Wedding Blog
I am not a morning person. I’m a professional snoozer and (too) often wake up late. But there are a couple of things that will get me out of bed in the morning: the smell of a strong cup of latte, 
and the hope and promise of a good sale! Set that alarm for a good black Friday sale and I’ll wake up smiling. Get up super early to run like a crazy lady for a fabulous dress? No problemo.
Yesterday I woke up BEFORE my alarm, showered, and got ready in record time for a sale like none other… the Priscilla of Boston Blowout Sample Sale! OK, I can see you now… shaking your head and pointing your finger at the screen. I know you’re thinking that I’m some crazy wedding gown maniac who should be banned from all dress stores. What the heck is this 2 1/3 dress bride doing at yet another wedding gown sale???
Well, it wasn’t for me, I promise!!! I accompanied my newly-engaged co-worker to the sale! This lucky lady is just starting the wedding planning process, and what better place to start than finding the dress!
And c’mon, I can’t pass up an ad like this!!!
The sale started at 8 AM and since we had to be at work by 9, we had exactly 45 minutes to find THE dress. We got to the Boston Priscilla of Boston store early and waited in line (yes, there was a line, but it was super short) for about 20 minutes before they led us upstairs to see the goods.
And oh, were they good! Racks of big, white, flowy dresses are always good!
Let’s get to the good stuff. I love love LOVE this Melissa Sweet Natasha gown. At $3900, she was still pretty pricey, but at over $1500 off the original price, she wasn’t a bad deal!
This Vineyard beauty, Emily, was… wait for it… $999! She was a popular one that morning and I’m certain she found a lucky bride to take her home that day.
My willpower was tested that morning. I had almost convinced myself that I needed a short dress to change into for the reception when some shoes in the corner of the room caught my eye. I ran over and found some great shoes at amazing blowout worthy prices…
These heels were $9.99! Yup, you read that right. You would get CHANGE if you paid with a $10 bill. Well, here in MA anyway.
I almost snatched up these ballet flats (hi Miss Ballet Flat!) for $19.99 but they didn’t have my size. Aren’t they cute?
I passed by a rack of every bride’s favorite accessory and just couldn’t resist trying one on! I am actually searching for the right veil for my dress… that post is coming soon.
There were so many pretty things to oooh and aaah over. But our time was up and no dream dress had been found. Sadly, we started walking toward the door empty handed when something else caught my eye.
It was Dolly, another Vineyard gown. She was gorgeous, and even more so when we saw that her price tag was $999. We picked her up and twirled her around for a little bit before saying goodbye to her and the other pretty friends we had made that morning.
Although my friend didn’t find her dream dress (boo!) that morning, she did get to try on some gorgeous dresses. And I can’t think of a better way to start the work day!
Priscilla of Boston holds these sample sales a couple of times a year and the events tab on their website is always full of information on trunk shows and other fun events. No reservations are needed so set those alarms and go go GO!
Did you find your dress at a POB or similar sample sale?
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Oooh I love sales. I really want to go to the running of the brides. Unfortunately I only have me, my moh, and brothers sister to come with me. I’m afraid we’ll be outnumbered by everyone else there. Also I’m really dissapointed that some of my closest friend didnt want to come because they didn’t want to be overrun by brides. What do you think Miss. Latte, should I go anyway? Did you have any friends who don’t like to wake up early, camp out for a dress, and run with the brides?
Also how early did you wake up to go to the priscilla of boston sale?
Wish I would have known about this, I so love Melissa Sweet. 
Looks like you had a lot of fun! I love the veil you tried on, and can’t wait to hear more!
I did find my dress at a POB sale!
here it is:
http://www.priscillaofboston.com/dress_detail.jsp?gid=220&sfid=50765&f=
I got 20% off. Still pricey, but sooo worth it!
I regret not checking out sample sales. I was kind of afraid all of the dresses would be too small for me and i would be really embarassed! Do you guys know if dress sizes at the sales tend to be a certain size?
I’m with Mrs. Pengy, I also regret not checking out sample sales. When I started looking for my dress, it was pre-Weddingbee and I didn’t even know such a thing existed!
sample sales are awesome! i never thought a melissa sweet dress was even a remote possibility until an amazing Saks sample sale came along where gowns were 70+% off!
Tangt - I went to the Running of the Brides in Atlanta on Friday. I didn’t arrive until 11:30 am that day, and only brought three girls with me. I was worried that I wouldn’t have a large enough group, but since we arrived later, it wasn’t a problem at all. By the time we got there, there were still tons of dresses, and many of the racks looked full. There were probably around 200 or 300 people still there, so I still had to change into the dresses out in the open, but I was able to try on over 30 dresses without having to trade at all. After about an hour and a half, I found the perfect dress! It was a wonderful experience, and I definitely recommend it! If you decide to go, good luck!
Good job only getting shoes… I would have had a hard time too
@tulipday: @Mrs. Penguin: @tulipday: I tried on this dress and fell completely in love with it! How in the world did you get a 20% discount? I went to a trunk show and 10% was all they would give and I couldn’t bring myself to pay that much.
I got my dress at a POB sample sale and I luuuuurve it!!!
I went to a Vera Wang sample sale with only my two sisters and my mother. Here is the kicker, one of my sisters is also getting married. We are not the same size. She is a petite six, and I’m a 10 in street clothes. Very little fit me, and it was kinda depressing. Until, I found my dress. It could have been bad, because my sister tried it on first and I would have deferred. But it was exactly what I wanted, strapless, lace, steath, whereas she specified none of those. She ended up with an A-line, lace, spaghetti straps Vera. We were both happy campers. Tired, hungry, campers. Make sure you wear good undies, or spandex shorts for good coverage.
PS, If any in the NYC or CT area needs some lace repaired on a gown, my mother’s friend is wonderful and is drastically undercharging me, by at least 20 fold. Send me a PM.
I wish I had gone! I got my dress at POB but paid full price and everyday I feel like I paid too much (even though I do LOVE it).
@missmerryweather: I bought my dress in Canada at Pearl Bridal house. I had the best saleslady, who originally offered 15% off, but I was crushed when I saw the cost. I told her I couldn’t afford the dress at that price, and then she said she would see what see could do. Then she came back and offered 20% off! Still expensive, but my mom and sister told me it was ‘the one’ and I knew it was too. I had to get it!
@tangt16: i would definitely go! if you go a little later that morning after the run, there will still be SO many dresses to try on! my co-worker went later that afternoon and found her dress! we got to the POB sale at around 7:35ish.
@tulipday: gorgeous gown!!! the ruffles remind me of my dress. i love how the modern silhouette is balanced with the romantic ruffles. it’s stunning!
@Mrs. Penguin: i’ve found that most are an 8 or 10. but there are usually some dresses that they have because of cancelled orders so there are some other sizes around.
I bought Emily at the sample sale! So happy I did, I can’t imagine finding such a beautiful dress for such a great deal…
I bought my wedding dress at Kleinfeld’s Sample Sale in December. After a hirrific experience at David’s, I needed some happiness. Kleinfeld’s was all it’s cracked up to be- even at the sample sale, you get one-on-one attention! I ended up getting an $8500 dress for $1500. Not only do I love the dress, but it was such an amazing deal too!
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Mrs. Latte, Boston/NYC
Age and Occupation: 29, College Admissions Counselor
Fiance's Age and Occupation: 30, Elementary School Teacher
Engagement Date: August 23, 2008
Wedding Date: July 2009
Venue: Stage 6 at Steiner Studios
About Me: I am an East Coast girl marrying a West Coast boy. After 2 years of over 3,000 miles between us, Mr. Latte and I are looking forward to finally living in the same time zone/coast/city/home and living “normal couple” lives. I am a crafter at heart and enjoy dragging my friends into new craft projects. I love my Mac, baking cupcakes, wrapping presents, my BlackBerry, naps, good NY style pizza, Jack Bauer and of course, Mr. Latte. I love him a latte. :)
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