Shortage or bridal shops in Northern VA

[Clussy75]

I've been looking for bridal shops in Northern Virginia for bridal shops (though trying to avoid the overly frou-frou ones where old ladies look down their noses at you if your budget isn't over 2K for a dress) and all I come up with are a couple non-chain ones that don't seem to have what I'm looking for and of course the David's Bridal shop that has some nice dresses that are closer to what I'm looking for (whatever this elusive dress is that I'm apparently in quest of) but still not quite right.

 

My question is, how did most of you find your dresses? Did you just go to every shop you could get a hold of and try on a bunch, did you find your dress online and order just knowing it'd be great or travel outside of your area as well in search of the perfect dress?

 

Currently I'm loving this dress by Forever Bridals but noone locally has it so I'm waiting on a shop near me to get it in. Supposedly takes up to 10 weeks when they order a 'sample dress' for their shop, then if I like the sample that they are kindly ordering in my size, I order the dress and it takes another 10 or so weeks to arrive and then alterations. Again, this dress is just a maybe right now and I can't even try it on till end of July at earliest (EEP!).

 

[Christine]

I bought mine at the David's bridal right off the 495/95/395 merge in NOVA. Since I have my bridesmaids all over DB's was really our only option.

[Adamsgrrl]

I found a Lazaro gown that I feel in love with and am having it copied by a seamstress.

[calyx6]

That is a long time to get a sample dress in! But they do say that it may take up to 6 months to get certain designer dresses in. I'm surprised that there would be a shortage of bridal shops in NOVA.

 

I looked online at 5 gazillion pictures, noted the manufacturers in the right price range that I liked, then looked up stores that had those manufacturers. In the meantime, we found out that we were moving across the country for my FI's new job so we decided to take some time off beforehand and visit some of my family in France. One of the manufacturers I had liked just happened to be having a trunk show so I went, made an appointment afterwards to try on some of the dresses, and I got the 2nd dress I ever tried on. So I traveled VERY far to get my dress (but I was already there anyways.)

 

I would say to go ahead and clip all the pictures of the dresses you like, see if a salon (fancy or not) has several of the mfgs you like, and make an appointment. Then try on as much as you can, even if you don't think it'll look good on you. You'll be very surprised at what actually works and what doesn't. Then, if you still haven't found the dress of your dreams, then at least you'll have a pretty good idea of what you're looking for which will make it easier to explore all of the online options. Is that helpful at all?

 

-V-