Wedding Blog
My mom, my sister, and I all suffer from the same compulsion: the obsessive need to find a bargain. It took years of support groups and many an intervention, but my bargainphilia is much more in control now. At the very least, I no longer buy junk I don’t need simply because it’s on sale. But when it comes to things that I need–or, well, want–I will stop at nothing to find the lowest price.
Shopping for wedding-related items, and particularly wedding dresses, is not good for a bargainphiliac. And did I forget to mention that although I am a bargain addict, I also happen to be a label whore and a fashion junkie? “A cheap Monique Lhuillier?” I’m sure if I go into a swanky bridal boutique asking for that, the response would be laughter, followed by a “thxkbai” and a swift kick out the door. But here’s the thing: I DID find an affordable Monique Lhuillier — albeit after a lengthy search. To save other bargainphiliacs the trouble, I thought I’d retrace for you the steps of my journey.
I started out by testing out my mom’s suggestion to get my wedding gown from China. Having seen a good number of bridal shops in Asia (who knew bubblegum pink came in so many different, equally nauseating, shades?), I was not so convinced this was a good plan. I mean, THIS does not whisper “chic blushing bride” to me; it screams “stick a cake topper on my head, I’m ready to be served!” (This confectionery concoction, BTW, is from Julius Bridal, one of a few sites that sell bridal wear direct from Chinese manufacturers.)
My protests muted a bit after I read the bible for all bargain-lovin’ brides, Bridal Bargains by Denise and Alan Fields. The Fieldses point out that many of the brand-name gowns sold in American bridal boutiques are made in China. In fact–and I will write more about this in a future post–an armful of dresses I tried on at the Priscilla of Boston sample sale were as FOB (fresh off the boat, for those of you not hip to my sister’s college-age lingo) as, well, me. Complete with Chinese handwriting on the hangtags! Anyway, if your eyes aren’t blinded by the gaudy awfulness of some of the stuff sold by these manufacturers on their sites, you can actually find some gowns that (at least in photos) appear to be quite lovely. Like this Jim Hjelm-like alencon lace gown below, which Julius Bridal makes for $399.99? Or this lovely dress, which Cinderella Bridal Shop sells on ebay for $199?
Windsor Peak Press, which publishes the Fields’ guide, has a message board that has many reviews of Julius, Cinderella, as well as other similar manufacturers and their dresses. These reviews were somewhat of a mixed bag. Some brides just loved their gowns; others were livid about poor fit, glued-on beading, or itchy linings. Ultimately, I couldn’t bring myself to commit to one of these gowns without touching the material or seeing the dress in person. Even though Julius and Cinderella post photos of their actual dresses (instead of pictures outright stolen from American designers), I’d done enough clothing shopping in China to know the truth of the old maxim caveat emptor (flash back to the hot mess that was the “Shanghai cashmere” coat I bought that was neither from Shanghai nor made of cashmere). So I started running the sample sale circuit instead. More on that in my next post.
Have any of you bold and courageous bargain hunters out there dared to order one of these direct-from-Chinese-manufacturer gowns? Tell us about your experience, good or bad.
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Can’t say I join you in this one. I am more of a support local stores type of gal (growing up in a small town will do that to ya), but I am LOVING the GINORMOUS confection gown. Its a dress, a cake, and curtains all in one! heehehhe. Thanks for sharing.
I can’t help but cringe every time I hear someone mention Julius Bridal.
Early in my planning process I had fallen head over heels for a dress from Stephanie James Couture. However, the dress would have cost nearly as much as my entire wedding (which in the end tallied up at just over $5000.) Someone suggested Julius Bridal to me to custom make the SJC knock off.
My experience with them spanned from November 07 to April 08, and none was positive. The US contact person, Mimi, was occasionally responsive but rarely straight forward with the status of my dress. When my dress finally did arrive it was completely WRONG. Not even close. Mimi said that the wrong dress had been sent to me and they would take pictures of my dress to be sure that it was correct before shipping. Days later with no response and no pictures, another dress arrived on my door. Wrong again-but this time Mimi insisted that this was the dress I was to receive. I promptly demanded my money back and returned the dresses- with two months to find a new one.
The dress I had asked for was a simple A-Line, tea length ivory gown with a late 50’s/early 60’s flavor. What I got was a polyester, crinkly, and itchy dress that literally weighed 15lbs and when I put it on I looked like I was INSIDE of a baked good.
I highly recommend that anyone who is thinking of using Julius Bridal- run the other way.
That’s not an affliction, my dear … it is a blessing to be celebrated by all!! (Though DO let me know how you managed the “not buying things just because they’re on sale” trick. That could come in handy in our tiny place….)
My motto…A penny saved is a penny earned! Even on wedding items. Happy bargain hunting!
I’ve always liked the saying “Men will spend $2 on a $1 item they need and women will spend $1 on a $2 dollar item they don’t need”.
The dress by Julius Bridal is lovely but it is now $499.99??
Thank for showing me: Cinderella Bridal Shop!
LOL. These are great comments.
@mdarrah: I definitely support your efforts to back local businesses. The dress I ultimately bought was from a fledgling, woman-owned business in LA — not quite local, but a business I could feel good about getting behind.
@JamieElizabeth: Thanks for writing about your experience. While it hurts my bargain-loving heart to acknowledge such a thing, I guess there are some situations in which you get what you pay for. I hope you were able to find a dress at the 11th hour that you liked.
@Marlene: You’re right! The prices have gone up since I did my initial research. Let’s hope (given JamieElizabeth’s experience) the quality has too!!!
I got my dress from China and I love it! I used an ebay vendor recommended in the book Bridal Bargains. I emailed pictures of what I wanted, and $230 (including shipping) and a month later had my dress. It’s certainly not the $5,000 dress that I sent pictures of, but it’s close enough for me, since I’m just wearing it for one evening. I’m definitely satisfied with my purchase.
@Nettie: Thanks for sharing your experience. You should post pics of your dress! I’m sure it’s lovely, and I’d be curious to know what I could have gotten for $230.
Nettie - WHO did you get your dress from? I’m interested to know which vendor you used.
I’m casually considering a second dress, for funsies, and figure eBay will be the place to go.
I got my May-jah dress from the Macy’s Sample Sale in Minneapolis. Its a Vera Wang with a $3,995 price tag. I got it for… lets just say it was in the hundreds. I took it to my seamstress, and am having it cleaned, and will still be under the $1,000 mark.
Macy’s sample sale is the way to go if you can wait until April. Monique for 40%+ off, Amsale, Lela Rose, Vera Wang, etc.
I’m with you on finding bargains even for your wedding. Most wedding items are so over inflated just because they are for a wedding. You have to do your shopping around to get a fair deal.
That gown is something. You’ve got to respect its uniqueness!
My favorite
real wedding feature on Weddingbee had a bride wearing a Julius Bridal dress. I also looked into them, but decided I wanted the reassurance of knowing exactly what my dress would look like and be made of.
I don’t have pictures of me in the dress yet, but the wedding is less than 2 weeks away so I will soon! The ebay seller was jeffliu8000. In the pictures I sent, the bride was wearing a veil, and they sent me that veil as well- so I really got a bargain! I ordered it early in my planning because I figured if I hated it I still had time to find something else, but I ended up really liking it!
I don’t see why there’s a drive to spend thousands of dollars on wedding dresses. I got mine from Rosebud’s Bridal in Washtenaw, MI which is a resale shop for wedding gowns. It took a while, but I found my perfect dress for $300 all repairs and cleaning included. The service I’ve gotten has been really exceptional, and I’m really happy with my choice.
My experience with Julius Bridal was similar to JamieElizabeth’s. I started emailing Mimi in December of 2006 and by April 2007 was ready to order my gown. That’s when Mimi stopped responding to my emails and phone calls. I finally sent a not very nice email stating that I would never recommend JB to anyone due to the un-explained drop in customer service. After that I got an email back from Mimi that basically said “if you don’t want to order from us then don’t…we won’t miss your money”. So I was 90 days till my wedding with no gown. I ended up paying an extra $500 for the gown I wanted because I had to pay customization fees and rush order fees to have it delivered in time.
Julius Bridal is NOT worth the hassle.
Miss Hot Cocoa- I did end up finding the perfect dress! And for half the price of what I would have spent through Julius (I really can’t resist a bargain either!). It was a vintage reproduction from Daddy O’s. One of my closest friend buys all her dresses there and raved about them.
It seems that Julius Bridal is always hit or miss. I’m just glad that I came away from it with nothing lost and enough time to find another dress.
To all of you looking for a bargin dress I have found your man! I was skeptical of the ebay dress at first and then I bit the bullet and bought mine for $169 including shipping and it is beautiful! The ebay store I went thru is
http://stores.ebay.com/April-Bridal
the guy is jeffliu8000. I didn’t find a dress that I wanted from the ones he had so I sent him a picture of one I wanted and my measurments and he had it to me in 3 weeks. I was prepared to get a piece of crap but was really suprised when I got this amazing dress. People can’t believe when I told them it was from ebay! Good luck hunting!
I dont know if this link will work but this is the only picture I have of my dress at the moment, seeing as how my finace was the only one at home with me! Hope it works. This is the ebay $169 one!
[...] followed our penny-pinching protagonist’s adventures thus far, you know that she’s looked into direct-from-manufacturer gowns and designer sample sales. Next, follow our intrepid shopper as she goes into the dark vortex of [...]
Let me just say that I have one month to my wedding and JB royally screwed up my gown. I used to advocate them etc and think they were awesome. They screwed up my gown due to not checking on it and making sure it was right. I have called and called since it arrived yesterday. You would think someone would call me back since I said urgent and explained and emailed with details and pictures. No one has the decency to call me and fix this. I work for media now and honestly, I hope they fix this or I will make it priority to let the bridal circuit know that they have no quality control, dont check packages, and let damaged goods go out the door.
I dont want to be mean. My wedding is in a month. I want my dress fixed and pretty- all I am asking for.
Let me give you some samples of how bad it is.
http://i164.photobucket.com/albums/u26/evilplastikbucket/problems%20dress/IMG_0447.jpg
http://i164.photobucket.com/albums/u26/evilplastikbucket/problems%20dress/IMG_0438.jpg
http://i164.photobucket.com/albums/u26/evilplastikbucket/problems%20dress/chestsleeves.jpg
On top of that, black ink, smudging, thread falling off….discoloration of the satin.
sigh. I will post when this is resolved. I hope it goes well.
http://www.projectwedding.com/vendor/show/julius-bridal
http://www.weddingbycolor.com/kyla1346/milestones/36484
http://www.weddingwire.com/reviews/julius-bridal-new-york/4c38dad72c03356c.html
http://boards.weddingchannel.com/thread.jspa?threadID=542225&tstart=0&messageID=5136444#5136444@emily: @emily: @emily: @Gfilm: @Gfilm: @Gfilm: @Gfilm: @Gfilm: @Gfilm: @Gfilm: @Stacy: @Stacy:
BEWARE BEWARE BEWARE!!! I used Julius Bridal for my wedding gown, my mothers gown, and my bridesmaids gowns. The gowns all came in WRONG, and had to be sent to a seamstress for corrections. The seamstress has a loose pidgeon who poops all over her shop and the gowns. Also she doesn’t have a large changing room, and her husband walks around her shop/apartment. She butchered the gowns, leaving Julius and Mimi to make tons of last minute corrections. And in the end my mother ended up buying her gown from Macy’s..which sucked cause she was walking me down the aisle. The jewlels on my wedding gown were put on with a hot glue gun, and immediately started falling off the gown. Halfway through the reception they fell right off, ruining my pictures and embarrasing me in front of my guests. Definitly buy your gown from a retail store if you can, because Julius Bridal does horrble work and does not refund you for Their mistakes.
I LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE Julius Bridal. They made my dream dress!!!! It is EXACTLY what I wanted and the beading is great, the fabric is beautiful, and the craftmanship is wonderful! I even bought my headpiece from JB. No complaints at all.
@JAIDIVA:
Jaidiva I feel terrible for you! Your wedding was ruined. I SAW the bm gowns, they were literally CHOPPED UP. If I were you Id sue for the money back plus to pay for a photographer again to take new pics!!!!
@ballnchain1010: Thanks Ball! Yes, the BM gowns were Chopped Up and Horrible. Mimi and Julius did a patch job, but what I got wasn’t what I paid for. The worst part is that they refuse to refund anything. I didn’t even ask for a full refund…just a partial. The only refund they offered was for my mothers gown. Total rip off, and I recommend going retail. You’re much better off with something store bought. I am considering suing…
@JAIDIVA:
What are the odds I wouldve came across this post? This made me so angry when I read peoples replys because I do’t even know you, but I was there at JB looking at Bridal gowns when your BMs came in, and my heart was broken for you. They had the chopped up gowns in their hands & said they had to leave for Jamaica on Wednesday.
It scared me off & I went waaaay over budget, but after seeing what happened to you, I needed piece of mind.
Also…You should read this twisted version of your story in their forum posted by Allison: http://forums.juliusbridal.com/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?p=747#747
you should have just returned it and spent the 3 days buying off the rack.. its not THAT hard to find a dress in 3 days.. get over yourself! Also, dont blame YOUR seamstresses problems on JB…Who returns their wedding dress after the wedding?? Also, I would never believe that your beads just fell off your dress and ruined your pictures and that your guests saw it.. seriously they are so small you wouldnt notice.. and its called photoshop..
Please post the pictures that have the HORRIBLE and CHOPPED up dresses so we can REALLY see how terrible you claim them to be..
I think your just being a brat…
@Dont beware!: Now how do you know that we had 3 days to return the gowns and buy them off the rack??? The turnaround time wasn’t posted anywhere on here!! Sounds like you’re a JB Employee. In addition, I never said I wanted to return my gown…Never Ever Said That. I’m not trying to return my gown…I requested a small token refund from JB to acknowlege the fact that the gowns weren’t up to par, and not what the Bridal Party paid for. Again..The gowns were altered by a JULIUS BRIDAL CONTRACTED SEAMSTRESS…not my own personal seamstress. JULIUS HIMSELF BROUGHT THE GOWNS TO THE SEAMSTRESS AND PAID HER TO DO THE CORRECTIONS AND ALTERATIONS. The crystals that fell off the straps of my gown weren’t small beads with pinholes. It was a strap of large clear crystals that were hot glue gunned to a satin strap that was sewn onto the gown. The crystals litterally peeled off of the straps, and it was totally visable to everyone. I paid for a very expensive photo package, and the crystals falling off of my gown was visible in several important photos. I didn’t have 3 days to look for a gown…we were working with Julius and Mimi on the very day that I was flying out to Jamaica. I litterally left for JFK 4 hours later after I left their home. And as for being a brat…Well, Julius Bridal has apologised to me and is now offering the partial refund that I had requested…because they realize that they were in the wrong.
I think they’re giving you money to shut you up
@vanessa:
I think they changed their mind. JB is standing by her decision not not making the refund. They are afraid to appear that “they’re giving you money to shut you up.”
@JAIDIVA:
You were lucky…. I saw a zipper busted open during a ceremony on a David’s Bridal dress!
That would be truely embarrassing!
sorry im not an employee but a bride waiting on her dress. Im just going off the information posted in another thread.. I still think you should post the pictures of the peeling off..
What do you expect though.. u ask for straps to be mad AFTER the dress was made… they did the best they could.. and they shouldnt have done that..
Also, its your fault for ordering so close to your wedding.. I really dont think its as bad as your claiming it to be! If you want to get your point aacross post the bad picturs then!
I asked for the straps to be added BEFORE the gown was made, and I asked for the same crystals to be used on a custom veil that I never got, but never complained about getting (there goes that brat idea again). To be clear…one last time…I went to Julius Bridal and asked for a wedding gown, 2 MOH gowns, 3 Bridesmaids Gowns, and 1 Mother of the Bride gown. I submitted all of the pictures for the gowns in Feb ‘08. I went to Julius Bridal in Aug ‘08. The Gowns didn’t arrive till Dec ‘08, and were sent to the seamstress in early Jan ‘08. My gown was taken care of by Julius and Mimi, who felt that with over a month of time they needed to cut corners and glue crystals to my gown instead of sewing them on, or suggesting a crystal that COULD be sewn on. The Seamstress butchered the gowns, and left us with trashed gowns and no way to fix them or order new gowns for the attendants (Davids Bridal couldn’t come up with all the gowns in the little bit of time we had to spare) The only gown that was completed was the one altered by my Nana, who while being 80 years of age, still managed to do all of the flawless alterations and hand bead the parts she altered in under 2 weeks….the seamstress had a month and a half… In the end my Sister and first MOH ended up with a gown that wasn’t the same color as all the other gowns and was too tight. My bridesmaid had to have a flower and sash attached to the back of her gown to hide all of the poor work. My Mother NEVER GOT HER GOWN AT ALL!! She had to get a gown from Macy’s. Julius Bridal had over a month to get the straps on my gown right….and I had to be embarassed at my wedding, and have my pictures ruined…because I am NOT a cheap and tacky person, and I refuse to appear as such. Julius Bridal had ample time to get it right, and we were very supportive and understanding throught the entire expirience. Even now, I’ve spoken to Alison and she has agreed that I am not having wild histronics…I’m just asking for what is FAIR AND RIGHT!!!
Here are the pictures:
I am not the only woman on here complaining about their gown. I’m not looking for hush money, and I’m not acting irrationally. I’m not even asking for full refunds!!!…I asked for $60 per person…and they paid $180 for their gowns. That’s not even half off. So, hopefully it goes better for everyone else!
Pictures:
http://i279.photobucket.com/albums/kk146/JaiDaDiva/MSC_0613.jpg
http://i279.photobucket.com/albums/kk146/JaiDaDiva/MSC_0615.jpg
http://i279.photobucket.com/albums/kk146/JaiDaDiva/MSC_0473.jpg
@JAIDIVA:
Seems like one of the straps had a problem. Did you have a wedding planner or event planner? She did not have a sewing kit with her? Mine had a full kit with her including snap buttons, beads and glue gun! I heard that any good professional planner these days would bring some kind of sewing kit with her. It is because there is no way to predict what would happen during the wedding. The wedding dress could have been stepped on by one of the guests and pulled open a seam!
I think it is kind of odd that not one person in the entire resort/hotel/catering place where your wedding took place had a sewing kit? Even Motel 8 provides their guests with sewing kits upon requests.
[...] If you’re looking to snag an incredible bargain on a wedding dress online, Mrs. Haute Cocoa has an incredible manual. Mrs. Tulip also has an excellent guide to buying your wedding dress on eBay. [...]
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Mrs. Hot Cocoa, Boston/Los Angeles
Age and Occupation: 31, JD/PhD Student
Fiance's Age and Occupation: 32, Medical Student
Engagement Date: May 30, 2008
Wedding Date: March, 2009
Blogging Since: April, 2008
Venue: Ritz Carlton, Marina Del Rey
About Me:
I am a professional student by day and an amateur cupcake taster, bargain shopper, and wedding planner by night. I am obsessed with NPR, the Food Network, paper, dance shows, Anthropologie, post-structuralist theory, Weddingbee!, "The Office," and celebrity gossip. When not procrastinating from my dissertation, I spend time catering to Jellyby, our overly anxious shih tzu, and getting to know Mr. Hot Cocoa. We have only been dating for fifteen years, so it's like I'm in love with a stranger! From the East Coast, we are planning a Jewish-Chinese Extravaganza in L.A., where we both grew up.
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