Why Knowledge Matters When Choosing Your Wedding Dress

I had to write about my appointment today.

When my bride's booking came through, I thought her name looked familiar. When she arrived, I greeted her and asked about her wedding date. She’s getting married in November this year, so she still has plenty of time.

She then explained that she had already put a deposit on a wedding dress, but she was concerned about the alterations. She had received three quotes from Sydney seamstresses ranging from $1200–$1400.

Naturally, I asked if I could see the dress. When she tried it on, I said, “It actually doesn’t look bad on you. What is it that you don’t like?”

Her concern was the sheer bodice, where you could clearly see the cups. She felt uncomfortable with that.

She then explained something else. She had originally booked an appointment with me, but cancelled just before I left for Rome because she emailed to say she had found her dress in Sydney - which is how I recognised her name!

The dress was by Madi Lane, a label I know very well because I used to carry the brand in my boutique. I asked her why she hadn’t ordered the bodice lined from the beginning, because lining it afterwards would be costly. That’s when she realised the additional alterations were going to be significant.

So I asked her to try on a dress in my boutique.

She loved it immediately.

I asked her honestly, “Does this beat the one you’ve already put a deposit on?”

She said yes.

Next, I put her into an Essense of Australia dress because she mentioned she definitely wanted thick straps with a V plunge. When she tried on Essense of Australia D4140, it fit her beautifully — almost perfectly — except the straps needed a slight adjustment.

I asked again, “Is this better than the dress you chose?”

Her answer was still yes.

Here’s the frustrating part.

This bride is a size 12 in Essense of Australia, and the boutique she purchased from ordered her a size 12 in Madi Lane, which I know runs larger. In my experience, that size was already going to be too big — yet they even suggested going up another size.

That would mean even more alteration costs, which makes me incredibly frustrated for brides.

My bride admitted she felt pressured to buy at the time. She also told me she wished she hadn’t cancelled her original appointment with me. She said the knowledge I have compared to the sales girls in the other bridal shop is second to none.

Unfortunately, she did lose her original deposit.

She didn’t want her “Yes to the Dress” photo posted on social media because she had already shared photos when she bought her dress in Sydney. She felt embarrassed about losing her deposit and purchasing another gown.

But the good news is — she now has the right dress.

This situation only reinforces what I’ve always believed: A shop with a in-house seamstress selling a wedding dress offers far more security than a salesperson who makes commission and knows that if there is an issue with the dress, that it's someone else's problem.

I will never suggest sizing up unnecessarily, and I will never pretend a bodice can simply be lined post-production without explaining the true cost of those alterations.

My goal has always been to make sure my brides walk away with the right dress, the right fit, and no hidden surprises.

Because knowledge and honesty matters. 

Connie x