No, I didn't think you were advocating those ideas -- you were saying they've become "expectations".
Those are the dress salespeople who give the business a bad name.
Your choice "not to try what you knew you wouldn't buy" just shows good sense.
I'd call the Kleinfeld thing semi-custom. The dress isn't being designed for them; rather, they're trying one on -- then another is made just for them /in their exact size.
Yes, my own wedding dress came literally "off the rack", but it was a clearance rack -- maybe that's different? I didn't literally carry it home that day -- I had to leave it with the alterations department, but that's kinda splitting hairs. It was mine, and I could have carried it out that day.
My daughter, who was married three years ago, chose a bridesmaid's dress. The one she tried on in the shop was mint green, and she ordered it in white (and in a different size). I'd consider that semi-custom too. She tried on a sample dress, then had that dress "made" per her requirements.
They charge for an appointment? How much? Just being nosy.
I think (but am not 100% sure) that I bought my dress at David's three decades ago. I remember it as a good experience, but certainly not a Kleinfeld moment. My mother, my grandmother and I were crammed into a dressing room, and certainly we weren't drinking champagne. No complaints -- we came away with a dress in only one shopping trip.
My daughter and I made one trip to David's, and it was awful. Maybe our mistake was going at 5:00 on a Friday, but the place was packed and our salesperson -- even though we had an appointment -- didn't have the time of day for us.
Not me!
I had looked at bridal magazines, and I knew exactly what I wanted: simple satin, little in the way of embellishment, sweetheart neckline, pouffy sleeves, loooong train. I found it, tried it on, and my grandmother was just offering to buy it for me.
Then my mother pulled a $99 dress from the clearance rack and said, "Just try it". It was everything I didn't want -- pearls on top of sequins on top of lace on top of layers of ruffles with a short train -- but when I put it on, it was my dress. It did have the sweetheart neckline. In retrospect, I had to admit that the shorter train suited my short stature. 30 years later, I still think I had the most beautiful wedding dress ever. Mama knew best that day.
My sister, who has only one son, says the same thing. On the other hand, I love that I have all girls and I get to do the wedding stuff. I think we all get what we need.
I don't think it's all that common in real life. The weddings I've been to lately seem to be more simple than "back in the day" when I got married -- at least in terms of clothing. For example, I've twice seen bridesmaids in nice dresses that look like they could've come from Penny's or Belk. I'm talking about pretty floral dresses, short, definitely something they could wear again.
Thought 1: A bride must balance the idea of "a dress you'll wear once" with "a day you'll remember forever".
Thought 2: The idea of buying a dress that'll be worn for generations just isn't realistic. I never said it to her, but I don't like my mom's wedding dress from the 60s at all. Styles change, and most brides want to make their own choices.
My oldest never even considered my dress; she had a casual outdoor wedding, and a "gown" would've been "too much". She liked my (homemade) veil, but it didn't match the dress she chose (my veil was edged with pearls, and her dress demanded lace).
Tell us about it...all about it. Seriously, I've watched so many episodes of that show over the years I feel like I've been there but I'd love to hear a first-hand account.
