12 Jun What is a Bridal Sample Sale? Everything You Need to Know
Our Michigan bridal shop is gearing up for our Semi-Annual Sample Sale this July (July 12-13, to be exact), and we couldn’t be more excited to help even more brides find their dream dresses. But, a lot of brides ask us the same question: “What really IS a sample sale?” We’re here to answer all of your questions, and share some exciting details about our own wedding dress sample sale, starting one month from today!
WHAT IS A SAMPLE SALE?
A sample sale is a limited time where bridal shops sell their wedding gowns off the rack, usually with some kind of discount. This year, our sample sale will feature five racks (two full rooms) of wedding dresses marked up to 85% OFF. Talk about saving some money for your wedding! We will also be offering special discounts on select new arrivals. These wedding dresses will be marked up to 20% off. These discounts are for wedding gowns sold off the rack only – so it is important to shop around your size range for this event!
If you fall in love with a wedding dress that is a little too big or small during this event, you have a couple of options: You can add a corset back to a wedding dress that is too small (one of our seamstress referrals will do this for $100), or you can have a dress that is too big taken in. Our seamstress referrals can normally take a wedding dress down several sizes easily (Keep in mind the more you need a dress taken in, the more it will cost).
Because sample sales often have very good deals, a lot of brides are interested in shopping during these events. So, this is a time where brides will benefit from being decisive! Deciding you want to “sleep on it” when shopping for your wedding dress means you risk it being gone later that day, as we have over 20 brides come in each day for our sample sale. We know this can be a little stressful, so we’re here to help! We’ve written out some tips for shopping during sample sale below.
WHAT SHOULD I EXPECT WHEN SHOPPING PIERRE'S SAMPLE SALE?
First, you should expect to find your dress! It is extremely important to shop for wedding dresses with an open and optimistic mind. We have a lot of brides that come to us for their first time wedding dress shopping, and almost all of them walk out with their wedding dress (either ordered or purchased off the rack!). Brides are often surprised to find their dream dress during their first time wedding dress shopping, and even more of them are surprised to find that they have fallen in love with a dress that is different from their inspiration photos! So, when you shop with us, know that you just might walk out with the dress of your dreams, even if it’s different than what you expected.
Our *free* sample sale appointments will be one hour long, and you are welcome to bring up to three guests with you. We have these time and guest guidelines in place during sample sale because our shop will be quite busy during sample sale weekend. These time slots are to guarantee that you will have a room for you to try on dresses in peace. We are limiting guests to ensure that you and your group can shop and have your own space to watch you try on dresses without feeling crowded. If you’d like to have more time or bring more guests during your wedding dress shopping experience, we’d recommend booking either our 5-guest or 8-guest bridal appointments, both of which are 1.5 hours long.
But if you are looking to find a great deal on your wedding dress, you will definitely want to shop during our sample sale! We know how great it can feel to save a couple extra dollars when planning a wedding, so we are giving the first 10 brides that say “yes!” to their dress an additional $50 off their wedding dress purchase! The first 10 brides that buy a Morilee wedding dress will also receive a Morilee bridal goodie bag, straight from the designer of your wedding dress!
DO YOU HAVE ANY TIPS FOR SHOPPING DURING SAMPLE SALE?
Oh, we have tips alright! There are eight things we think every bride should bring during her bridal appointment, whether you’re shopping during sample sale or on a regular Tuesday. For sample sale, however, we think it is especially important to come with a few inspiration photos from our Bridal Outlet to give you and your bridal stylist a head start on the shopping experience. Having some inspiration photos will allow you to convey your vision quickly to your stylist. As we mentioned earlier, you may fall in love with something that is different from your inspiration photos, but inspiration photos are usually a great starting point when trying on wedding dresses!
This brings us to our next tip: an open mind! Please be open to trying on different styles. You never know what you’ll fall in love with! Some dresses may need some modifications to make it your dream dress, like adding straps, belts, or a sparkle underskirt. These modifications are common, but our stylists will never suggest something that is impossible for a seamstress.
Another tip our stylists would recommend is a good understanding of what size range you would fall into. Normally, we suggest going up one or two sizes from your typical jean size. Wedding dresses tend to run small, but each designer is different. The silhouette and fabric type of wedding gowns also influence how the size will fit. Our stylists will help suggest gowns that may fit you well, depending on your size and the designer. We suggest letting your group know what size range you would fall into as well. That way, they can suggest gowns that will fit you during your appointment. It’s usually someone in the group, not the bride, that pulls a dress they think the bride will like, but is out of her typical size range.
There is one last tip for sample sale: Be prepared with your budget! Let your group know what price point you’d like to stay under, so they don’t pull anything over what you’d like to spend. Our sample sale is also cash/card and carry, meaning we do not hold dresses, offer layaway options, or let customers put deposits down for a dress they’re purchasing off the rack during sample sale. This is to ensure all of our brides have the maximum amount of options during sample sale. If you fall in love with a dress, you get to take it home with you that day! Just make sure you are prepared to purchase your dream dress when you find it 😉
If you follow these tips, you’ll be well on your way to finding your dream dress during our Semi-Annual Sample Sale at Pierre’s Bridal. This is the place to be if you are a Michigan bride looking for a bridal shop that will help you find your perfect dress, at an affordable price!
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