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Monday, March 31, 2008

Things That Annoy Me About Wedding Planning - #1

So the month of March was the two year mark since I was engaged (and no I don't remember the exact day that Fiance proposed). We lived abroad for work for a year and then needed time to plan so here we are now going on two years.

Some brides *think* they'd like to have a long engagement so they'd have more time to plan. But the reality is you really don't want that. I could go into all the reasons why but lets just say there is a reason most engagements are a year or less.

Anyway in honor of this mile stone I thought I would start a new little series that I will occasionally contribute to entitled "what annoys me about wedding planning." I have no doubt that at least one of the things that annoys me will probably offend someone but c'est la vie.

Number one on my list is probably one we can all agree on:

1) Dress Stores That Don't Let You Take Photos

O.k. so maybe back in they day before internet and thousands of bridal magazines it made sense not to let girls take photos...otherwise they could take the dress to a seamstress and have it remade. But in the information age this excuse makes NO sense. I can find a picture of almost any gown by any designer and usually within a day of it hitting the runway (except for mine apparently, but that's another story).

Here I am about to drop THOUSANDS of dollars on a garment and yet I can't even take a picture to be sure I want it. In what other industry are you treated that way? If I was dropping cash on a car, a house, a new couch, whatever, no one would blink an eye if I wanted to take a pic but for some reason bridal stores are the exception.

I can even see limiting the number of photos the bride takes for time purposes. Maybe the shop doesn't have time for her to be a fashion model for 15. But at least let her take pics of the top 3.

Not only does this not hurt business but it actually heps. I went to TONS of gown stores in the D.C. area and the ONLY one that let me take pictures was the store where I bought my gown. Now don't get me wrong, they weren't perfect...they only allow you to take a picture of your favorite gown, but it was so great to be able to look at it on me from every angle and not feel rushed.

After each store I'd come home and look at that picture again and it soon became the one to beat. This was doubly helpful, as for the most part I was shopping alone and didn't have other's opinions to fall back on. I'll never really know if I would have still chosen that gown had I not been able to take a pic, but I do know it played a major role in my decision.

If anyone out there can give me some good reasons why this rule exists I'm all ears!

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6 Comments:

Anonymous Anonymous said...

you know who else does that no picture crap (for a huge decision!!!) Tattoo artists! For their 500 dollar PERMANENT body art- they will usually NOT let you take the picture with you to think on it... ridic

Monday, March 31, 2008 8:36:00 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Harriet Kassman (awesome store) and Riziks (which I didn't like as much) both let me take as many pictures as I wanted. Perhaps they're more lenient when you're getting into the upper price brackets?

Tuesday, April 01, 2008 10:53:00 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

That's odd b/c I went to both Harriet Kassman and Riziks and neither one would let me take photos. Maybe it just depends on who you talk to. No pictures at Hitched or at Carine's Bridal Atelier either. I went to a few "mid priced" stores and nothing doing there either! No luck for me :(

Tuesday, April 01, 2008 12:00:00 PM  
Blogger mimi jackson said...

Well, the stores may not actually give you permission to take photos, but, in reality, if you whip out a camera and take a photo, it won't be confiscated.

As a professional dressmaker, I do get bombarded by people who show me pictures of dresses, and want to know how much it would cost to duplicate it. So, the stores probably want to minimize that.

Tuesday, April 01, 2008 1:01:00 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Hmm...I wasn't even sneaky about my pics and employees of both Harriet and Riziks were in the small room when we took the photos. Maybe they've changed their policies? I was dress shopping back in September. Maybe they base their policy based on how serious of a shopper you seem?

Tuesday, April 01, 2008 2:43:00 PM  
Blogger Emily said...

I just went to David's Bridal. I was there with 5 other people - all armed with cameras. They did not mind in the least.

Thursday, April 03, 2008 1:13:00 PM  

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