as i have mentioned before, i was lucky enough to win my wedding dress!
i entered a giveaway on one of my favorite wedding blogs, rocknroll bride, and was randomly selected along with 4 other lucky ladies to pick a completely free wedding dress! [here is the post that announced the winners - but don't think you can be a cheater, i didn't end up picking the dress i named in my entry!]
the company that was hosting the giveaway was Simply Bridal. simply bridal was started by owner lawrence ng after hearing about the high cost of bridal attire from his family; he wanted to create a place where brides could find quality dresses without paying an arm and a leg. [info found here]
the website isn't the prettiest i've seen, but it's easy enough to navigate. one helpful thing is that they separate the dresses by silhouette, so if you know you want an empire-waisted gown or you're dead-set on a ball gown, you can browse without wasting your time with other styles. you can also browse in terms of train, neck line, and closure! i haven't seen a dress on the site that is over $350, so the prices are super affordable compared with bridal boutiques. but, they do have a banner that advertises a "limited time sale - 70%-85% off retail value" that has an ominous countdown clock, but as far as i know, their prices are the same, and the clock just starts over after it runs out.
you can order either in traditional 0-12 sizes, or you can submit your measurements for a custom-made-for-your-body gown (i think there is a fee associated with custom measurements, though). it's my understanding that regardless of how you order, it takes 30 - 45 days for you to receive your dress, which isn't bad if you compare that with the production time of other custom-sized gowns on the market.
and to be honest, they do have some really nice dresses.
this is the dress i said i would pick if i won the giveaway
the train on this dress is very pretty! and the accent color is quaint.
if poofy is more your taste.. plus this chick has the 'supermodel' pose down pat!
i'm not much for mermaid, but this dress is actually unique and quite pretty!
my only gripe with simply bridal is that my order seemed to take forever. i didn't receive it until march 19, which was 64 days after my order date of jan 15, and this was after a phone call and an email that promised it to me at an earlier date. the website promises between 30-45 days for manufacturing and delivery of each dress. apparently there were delays at the factory, and since i do work in wholesale, i completely understand (and believe) that excuse. however, i had time on my side, so i think if you wanted to get your dress through simply bridal, i would leave a generous amount of time for them to make and ship your dress, because factory delays, especially overseas, can be quite common.
the dress came in a box that didn't look like it had a wedding dress in it. that thing is vacuum-sealed and folded like origami. i haven't taken it completely out of the box yet - i'm waiting until i get closer to my first fitting, but i did peek in to make sure it's the correct dress, and from what i can tell i think it's the right one.
they also included a tote bag and a garment bag. cheap, albeit, but a freebie is a freebie!
i can't wait to try on my dress when it's time for alterations (although i have this irrational fear that it will be 6 sizes too small and i will have to look for another dress and use money that's not in our budget..) but for now it's resting safely in its box in my closet.
*i was not asked to compose this review. the dress i received for free was won in a giveaway where the winner was picked randomly.
