EVERYTHING YOU ALWAYS WANTED TO KNOW ABOUT BUYING A SAMPLE WEDDING DRESS BUT DIDN'T KNOW WHO TO ASK

That who just happens to be me!! Okay, so let's suppose your wedding is next month and you need that gown no. Or you love the sample but it's just been discontinued. Or else you love the sample but can't afford to special order it. Realize next season a whole new stock will be arriving. This means your salon needs to get the old out of the way. And all those gowns with full skirts are just hanging there taking up space, or haven't you noticed? While sizes are limited and samples mostly run sizes 6-8-10, the good news is, sample markdowns usually go half off, sometimes less. Some salons have sample sales they advertise a couple times a year while others offer marked-down stock continually. Absolutely love that gown you just tried on? Offer to buy it. Yes, that same gown. Ordinarily, samples are not for sale but this may be the time they're moving in all those spring confections, especially if it is in less than-perfect shape, which, more than a few samples tend to be.

Now, a word about wear and tear: Before you start bargaining, check out how much or how little that soon-to-be-yours gown has been tried on by others. This means really looking at it inside as well as out. Is it ripped, stained, the hem soiled, and needs cleaning? The overall condition of most samples has a lot to do with how the salon takes care of its stock. Still, figure on dry cleaning whether the gown looks like it needs it or not. After a good clean and press it will seem revived both inside and out and take on a new life of its own. So the question is, who pays the cleaning bill? Typically, the more service-oriented the establishment, the more accommodating they'll be. As for alterations, you might save them for when and if you have your gown customized. If you are customizing, any nipping in of the waist or shortening of the hemline might have to wait anyway.

Photo 1: The Arielle Dress///Image via Photo Chic

Photo 2: The Tiffany Dress///Image via Strotz Photography

Photo 3: The Olga Dress/// Image via Photo Chic

Dresses by Amy-Jo Tatum