Wedding Dress Shopping in Seattle
Finding one’s wedding dress has got to be one of the most fun parts of the wedding journey. So if you are looking for your wedding dress, congratulations, I’m so happy for you. This is going to be fun!
I’m the bride who really didn’t want to spend a lot of money on a wedding dress. For me, it just seemed absurd to spend thousands of dollars on a dress to only wear it once. If you want to spend a lot of money on your wedding dress, more power to you! Just understand that wasn’t my mindset. I was quite set on finding a second hand or sample dress and my budget was $1,000. This meant I first focused on shopping at Brides for a Cause!
Two WA locations - Tacoma and Seattle
Tacoma has a better selection IMO
Dressed I looked at were priced around $300-$800
Website states most dresses fall within price range of $150-$700
Has monthly sales and two big annual sales during the summer and holidays
After four appointments (two in Tacoma and two in Seattle), I wanted to branch out and see what the selection was like at Blue Sky Bridal.
More of a traditional wedding dress shopping experience in comparison to Brides for a Cause
Very detailed notes on dresses, i.e. clearly labeled if they’ve been wed once or are samples. In addition, they denote if the dress has been tailored and what height the dress accommodates.
Overall, dress conditions are quite good
Dresses I looked at were priced around $1,500-$2,000
Website states price range is $500-$5,000; most dresses fall between $800-$3,000
Has at least two annual sales during the summer and holidays
After a year of what I like to call “thrift shopping” for wedding dresses/five dress appointments later, I started worrying I wasn’t going to find my dress at these shops. This meant I needed to a) up my budget to $2,000 and b) be open to ordering a new dress. I performed a Google search of nearby bridal salons. There are quite a few salons that either have their general inventory posted on their websites or on Pinterest. I took advantage of that to narrow down what places I wanted to go to and to try on dresses that were within my budget.
Beautiful boutique - feels fun, young, boho and chic
Prices range from $1,200-$3,000+
Highlight for me is the Made With Love line
Spacious boutique and parking in front
Prices range from $1,000-$6,000
Large dress selection
Has in-house alterations (for additional alteration fees)
Beautiful, classic boutique
Prices range from $800-$15,000
Large dress and bridal accessories collection
Where I found my dress! Yes, I did get that bridal feeling. I put on the dress and immediately felt emotional.
Wedding Dress Shopping Advice
1) Try on every style. You never know what you’ll end up loving.
2) Take photos and videos in the dresses! There were some dresses I thought looked great in person, but did not translate well in photos/videos.
3) I really advise you to start dress shopping ASAP. Once you order a wedding dress from a bridal salon, it can take up to 6 months to arrive.
4) If you are serious about staying within a certain budget, do not try on that eye catching dress that’s out of your budget. You may fall in love with it, and that means you say goodbye to your budget.
5) Once you find your wedding dress, start shopping for your wedding shoes. This way you can bring your wedding shoes to your wedding dress fittings.
6) Allow a 1 month timeframe to tailor your dress and bring your wedding shoes. Getting your wedding dress tailored can require at least two wedding dress fittings.