What is a Sample Sale?
Maybe a good place to start is to explain exactly what a sample sale is here at The Bride.
We work closely with a select number of designers to offer you a wonderful, curated collection of dresses. As such, all of the gowns you see lovingly displayed on our rails when you visit us have been handpicked because we believe you as a bride to be will love them.
Every year all of our designers will create new collections for us to view and select key pieces from. It’s of course, one of the highlights of our calendar pouring over new dresses, hearing the inspiration behind them and viewing innovative fabrics and cuts.
We always want to be offering you the latest designs and with a finite amount of space in our boutique we need to ensure we have the capacity to do so and that’s where our sample sales come in to play. So how can you make the most of these samples sales…
Do Your Research And Get In There Promptly
Stay up to date with the latest news, we will always announce upcoming sale dates via our social channels such as Instagram and Facebook so get following and keep your eyes peeled.
When we do go ahead and announce a sale, always check with us if we are operating by appointment only to make sure that you get first pick of the available gowns.
We hate to disappoint so we always recommend you do your research before you arrive at our sales. If you already know what dress, or at least what designer you’re interested in you have a head start and we are always happy to answer your enquiries if you are looking for something in particular.
It’s always best to be mindful that sales really aren’t the best place to try on gowns for the first time and appointments on sale days are usually shorter than at other times.
Be Honest With Yourself And Realistic
… and please be honest and realistic with us as well.
Let us know if have £500, £1000 or £2000 to spend, if you wear a a size 10, 14 or 20 and whether your wedding is next month, next year or if you are yet to set a date, it doesn’t matter. Just be honest with us.
We want to be able to help you in the best way that we can, and we will likely have different options for your circumstances, it can make a whole lot of difference if we know what we are working with.
For our upcoming sample sale we have kept things simple, pricing tiers are £500, £1000 & £1500. All prices are exclusive of alterations and dry cleaning (if needed) – this will be quoted for at the time of sale.
Choose Your Companions Carefully
Having all of your best friends with differing tastes and varying opinions can be overwhelming without sample sale shopping… So for that reason we recommend asking one trustworthy friend or family member to come with you as you shop.
Keep Your Wedding Style In Mind When Attending The Appointment
Consider the kind of bridal underwear you might wear on your wedding day and wear it to our sample sale, this will make dress try-ons much easier as you will be able to see how visible it would be underneath the fabric of your gown.
Also if you have specific shoes or an ideal heel height for your big day bring a similar pair along so you can see how the dress will hit the floor. If you are looking your best (and feeling your best) when sample shopping it will help you to make a realistic decision about how this dress will look on your wedding day.
Budget For Alterations And Be Prepared To Pay And Take The Gown Away That Day
Whilst we take the utmost of care with our sample gowns in the boutique be aware that the condition of them will vary based on how many times they will have been tried on prior to going in to the sale.
Our team will be able to show you any defects and if and how they could be repaired. We are also able to offer a professional dry clean service too if required and an in-house alteration package if it’s required.
All brides get to take their gowns home immediately after purchase (alterations, if required, are arranged for a later date). Payment for gowns need to be made in full at time of purchase and no refunds are available.
