PDA

View Full Version : Is bridalcouture.com legit??



prius42
06-29-2004, 01:41 PM
I just received a gown from them a few days ago, and it was altogether a good experience. It's a silk Jim Hjelm Couture, for the record, and it was marked down to $399 because of a sleeve problem, which they disclosed. (I'm taking the sleeves off anyway.) The gown's great, little bit of beading missing, but certainly worth $399, or more. Arrived UPS in a garment bag, wrinkled but otherwise looking good. I have decided not to return it, but the return policy seems legit. I think it took about three weeks to arrive from the time I ordered, and it was as described (except the description said white, and it was more ivory - fine with me, I prefer non-white) and in surprisingly good condition - and fit perfectly too! I don't have any reason to believe it's a knock-off or in any way inauthentic. I'd say go for it. The material, beading, and crinoline alone in my dress is worth more than I paid for it. (And I am, of course, in no way affiliated with the company or any of its subsidiaries.) Only problem now is that I have two dresses.....

kimjerpixie
07-02-2004, 05:35 PM
I think they sell discontinued floor samples of designer gowns. Could be a good way to get a fantastic price on an expensive dress.

pegtho
07-04-2004, 10:58 AM
kimjerpixie, you "think" or do you know?

Does anyone in the bridal dress industry know what happens to all the "Discontinued" floor samples? How often are dresses discontinued? Vera Wang stated (on TV) that there are 5 run way shows she does per year. Does that mean she discontinues dresses before the customer has time to compare the samples to the received product of poor quality. Is there a discontinued bridal dress graveyard somewhere?

My seamstress told me in the 20 years she has been repairing poorly made bridal dresses that she never worked on the sample dresses that were discontinued. In my investigation, I have yet to find the discontinued floor samples. I am looking for a few Vera Wang Samples to show Vera corporation misled my family by her couture samples and her couture retailer (Suky Rosan Gowns, PA) too.

The seamstress is a firm believer that bridal dress manufacturers are charging very, very high prices for many poorly made dresses arriving from many factories. Keep that in mind when viewing the samples that appear to be better (many time) then the dresses received.

Retailers please elaborate so that we may help other young ladies who may hear those nasty words, "Your dress has been Discontinues". Why!

For the ladies purchasing dresses, if you hear those words above, run (don't walk) out of the retailers because you may end up like my family receiving cheap dresses (less than K-Mart) while the sample dresses were discontinued leaving us no way to compare and putting us in to a two year battle with the Vera Wang Corporations.

Pegtho

kimjerpixie
07-06-2004, 06:03 PM
This is cut and pasted straight from the the bridal couture website...

"Bride Couture disclaims that it is an authorized dealer or agent of any of the designer gowns offered on its website. Designer gowns offered on this website are all registered trademarks of their original owners who reserve their rights and ownership. The use or mention of any trade names, product names, or trademarks on this website does not suggest that the trademark owner or designer has any affiliations with or any endorsements of this website."

As is this
"Our staff at Bride Couture™ carefully inspects each wedding dress before purchasing for any defects. Only the very best bridal gowns are selected from the designers and high end retailers. Our selected professional bridal gown cleaner does its best to make absolutely sure there are no make-up marks or dust on the gowns. We pride ourselves in having the best selection and best quality of high end designer wedding gowns anywhere! You will not be disappointed!"

The fact that they have to clean them leads one to believe they are not new gowns, but floor samples.

And for your information, the bridal industry has two shows per year in three markets (New York, Chicago and Las Vegas). Though Vera Wang also does ready-to-wear and formal evening clothes, she only shows twice a year in New York.

Sample dresses are no mystery, but there is a difference between floor samples and discontinued gowns. Denise and Alan Fields say it is a good way to get a dress for less as sometimes the salons will sell them off the floor for a discount if you ask. eBay is another good place to find deals on samples as salons clear out discontinued inventory. What do you think the big Filene's sale is about every year? Discontinued floor samples. It varies by designer as to what they discontinue and how often. Some designers never discontine while others "weed out" the poor sellers.

Hope that answers your questions.

kimjerpixie
07-06-2004, 06:06 PM
More info from the FAQ section on their website...

1. Are the gowns authentic designer bridal gowns?

Yes. All of our bridal gowns are 100% authentic designer bridal gowns as described.

2. Where do the bridal gowns come from?

Bride Couture™ gets its bridal gowns directly from the manufacturers (designers) and from high end retailers across the country who carry the designer wedding dresses.

3. Are the bridal gowns new?

Most of the bridal gowns are samples from retail stores which means that they may have been tried on. Some of the bridal gowns are purchased from the designers which may be new and have never been tried on. Regardless, Bride Couture™ inspects each wedding dress before purchasing to make sure the bridal gowns can be worn without any visible marks or permanent damage to the gown. If there is any defect or mark on a wedding dress it will be noted in the comments of each dress description. Bride Couture™ has a select professional bridal gown cleaner and seamstress who makes sure every bridal gown is in perfect to almost perfect condition. All wedding dresses are again inspected before shipment. We pride ourselves in having the best selection of high end wedding dresses in the best condition.

4. How often does Bride Couture™ get new bridal gowns in?

New wedding dresses are added constantly depending on the availability from our suppliers. We like to add bridal gowns at least every three weeks. Check back if you do not find the bridal gown of your dreams. New bridal gowns will be added to the end of the gown search results.

5. Why buy from Bride Bride Couture™ and not buy from a retail store?

Even when purchasing a sample bridal gown from a retail store Bride Couture’s prices will usually be much less due to the volume we purchase in. As a matter of fact we guarantee that we will have the lowest price on any wedding dress sold in a retail store. That is our Price Guarantee. Additionally, we provide the bride with the opportunity to return the bridal gown if not completely satisfied. See Satisfaction Guarantee.

6. How soon will I get my wedding dress?

Because we have the bridal gowns on hand your bridal gown will be shipped within 2-4 weeks maximum. Gowns are usually shipped within two weeks of placing an order. *This is a bonus for those brides having a short engagement and wanting a designer wedding dress which usually takes 4-7 months to order.

7. What if I am a size 6 and the wedding dress I want is a size 10?

Sizing can usually be accomplished two sizes down or one size up. Thus, a size 10 will easily be altered by a professional seamstress to a size 6; a size 8 to a size 4; a size 10 to a size 12. You get the picture. Keep in mind that a professional wedding gown seamstress is recommended. You can get an idea of the measurements of the gown you want to purchase by viewing the size chart of the designer. *Remember that wedding dresses are sized smaller than normal street clothes sizes. A size 10 is closer to a normal size 8. You can also try on gowns made by the designer you wish to purchase at a retail store near you to get an idea of what size range will work for you.

8. What if you do not have the bridal gown I have my heart set on?

Because we have access to many retailers and designers there is a good chance we can do the work in locating your dream wedding dress and still save you at least 50% off the retail price. Simply e-mail us at [email protected]. Please include the designer and style number and our staff will begin locating your bridal gown. We can usually have the wedding dress to you within 4-5 weeks if located.

9. What if I cannot decide between several gowns on your site?

IF YOU WANT TO TRY MORE THAN ONE GOWN PLEASE CALL OR E-MAIL THE ORDER IN AS WE WILL ONLY REQUIRE A DEPOSIT FOR THE GOWNS!

A popular option is to purchase 2-4 gowns, try them on and send back the ones that you do not want. Shipping is very economical because the gowns will be shipped together in one box. Please contact us and we will calculate the shipping for the gowns. A maximum of four gowns can be shipped for this purpose.

barbiegrrl
07-07-2004, 01:24 AM
I disagree. The poster asked for information on that website, not how to stop bridal retail scams. kimjerpixie posted info from the actual site so we can read it and decide for ourselves. Thanks.

NoleGirl
03-21-2006, 05:27 PM
I was wondering if anyone has had any experience with this website-- bridalcouture.com? My friend is considering using it and I wanted to see if anyone knew anything about it--good or bad. They seem to have a decent return policy. Please let me know. Thanks!!