Wedding Dress Sample Sale Questions
Wedding dress sample sales happen at all times of the year and at pretty much every store. We tend to offer a sample sale in the summer and at White (Black) Friday. Sample sales are an exciting time to find your dream dress and save a little money, so wanted to share a little bit of information about what a sample sale is and answer some questions you may have about them!
Why stores offer sample sales
Bridal stores typically go to market two, sometimes three, times a year. Designers have minimum orders we have to place to stay in good standing. As those orders trickle in over the next several months, we need to make room in our store. At our bridal store specifically, we don't want to overcrowd our floor with dresses (too many dresses can lead to dress fatigue for our brides and we don't want that!). Designers also discontinue gowns throughout the year. These may be dresses that are considered "older" or they can't get the materials anymore. If we cannot re-order the gown from the designer, we move it to our "Ready to Wed" collection. Another reason may be that the dress just hasn't resonated with any of our brides, and therefore we're willing to sell it off the floor.
Questions you may have about sample wedding dresses
Are sample wedding dresses clean?
We try our best to keep our gowns in great condition. However, considering they are samples, they have been worn before and will show signs of wear (mainly on the hemline). We recommend getting your dress altered and then seeing what needs to be cleaned (you might cut off some of the hem in alterations). You'll want to ask your local cleaner to just spot clean it, and not fully clean it until after the wedding.
What sizes are your sample gowns?
Our samples are bridal sizes 8-28. Bridal sizing runs about 2 sizes smaller than what you wear in everyday clothes, so these gowns will fit 4-24. It also depends on what style dress you choose! For a fitted gown, you may want end up a few sizes larger than what you think, whereas for a ballgown, you may find it fits more true to size. You can always alter a wedding dress down a few sizes, but altering up is a little more tricky and not always possible. Keep that in mind when shopping a sample sale!
Do I have to pay in full for my wedding dress?
Yes, for our specific sample sale, we are not offering layaway for our samples. In order to claim your wedding dress, you will need to pay for it in full.
Can I still try on and / or order gowns not in the sale?
Absolutely! Just note that you will be paying full price for any gown not in the sample sale. We prefer all dresses to be paid in full at the time of ordering, but can offer a 50/50 payment plan if you are ordering a gown - 50% due at time of order, and 50% 4 weeks later.
Preparing for a Katharine Marie Wedding Sample Sale
Here are a few things to note about a KMW sample sale!
Our sample sale appointments are a full 90 minute appointment, so you won’t feel rushed!
You will still have 1 dedicated stylist working with you.
Both fitting rooms will be open so one other bride / group may overlap a little with your appointment.
You can still bring up to 4 people with you, we cannot accomodate more during a sale weekend.
Appointments are preferred, but we will do our best to help all brides who walk in our boutique!
