{Can’t Afford it/Get Over it} Break up w/Oscar & Fall in love w/David
Me: Hi. My name is Britt and I was a David’s Bridal hater.
Support Group: Hi, Britt.
Le sigh. Yes, it’s true. For some odd reason, whenever someone uttered the words, “David’s Bridal” to me, I would proceed to cringe. Perhaps this stems from the fact that the last time I actually paid attention to David’s Bridal was back when they only offered boring/boxy/satin/taffeta. But in my search for more “Get Over it” gowns, I thought, hey why not? Maybe David has stepped up his game… and boy was I right. I was blown away, not only by the prices, but by how stylish the dresses were. Upon every click of the mouse, I said, “Oooo, I’d wear that, ” and “OMG why didn’t I look here before!?” So I put together a host of gorgeous “Get Over it” gowns from David to help you get over those other can’t-afford heartbreakers couture designers.
Can’t Afford it:
Vera Wang $$$$
Get Over it:
David’s Bridal: $549!
Can’t Afford it:
Modern Trouseau $$$$
Get Over it:
David’s Bridal: $699!
Can’t Afford it:
Claire Pettibone $$$$$
Get Over it:
David’s Bridal: $215!
Can’t Afford it:
Atelier Aimeé $$$$
Get Over it:
David’s Bridal: $199!
Can’t Afford it:
Kenneth Pool $$$$$
Get Over it:
David’s Bridal: $349!
Can’t Afford it:
Amsale $$$$$
Get Over it:
David’s Bridal: $500!
Can’t Afford it:
Rosa Clara $$$$$
Get Over it:
David’s Bridal: $549!
Can’t Afford it:
Christos $$$$
Get Over it:
David’s Bridal: $549!
Can’t Afford it:
Pronovias $$$
Get Over it:
David’s Bridal: $349!
Can’t Afford it:
Jenny Packham $$$$$
Get Over it:
David’s Bridal: $650!
Can’t Afford it:
Liancarlo $$$
Get Over it:
David’s Bridal: $449!
Can’t Afford it:
Avine Perucci by St. Pucchi $$$$$
Get Over it:
David’s Bridal: $750!
Any other reformed David’s Bridal haters out there?
Miss any “Can’t Afford it/Get Over it” Magic? Catch up here:
- What if I can’t afford a budget bridal gown?
- Can’t Afford it? Get Over it, Pt 1
- Short/Tea Length Gowns
Great post! I ultimately bought an Alfred Angelo gown, but there were a few David's Bridal contenders in the running.
still hate david's. can't help it. went on too many bridesmaid horror trips there, and when i did step in for my own benefit, the customer service was so spectacularly awful that i figured david didn't really care if he had my business or not
Bonus: so many more women can try on the dress in something remotely their size at David's.
I was pretty anti-Davids too when I first started looking, but after drooling over Jenny Packham and Johanna Johnson gowns that cost almost as much as my entire wedding budget, I finally realized that the one you list as the Jenny Packham alternative above was the closest I was going to get in my budget. Unfortunately, it was still more than I wanted to spend so I was insanely lucky and found one in my size on Craigslist for $300
It's perfect for my 20's/30's Art Deco/Art Nouveau themed wedding and I can't wait to wear it!
that is freaking AWESOME! congrats on getting a deal on the gown you wanted, darlin! happy wedding!!
I read the book Bridal Bargains that trashed David's Bridal, so I didn't even give it a chance. I was brainwashed into thinking every wedding dress was overpriced, so I just went online and bought one. I wish I could have had the experience of going and trying them on at least. The only wedding dress I've ever tried on was the one I bought online and wore on my wedding day. I've never even set foot in a David's Bridal store.
I'm all about saving money! I love the dresses.
The "alternative" dresses look fantastic, comparable and far more affordable than their super-designer counterparts. Even if David's Bridal and horrific customer service as commented above, it might still be worth the savings!
I LOVE this series!
I have the alternative to the Liancarlo. The picture does not do that dress justice! I even added beautiful sleeves to that dress (off the shoulder). David's Bridal stores are a hit and miss. I went to four stores, and one other DB before I found the DB that not only had what I was looking for, but the service to match. I still have contact with my consultant and she is amazing!
Probably going to have to go to DB. I don't want to, but this post may have changed my mind…
Ugh. I am not a bridezilla about my wedding dress. I just want something I feel pretty in, so if that's David's Bridal (certainly the easiest option), so be it. I was mentioning this to my friend yesterday, though, and she went off about how it's the "jenkiest" bridal store and her friend found an "inexpensive" $1000 dress from some boutique somewhere. Am I the only one who thinks $1000 is a lot of money, particularly on top of a shit-ton of other wedding expenses?!
Heather i also think $1,000 is a lot of cash to spend on a wedding dress…especially when you put all your other wedding expenses on top of that! you've gotta keep it in perspective. our wedding budget is $8,000 (not including honeymoon) and my dress cost $105 and is everything i wanted. i believe that just because a dress costs a lot of money does not actually mean it is good!
Awesome post. But wait! What about the White by Vera Wang collection for David's Bridal? It arrives in Feb. 2011 and is AMAZING! I was also a David's Bridal hater (they make me think of shot gun weddings), but White by Vera Wang and your post are totally changing my mind. Thanks for the tips!
I love this post (and your other ones, too!). Thanks for helping brides who are kind of snotty about their dress still LOOK like they're snotty while being kind to their budget, too
Maybe maybe MAYBE… I'll head to David's
Definitely another reformed DB hater. Love this article!
I looked down on David's Bridal too at first… just seemed too generic and low-quality to me. I stopped in one day on a gown shopping trip because the other places we were going to go to were closed, and one of the dresses I tried on was that very last one, the alternative to St. Pucchi. It was beautiful! The top seemed very well made and fit well, and I absolutely LOVED the flower and sequin embellishment. I still think about it sometimes, haha! The tulle bottom is very floaty and dreamy. Ultimately I didn't choose it because that's where it stopped — there was no train and the back looked generic and cheap, like they stopped trying once they got to the back. Sorry but $750 is a lot of money so it better be damn good quality if I'm going to shell out that much money! I ended up with a $1000 dress is way better quality and exactly what I wanted, so I found it to be worth it. David's has its ups and downs, but I think budget brides should at least give it a try!
I was a David's hater, just the name conjured up images of department stores, pushy salespeople, and bad quality fabric. But I figured it was a good place to start, just to see what was out there and what styles I liked. Well, even though a lot of the dresses weren't the best quality (ahah moment: low quality fabric = HEAVY dress. literally. like hard to carry), there was one that stuck out from the bunch. It was light, it was pretty, I loved it. And then I went to kleinfeld's and jcrew and saks. and I still loved that dress. and then I found it on a blog and it photographs just as beautifully as it looks in person (http://www.stylemepretty.com/2010/06/16/great-falls-wedding-infused-with-bohemian-elegance/). so I caved. I went back to david's, stopped worrying about what people would think when I told them it was from david's and decided to love my little dress that could. for $500, I couldn't be happier
[...] Don’t Be A David’s Bridal Hater | The Broke-Ass Bride [...]
I wasn't a David's hater orignially. But after go there I am now… If you are a plus sized girl (read anything above a size14…) The sales people will tell you straight out what you can and cannot have. Want a lacy, flowing gown? Not here honey! (Exact words given to me) I eventually found my perfect dress at a little boutique on sale where I was treated like a real bride.
My lust dresses are Provinas and Maggie's but my budget is more inline with Davids. I also used to turn up my nose at DB but no more. A white dress (or colored one) will still photograph amazing whether is $1000+ or less. I'm thankful for blogs like this that really help us brides to get over ourselves
Reformed hater here. Found my dress as an online-only style on the DB website. I was shocked since I'm very picky about my clothing and did NOT want a strapless dress. I have heard all sorts of DB horror stories, though, and am yet to set foot in one of their stores.
I suppose I just never cared enough about weddings to know anything about a David's Bridal's reputation, so when I was looking, i went there first. I have a small budget and I knew their gowns were low priced, so that's where I headed. I had excellent service – a really great consultant – who called the second dress I tried on as the one I would want. I tried on many other dresses but just kept wanting to go back to that one dress – she didn't mind all the extra work she had to do even though she knew I'd be picking the earlier dress. The store was fairly busy, but not packed, as I went in on a Tuesday night – a great time to shop for a gown! The store manager was really involved and they had their tailor come out and show me different ways to adjust and bustle the dress. They stayed open almost a full hour after their closing time to help us finish the sale and such. The dress is amazing, I'm really happy, and I only paid $249. I had a great time at David's Bridal!
I actually like some of the David's gowns better than the designer ones.
David's isn't awful for bridal gowns, but their bridesmaides choices are still lacking.
I think you find better custom tailored awesome wedding dresses that you have input on on websites like etsy. Not only did I find a local gal, I am helping local economy and getting a dress made just for me, a one and only for under 200 dollars. If you take time to search you can find awesome deals locally through artist, vendors. I am happy to put my money were my mouth is and support local business. No David's Bridal for me! Yes as a bridesmaid they were horrible to deal with and said I would never shop there again…8 years later I still refuse.
I like the idea, but I'm not sold on the execution. A lot of these dresses at David's lack certain details that the designer ones have. The presence of a belt at the hips doesn't mean the dress is similar enough to the designer dress it supposedly mimics. The width, shape and style of the belt, not to mention the material, must factor in when making a decision. I believe that one can find suitable wedding dresses for under $800, but I am simply not sold by 9 out of 10 dresses at David's. I think there are better ones out there.
So true, they have stepped up their game by somewhat copying the designers, however I still think they don't have wow dresses.