Sample sales are really ideal for brides who have already been dress shopping and know what styles they love most. They are also perfect for those who know what they want, but are on a tighter budget.
Most importantly, you should come with an open mind! You may now know what dresses there will be to choose from before you arrive.
Work with a bridal stylist
It’s so important to schedule an appointment during the sale. Many bridal shops, like us here at K&B, will actually require one — even during a sample sale.
This way, a stylist will be there to work with you to help you choose the right gown! They will sit down with you to get an idea of what you’re looking for and can pull some dresses for you to try on. They can even recommend changes that you could make to a dress during alterations!
H3: Bring the right people with you
Brides can’t pull the trigger to purchase without the right people with them! Bring the people that matter the most… this will usually include mother, siblings, or your closest friends, but it really varies from bride to bride.
These people will give you their honest (but supportive) opinions and will make the appointment fun for you!
At the end of the day, you are the one wearing the dress. You should make the ultimate decision. We really stress to only bring the most essential people who will help you through the process! If you bring the wrong people, or too many people, it can make the experience overwhelming and confusing.
Alterations!
Sample sales will have a range of quality for the dresses. It’s important to understand that your dress may not be in perfect condition. Of course, we will not sell you a dress that cannot be fixed.
However, you will need alterations done. You should only buy a dress that can realistically be altered to fit your size and will be in your budget! Your stylist can help you determine that.
Also, most seamstresses will be able to fix minor issues on a dress, like a snag. Make sure that you thoroughly examine the dress with your stylist before purchasing so that you can address any concerns.
Overall, we don’t suggest buying a gown in a sample size that is more than two sizes bigger than your measurements. Dresses that are too big might not be able to be altered down without compromising the integrity of the dress. However, up to two sizes is typically fine!
To see if we have any sample sales coming up, visit our events page on the website!