What Is A Wedding Dress Sample Sale? 

Are you a bride on a budget? On the hunt for an affordable wedding dress online? Maybe you’ve already said yes to the dress but are looking for a second gown for your elopement or intimate wedding! If so, our sample sale is for YOU!

In this post, we’re breaking down what a sample sale is, why you should shop it, and a few tips on shopping our sample sale as well as what you can expect!

Q: what is a sample sale?

A sample sale is a sale in which bridal stores will do a clear out of some of the gowns in their inventory and have them marked down at low prices which means savings on savings for our brides (perfect for our brides planning their wedding on a budget!)

Bridal stores will often host sample sales for these 2 reasons:

• To make room for new gowns when designers release their new collections!

• When gowns have been discontinued by a designer and are no longer available for special order

These are gowns that were previously samples for brides to try-on before they special ordered their gown, so some may have some light love such as makeup marks, marks on the train, loose beading, etc. All of these things can be fixed with a dry cleaner or in general alterations!

Q: Is it worth buying a sample sale dress?

Yes! It’s perfect for our brides who are looking for their wedding dress on a budget or something that’s more affordable and in their price range. For example, our gowns at Charlotte’s Weddings range between $1,200-$4,000 but during our sample sale, we have gowns as low as $199!

Some tips for shopping the sale:

It's helpful to have an idea of your bridal size before the sale so you don’t feel rushed to take your measurements and have your gown purchased by another bride if shopping an online sample sale, or if shopping in store, knowing the sizes to look through when you arrive for your appointment.

You can check out our how to determine your bridal sizing at home video here and remember, bridal sizing is different than regular sizing, about 1-2 sizes bigger!

A seamstress can usually take in a gown up to 2 sizes (so if you are a bridal size 10, you could fit into a gown that was a bridal size 12 or 14 after alterations!) Remember, it is easier for a seamstress to take in a gown than to let a gown out!