David's Bridal, there are other options out there....

I often get asked where to go to buy gowns.  Without hesitation I can declare, not, I repeat, not David's Bridal. 

Let me count the ways why.

1. They are cheap.

Many people would think of this as a positive, but no... they are cheap, cheap in every way.  The material is cheap.  I sew, and I tell ya it is the cheapest stuff they can buy.  And what does cheap mean? Not only that it is cheap, but that it ends up looking cheap.  The material does not have the structural integrity to stay formed on the body in the precise way in which it was intended. Hence, you look bad in your pictures.  The dresses slouch, they gape, they moire (a term for the fish-eyeness of the chiffon, which turns out to be pretty terrible in pictures particularly with flash photography or extreme outside light). They also aren't constructed with sufficient support to hold in much of anything, keep your belly button from showing in pictures (even at a size 2) and make your rolly parts appear not rolly.

No one, not matter what size, shape, cup size, height, skinniness, fattiness, or anythingness deserves to have millions of photographs taken on their wedding day of them not looking their 110% best they can.  And that means having a dress that fits you right, does you favors instead of crimes, and helps smooth, shape, stretch, mold, plaster or whatever it takes to make you look fabulous in your gown.

David's Bridal does not sew this kind of clothing magic into their gowns.

2. They are short. Some of their dresses do not come in sufficient length, even with extra length to fit brides over 5'6" if they wear heels, and depending on how the dress fits them.  This is unacceptable.

3.  There are other alternatives!!!!!!!!!

Ladies, I cannot express enough how fabulous the dirt cheap wedding dress market has gotten... And I don't just mean the used dress market.  I mean new specially made for you dresses.

Here are a few stores and brands that have some fabulous fitting dresses that are constructed in a way that lends itself to making you look fabulous, photograph fabulous, and look like you paid 10 times more than you did for your dress.  These manufacturers all make dresses in the 500-1000 dollar market.

1. My absolute favorite- Casablanca Bridal

http://casablancabridal.com/

2. Good bet- Group USA

http://www.groupusa.com

3. Good bet- Maggie Sottero (especially good for plus size, rubenesque, and full busts and stomachs)

http://maggiesottero.com

I highly recommend that if you have a 250 or 100 dollar budget that you scrimp and save on favors (which everyone doesn't take anyhow) or elsewhere to buy a gown that may cost you $500 dollars but that you will be much much happier with.

So just don't do it, don't do David's Bridal.