What is a wedding dress sample sale? Pacific Northwest area brides who have started shopping for their wedding dress or browsing online websites of their local bridal shops may have come across sample sale events. If you are not familiar with bridal fashion, you might not know what a sample sale is or even what a sample wedding dress is. If you are a bride in the Seattle, WA or Portland, OR area who is curious about wedding dress sample sales, you are in the right place as we are sharing all the tips and advice joyful brides need to know when it comes to shopping a wedding dress sample sale.
We want to make sure our Olympia, WA brides are well prepared before heading to a wedding sample sale hoping for a wedding dress for less! If you are a budget-savvy bride looking for a great deal on a designer wedding dress, you are in the right place to learn all the tips you need to be successful when shopping for a wedding dress sample sale. Be sure to check out our tips on how to know when you’ve found your wedding dress and how to make the most out of your wedding dress shopping appointment.
![Weddings with Joy showroom with several bridal gowns on racks](https://weddingswithjoy.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/weddings-with-joy-contact-afforable-wedding-shop-olympia-wa-1024x683.jpg)
What Is A Wedding Dress Sample Sale?
First things first, what is a sample wedding dress? (This is one of the most common questions that we get!)
Bridal stores have to purchase all of the wedding dresses they have in-store in their inventory – if not, there wouldn’t be anything for brides to try on! The gowns that bridal stores have in their shop are considered “sample” wedding dresses. They are ordered from each bridal designer’s collection so that brides can try on dresses in person and don’t have to order their wedding dress without getting to experience it in person before they buy it.
The sample wedding dresses are usually ordered in a size that is somewhere in the middle of the designer’s size chart so that most amount of brides will have the potential to fit into the gown when trying it on. It’s not realistic – for economic and space reasons- for a bridal store to purchase a gown in every size, so the sample dresses you will see in-store and try on while shopping are often middle-range sizes.
When a bridal boutique has a sample sale, they are selling their inventory of in-store dresses. Some bridal stores may be open to selling a sample dress at any time, and others will do special events to clear out sample dresses.
Sample dress clearouts are done to make room for new bridal collections as designers often release new wedding dress designs twice a year, in the spring and the fall. Bridal shops may need to sell their sample dresses in order to make room for new inventory and this is a great chance to purchase your designer wedding dress at a discount.
Sample wedding dress sales can be win-win for both brides and the bridal salon!
![A bride tries on a lace and tulle wedding dress with the help of a bridal consultant. Weddings With Joy.](https://weddingswithjoy.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/WWJ_social_Aug_2023-153-683x1024.jpg)
Is A Sample Sale Right For Me?
How do you know if shopping a wedding dress sample sale is right for you?
A bridal dress sample sale is not like a traditional wedding dress shopping appointment where you have a little more time to browse in a more laid-back setting. Sample wedding dress sales can be a bit more hectic than a private wedding dress shopping appointment.
Typically, when you go wedding dress shopping and find your dream wedding dress, you will be placing an order for a brand new wedding dress that will be sewn for you at the designer’s warehouse and then will be sent to your bridal store once it’s ready. A sample bridal sale, however, means you are buying that exact wedding dress you just tried on, right there on the spot and will be able to take your wedding dress home with you on the same day.
A wedding dress sample sale can be a good option if you have done some shopping already for a bridal dress and know what style or silhouette you are looking for. If you are on a budget and looking to save money on your wedding with a designer wedding dress for less, a sample sale could be right for you as these dresses are usually heavily discounted and priced to sell.
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A wedding dress sample sale might also be a good option if you are on a tight timeline and need your wedding dress last minute. Wedding dresses should typically be ordered about nine months to one year before your wedding day as production can take anywhere from four to six months or even a little longer.
If you are planning your wedding on a shorter timeline, a sample sale wedding dress might save you on having to pay for rush fees.
Most importantly, a bridal sample sale is good for decisive shoppers. As we mentioned before, the sample bridal gowns are priced to sell and there is often only one dress in the size you are trying on, so if you love it, buy it!
There won’t be any holds allowed on the sample sale wedding gowns, so if you think you’ve found your dream wedding dress, don’t second guess yourself. That wedding dress may not be available at the discounted price if you decide not to purchase it right away, or wait hoping to come back later after you’ve had more time to think.
Don’t forget to read our tips on how to know when you’ve found the right wedding dress.
![Beautiful lace wedding dresses on the racks of pacific northwest bridal store, Weddings with Joy.](https://weddingswithjoy.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/WWJ_social_Aug_2023-238-683x1024.jpg)
Sample Sale Dress Sizing
As we previously mentioned, wedding dress sample sales are good for brides who have shopped before and have an idea of the type of dress they are looking for. In addition to knowing what shape and even fabric types or embellishments you are wanting to wear on wedding day, it’s important to know what size wedding dress you should be shopping for. There is likely only going to be 1 or 2 of a certain dress in a store’s inventory so you need to know ahead of time what is going to work for you.
Each bridal designer is going to have a slightly different size chart, so you could be a bridal size 8 in one style of dress and a 10 in another style. This is why it’s important to know your body’s measurements. You should have your bust, waist and hips measured so you will know what bridal dresses will fit you and where you will fall on a size chart.
When shopping a bridal sample sale, you also need to keep in mind gown alterations. You should have an idea of what alterations might be needed for your dress and if those are realistic with a sample size wedding dress.
As a general rule of thumb, wedding dresses can often be taken down up to two sizes and can be taken up a half to one size. We want to make sure your bridal gown fits you perfectly on wedding day, so when considering a sample sale wedding dress, make sure any alterations that need to happen will be possible in that particular dress.
Keep in mind that wedding dress alterations are a separate cost from the gown itself. Sometimes your alterations cost could be the same or even more than what you spend on a sample sale gown!
![wedding dresses at pacific northwest bridal shop, Weddings with Joy.](https://weddingswithjoy.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/WWJ.1.24-173-683x1024.jpg)
Wedding Dress Cleaning
One last tip we have for brides who are considering a sample sale wedding dress is to be sure to factor in cleaning of your wedding dress into your overall wedding budget. Remember that the sample bridal dresses have been tried on by other brides who are shopping for their wedding dress. While bridal stores do their best to keep their inventory clean and in great shape, you will definitely want to plan on having your wedding dress cleaned before you wear it down the aisle.
In addition to a regular cleaning, these sample sale wedding dresses might need a little extra love. They have been tried on numerous times, so there may be things like some missing beads or crystals. This may be totally unnoticed or it might be something that bothers you and perhaps is something that can be fixed during alterations. It will depend on your personal preference but is something for brides to keep in mind. You will still be getting a dress that is in great condition and will be saving your budget.
With that in mind, we do offer professional wedding dress cleaning and preservation at our bridal boutique in Olympia, WA, and would love to help you take care of your dream wedding dress so you can be a truly joyful bride on wedding day!
About Weddings With Joy
If you’re a bride in the Pacific Northwest or planning a wedding in the South Sound, Seattle, and Portland, OR areas, come visit our amazing bridal boutique in Olympia, WA full of beautiful wedding dresses. At Weddings With Joy, we offer a truly one-of-a-kind experience for our joyful brides through our personalized attention and bridal styling support as they find their perfect wedding day look. Weddings With Joy features stunning wedding dresses in all shapes, sizes, and styles as well as the best tuxedo rentals and suits in Washington state. Request your bridal shopping appointment in the South Sound to find your dream wedding dress! We can’t wait to help you become a joyful bride!