Need help sourcing wedding dress!

clumsyklutz

Hi all,

Asking a lot here, but after weeks of trawling through website after website, I finally came accross this beautiful dress that just screams me! (http://davidtuteraformoncheri.com/wedding-dresses/114294/) The only problem is that from looking online I can only find a handful of stockists in Ireland, and only find the price online in dollars ($1,123!!!).

Obviously this is way out of my price range, but would love to know if anybody on the off chance knew someone who had one for sale or any reliable websites or bridal stores that stock this type of dress?

Typer Monkey

That link is showing an error. Can you try posting again?

$1000 is about €700 which is on the lower scale of prices for wedding dresses. Have you had a look at barnardos? They do second hand and donated stock. There are 2nd hand dress websites aswell

clumsyklutz

(http://davidtuteraformoncheri.com/wedding-dresses/114294/?fc)

Sorry, hopefully the above link works, if not google David Tutera Elsie dress and it should come up!

Unfortunately my budget doesn't even stretch as far as 700 . I wish it did! As this really is the type of dress I've been looking for. Time to start talking very very sweetly to both sets of parents :P

I might ring Barnardos and ask them if they have any of his dresses in stock. Thanks for the idea.

Dolbert

Kitty and Dulcie are very reasonable. This one isn't too far off. Hope you find something!

clumsyklutz

Dolbert wrote: »

Kitty and Dulcie are very reasonable. This one isn't too far off. Hope you find something!

Thanks a lot for that! That's much more my price range, and the dress is really nice

foggy

I would suggest having a look in Dirty Fabulous in Dublin. They have some lovely dresses, quite similar to that one as well.

http://www.dirtyfabulous.com/

I got my dress in there and it's very reasonable.

I would also recommend Oxfam on Georges Street. They have a great selection of dresses and it's constantly changing. I tried lots of dresses on and they were mostly in great conditions ( a few were a bit grubby but probably from being tried on rather than much real damage).

http://www.oxfamireland.org/bridal

biddywiddy

Nothing to add except OMG that dress is gorgeous OP!

Gatica

That dress is very much in the style of what I went for. I wonder if you found a full length dress that you liked and were able to just trim the length?

Dolbert

David's Bridal have some lovely high-low ones too

http://www.davidsbridal.com/Product_High-Low-Off-the-Shoulder-Satin-Ball-Gown-CKP558_Bridal-Gowns-Shop-By-Silhouette-Short

http://www.davidsbridal.com/Product_Tulle-Over-Chiffon-High-Low-Dress-with-Bow-Accent-WG3619_Bridal-Gowns-Shop-By-Silhouette-Short

stargazer 68

OP there is a group on facebook wedding things for sale, swap or free. Some great ideas and stuff for sale including wedding dresses. Could be worth a look

clumsyklutz

Foggy thanks for the advice, will check them out!

BiddyWiddy as soon as I saw it, I squealed a little, much to the annoyance of other Dublin Bus passengers!

Gatica, that's actually not a bad idea! I'll definitely keep that in mind.

Dolbert, that first dress is beautiful!

Thanks for the tip Dovies!

Gatica

I previously posted link to http://www.kittyanddulcie.com/cheap-wedding-dresses.html on another thread and was going to recommend you check them out, but noticed Dolbert already recommended them!

They really do have fab selection, these are my favourite in the same style:
http://www.kittyanddulcie.com/i-got-you-babe-cheap-wedding-dress.php
http://www.kittyanddulcie.com/madame-minnie-cheap-wedding-dress.php
http://www.kittyanddulcie.com/baroness-pearl-cheap-wedding-dress.php
http://www.kittyanddulcie.com/cockney-rebel-cheap-wedding-dress.php

clumsyklutz

Gatica, the third dress is just fab! You have very similar tastes to me so!

rainbow kirby

Gatica wrote: »

I previously posted link to http://www.kittyanddulcie.com/cheap-wedding-dresses.html on another thread and was going to recommend you check them out, but noticed Dolbert already recommended them!

They really do have fab selection, these are my favourite in the same style:
http://www.kittyanddulcie.com/i-got-you-babe-cheap-wedding-dress.php
http://www.kittyanddulcie.com/madame-minnie-cheap-wedding-dress.php
http://www.kittyanddulcie.com/baroness-pearl-cheap-wedding-dress.php
http://www.kittyanddulcie.com/cockney-rebel-cheap-wedding-dress.php

Absolutely love the first 2 - I'm around 99% set on a short dress, so they're kinda on my list...

Gatica

I had a tea length dress and I am delighted I went for it. Would I have loved the feel of the Disney princess huge ball-gown? Yes. However, it would have been impractical and a little childish for me as that would've been the main reason I'd have loved it. I felt very grown-up, stylish and classy in the 50's style dress. It was so easy to dance in, it never got in the way and the full skirt showed off all the layers when swinging and have fab photos of that now.
Two of my friends that got married in mermaid style dresses with small trains, said if they would change one thing about their dress, they'd have chopped off their trains and shortened it so they could easily dance in it without shoes.

rainbow kirby

I just never liked long dresses on me - I hate how having material trailing on the ground feels and I'm a bit of a klutz so liable to trip on it. A tea or knee-length dress also gives me the option of wearing some really interesting shoes with my dress

Gatica

Absolutely! I got colourful suede shoes and a floral shoe clip on Etsy. They looked fab and worth every penny. Highly recommend:
https://www.etsy.com/shop/ChloeANDMaddie?ref=l2-shopheader-name

dowhatyoulove

They are fabulous..

Dolbert

I can't believe I forgot to mention where I got my own dress, Honeypie Boutique They do tea and full length versions of each dress and are made to measure. I'd highly recommend them.

Gatica

OMG, I wish I'd seen these sites before I had bought my dress! It cost way more but I couldn't find the Audrey Hepburn style that I wanted anywhere. It's one she wore in Funny Face, weird film but the dress in it was amazing. They have two very similar:
http://www.honeypieboutique.co.uk/ourshop/prod_651118-Sophia.html
http://www.honeypieboutique.co.uk/ourshop/prod_651001-Audrey.html

clumsyklutz

Wow Gatica thank you so much for all of your help, I'm loving each dress link you put up! I really know what you mean, the princess dresses look so good in theory, but for me the elegance of a 1950's style dress will never look out of place in photographs. That and as you said, you need something you can move in, not something you struggle to even sit down in!

clumsyklutz

Thanks Dolbert, they have some really amazing dresses on there!

rainbow kirby

Dolbert wrote: »

I can't believe I forgot to mention where I got my own dress, Honeypie Boutique They do tea and full length versions of each dress and are made to measure. I'd highly recommend them.

I'm seriously considering getting something from them when it gets to time to order. Made to order really suits me because I've got slightly weird proportions. Possibly a royal blue petticoat and sash with it too and a blue dress for my bridesmaids.

Dolbert

rainbow kirby wrote: »

I'm seriously considering getting something from them when it gets to time to order. Made to order really suits me because I've got slightly weird proportions. Possibly a royal blue petticoat and sash with it too and a blue dress for my bridesmaids.

It'd be fab on you! I paid £30 extra for a chiffon overlay, you can also get lace or polka dots The delivery guideline is 10-12 weeks and I got mine 12 weeks later on the button, no alterations needed. All made in the US/UK as far as I know. It's a stark contrast to a dress I had ordered from China and, while the quality was okay, the measurements were all over the place. It ended up in the charity shop.

garglegar

I went for a high low dress too. The first reem acra one on the link below.



I couldn't find any to even try on in Ireland and some of the women in bridal shops laughed at me when I asked about cutting up dresses. So I went to Reem Acra trunk show in London just to make sure the style suited me. The dress was £10,000!!!! So I got a copy of it made from a chinese website www.bridaldreamdress.com for €350. I was so scared it wouldn't work out but the dress is fab. They did a great job. I'ts just in the tailors now getting taken in. So if you can't find the dress you want you do have the option to get them to make a copy and the great thing is you can tailor it to exactly the way you want it.

clumsyklutz

garglegar wrote: »

I went for a high low dress too. The first reem acra one on the link below.



I couldn't find any to even try on in Ireland and some of the women in bridal shops laughed at me when I asked about cutting up dresses. So I went to Reem Acra trunk show in London just to make sure the style suited me. The dress was £10,000!!!! So I got a copy of it made from a chinese website www.bridaldreamdress.com for €350. I was so scared it wouldn't work out but the dress is fab. They did a great job. I'ts just in the tailors now getting taken in. So if you can't find the dress you want you do have the option to get them to make a copy and the great thing is you can tailor it to exactly the way you want it.

Wow that dress is fab! Thanks for the tip, I never thought of that as I'd heard a few horror stories! Just got the price on the dress that I wanted and it's €1,300.00 way out of my price range. I'll definitely have a look into this. Thanks. Just a quick question though, did you get caught with customs charges etc?

garglegar

I did a lot of research and Fiona, the contact from the website was really helpful and always gets back to you within 24 hours, the dress is not the quality of the original but that is not surprising considering the price tag! However it is good quality and looks just like the original. You need to be very specific when ordering so you get exactly what you want, I must have sent ten e-mails!! I also got them to send me swatches of all the fabric they were using ( you get this refunded if you purchase a dress), that way I chose the colour for the bodice and the lace overlay and the soft tulle that i wanted. Even with all that I was still frantic when it arrived in a tiny package, (it was vacuum packed) but I'm delighted with it can't wait to try it on when its altered!!

As for the customs, bridal dream dress mark it as valued €40 so you shouldn't get charged, but typical for me, mine got inspected and I had to show proof of purchase and show how I paid for it to customs so I ended up paying an extra €60, but even with that it was still a bargain!

clumsyklutz

Oh that doesn't sound too bad at all! I might just e-mail her and see what kind of price she can do for the dress and materials .

That'd be my luck too, but €60.00 doesn't sound at all bad, compared to 10,000! I'm so jealous though your dress is just fab and a breath of fresh air from the norm !

garglegar

Thanks!! ALso check out light in the box, i got my bridesmaids dresses there for €25 each!! I couldn't believe the quality was excellent!! and they are just the 1950s tea length style that I wanted. They do wedding dresses too so you might find something there.

clumsyklutz

garglegar wrote: »

Thanks!! ALso check out light in the box, i got my bridesmaids dresses there for €25 each!! I couldn't believe the quality was excellent!! and they are just the 1950s tea length style that I wanted. They do wedding dresses too so you might find something there.

Wow that's unbelievable! I will definitely have a look there as both my bridesmaids are quite petite so I would be going for tea length so as not to swamp them! Great, I was dreading what they would cost too, so that's a lot off my mind!

rainbow kirby

I'd be thinking of tea length for my bridesmaids too - only issue being that I have two vastly different body types represented in my potential bridesmaids! My little sister is 5'3" and a size 18, the others are all 5'7"-5'9" and a size 8-10. I think something that nips in and creates shape could look good on all of them.

Dolbert

VoH all the way

rainbow kirby

Dolbert wrote: »

VoH all the way

Walking distance from my place to their shop, taking my mam there for a look when she's over this weekend

Gatica

nevermind bridesmaid dresses, I'd wear that going out no bother! It's stunning!

clumsyklutz

I'm quite lucky in the fact that both my bridesmaids are around the same height (5ft and just under) and both wear very similar sizes (10ish), let's just hope they're up for the same style! I am in love with those bridesmaids dresses too, if I could have them in a deep blue (navy - really dark), they would be exactly what I'm looking for!

GardenMadness

B Couture in Arklow are very good and they always have a well stocked sale rail. They save you the embarrassment of having to ask for it too, they show you the sale ones unless you say otherwise. They've a great range, too.

My sister in law got hers there and couldn't fault them. I tried on there as well, and they were great.

Gatica

ok, so I thought I had better update on this.. I went and got that lovely black dress from lightinthebox. It's pretty, it was cheap. Sizing is a little off though, I got my usual size and it's quite loose on me. Nothing that wouldn't be fixed by just wearing a sash with it maybe...
Main thing, it's ok as an evening dress, but if I was out in daylight or in heat, I wouldn't like to be wearing it. The material is obviously very cheap (more apparent in natural light) and it's quite clingy and non-breathable. I imagine in hot weather it would be very uncomfortable. So just keep that in mind if you're planning on a summer's bridesmaid dresses from there.

clumsyklutz

Thanks a mill Gatica. I doubt my bridesmaids would have been too thrilled if I had bought them then! anyone have any recommendations for bridesmaid dresses?

sayseeboots

sorry to butt in here, but what is VoH? I'm in Spain and cant find anything here I like for an elopement. My mum is coming over soon so I have these threads stalked and her pounding the streets for me! thanks ladies

rainbow kirby

sayseeboots wrote: »

sorry to butt in here, but what is VoH? I'm in Spain and cant find anything here I like for an elopement. My mum is coming over soon so I have these threads stalked and her pounding the streets for me! thanks ladies

Vivien of Holloway.

Their store is in north London, but everything is available online too. Pretty 50s-style dresses.

clumsyklutz

Hi all, I've recently just booked two appointments to view wedding dresses (unfortunately not the one I really want to look at - Fiona Todhunter Bridals do it, and judging by her site, this seems to be the only one in that style) so I have booked The White Room and Smart Brides, both outside Dublin, does anybody know of any other bridal shops that would have a selection of Bridal Dresses in a 50s tea length/ ballet style (in Dublin or near enough)

I have heard Dirty Fabulous have some, but they come in very small sizes. I have also checked with Barnados and they don't have any in stock at the moment .

Why is this style so bloomin hard to find

Gatica

The websites selling the tea-length dresses have been listed on this thread. Don't know of any other bridal boutiques that would do something so specific. You'd just have to call each one and check if they stock that style. In my experience it was very hit and miss as the floor length is still the prevailing style for bridal dresses. It just so happened that a couple of the shops I went to had 1 or 2 shorter styles, but they weren't specifically stocking "short" dresses.

Dolbert

Exactly. If you're on a budget as you have said, the websites we've listed really are the way to go.

Others to try are Vivien of Holloway and Cutting Edge Brides.

clumsyklutz

I know, but unfortunately, the only dresses I could purchase online would be the bridesmaids dresses, as while they are small in height, everything is pretty much in proportion, while I really need to try dresses on, being quite busty on top and small on the bottom, I really wish I could buy online, would save so much money! I have called quite a few shops, including Marian Gale, Bridal Outlet and so on, and most just say, we don't have any, or we have one or two, 'but lots of dresses can be made shorter', however I don't have the money to do that! I'll just have to keep ringing around. His mum and sisters have said they would like to contribute some money towards the dress, so I have been able to up my budget a little, however, I don't want to push it too far.

rainbow kirby

clumsyklutz wrote: »

while I really need to try dresses on, being quite busty on top and small on the bottom, I really wish I could buy online, would save so much money!

You're built like me so - I'm a 12 in jeans and up top is a crapshoot due to boobage. I got the ivory lace circle dress from Vivien of Holloway in a vintage 14 (B36-W28-H40 if looking online), dunno how it does it but the boning in the dress somehow manages to constrain a 32GG bust...

clumsyklutz

That's pretty much me, except I'm a 14 on the bottom and it's really anything goes on top! Is her stuff only online or can you try on?

Dolbert

Her shop is in London, they do have VoH stuff in the Retro shop, in George's Street arcade, Dublin. I do find them quite accommodating for a bigger bust.

Honeypie Boutique can be made to measure too, it's generally just bust and waist you'll need to fit as the hips are free in that style.

Edit: Not sure if they still do them in Retro, that was a few years ago

rainbow kirby

clumsyklutz wrote: »

That's pretty much me, except I'm a 14 on the bottom and it's really anything goes on top! Is her stuff only online or can you try on?

You can try on in their store on Holloway Road in London, their site also says they have a stockist in Cork, not sure if that one has the bridal dresses though.

clumsyklutz

Great, thanks I must check them out. Didn't think dress shopping would be this stressful!

Dolbert

They give the measurements on the website though, so as long as you have your own ones correct the dress should fit - you can always return it anyway.

@RK - I love the ivory lace circle dress so much, one of my all-time favs!

snickerpuss

clumsyklutz wrote: »

Hi all, I've recently just booked two appointments to view wedding dresses (unfortunately not the one I really want to look at - Fiona Todhunter Bridals do it, and judging by her site, this seems to be the only one in that style) so I have booked The White Room and Smart Brides, both outside Dublin, does anybody know of any other bridal shops that would have a selection of Bridal Dresses in a 50s tea length/ ballet style (in Dublin or near enough)

I have heard Dirty Fabulous have some, but they come in very small sizes. I have also checked with Barnados and they don't have any in stock at the moment .

Why is this style so bloomin hard to find

Alexanders on Parnell Street have 5/6 in stock. I know someone who got one for her wedding. She loved them.

Also Vintage Bride stock new but vintage inspired dresses. Specifically, Joanne Fleming stuff which is so lovely. Pic here.