The ongoing pandemic has caught us watching things spiral out of control, sitting right at home. Something happened miles away but it has impacted your wedding in a totally unbelievable manner! Your anger is justified. One of the most important elements of a wedding that has severely been impacted is the wedding dress.
More than 80% of the world’s bridal wear comes from China. And with China being one of the most severely hit countries from Coronavirus, the wedding industry bearing an impact was inevitable. With the production of bridal dresses coming to a halt for not just weeks but months, there is bound to be a scarcity.
The delivery of most pre-ordered dresses is getting delayed by weeks and in some cases months. Also, the production of ready-to-wear gowns has been delayed due to the lockdown, making it impossible for boutique stores to get their stock ready. In such cases what does the bride do?
We absolutely understand your disappointment and confusion. You have been planning your wedding for years and when it’s just around the corner, the plans are dampened by a pandemic. And the bridal gown is the most crucial element of your wedding. However, keeping the current situation in mind, it’s better to take things in your stride and look for a solution.
This is not the time to lose hope, but to keep your hopes up! Your wedding can still happen just the way you want it to be. There are so many things that are totally doable when it comes to your wedding day. And as far as your wedding gown is concerned, we have the following advice. So, just relax for a while, take that load off your shoulders, and read on.
Postponing your ceremony
Okay, now this is for the bride who really really wants to wear that same wedding dress that she laid her eyes on and her world is falling apart as it’s not going to reach her on time. If you are that bride who got super attached to her wedding dress and refuses to celebrate her big day in anything but that, this is what you should do - postpone your wedding. It might sound scary and too tedious, but then at least you’ll get to wear that dress that has your name written all over it (well, not literally of course!). There are so many ways to do it and let’s be practical, most of the couples are doing that anyways. The reason could be anything - venue dates not available anymore or a later date that suits everyone in the family. If you do not want to compromise on your bridal dress, you can go ahead and postpone your wedding to a later date when it’s expected to arrive! Having said that, you might want to keep it in mind that postponing a wedding requires even more planning and coordinating with your vendors. And if you do not wish to postpone your wedding, you could have your wedding ceremony in a different wedding gown and in an intimate affair on the original date, and wear your original wedding gown for a reception later! It’s a win-win.
Let your Planner handle this
First things first, planners are there for a reason. If you have one, there is no need to take on the stress all by yourself. Wedding planners have experienced professionals and know how to handle situations like these. Even though COVID19 has led us into unknown waters, the planners know whom to contact and how to get all the information. Weddings are no strangers to delayed deliveries and your planner would know how to tackle a delayed delivery. If you do not have a wedding planner, we suggest you hire one. Of all those things that this pandemic has taught us, wedding planners being an absolute necessity is one of the biggest! The planners can also navigate smartly through contracts and policies of boutiques or sellers for your benefit.
Look for alternative options
If you are anticipating your wedding dress to make it to you after your wedding date, you better start looking for alternate options without wasting a minute! With most weddings pushed back to later dates, the demand for the bridal dresses has reduced only by a small margin. However, supply is a challenge. Keeping that in mind, shopping for your wedding dress should be one of your priorities. So, grab your tote and hit the local bridal boutiques to find ‘your wedding dress’. Get started as the fitting sessions also take weeks or at times months. Having said that, it’s always a great idea to call them to see if they are open to selling, considering the social distancing measures.
Get it off-the-rack
If off-the-rack wedding dresses were not your thing, now is the time to think again. A ready-to-wear wedding dress might be the cure to all your worries. Well, it’s definitely worth a shot! What if you find the perfect fit without having to give your measurements to anyone and without any trial sessions? The world is full of ‘what ifs’ and you do not want to leave this only to regret later. Get in touch with the local bridal stores around you and ask for their try-at-home options. Or you can pay a visit once the situation relaxes a bit. David’s Bridal is a great place to find in-store options ready to take home, or check out online second-hand shops! Environmentally friendly and a real problem solver in tough times, Borrowing Magnolia offers designer dresses at a fraction of retail prices.
Go for a second
Brides all over the world are worried and everyone realizes that. Women all over the world are coming together to help each other during these trying times. If you are okay with wearing a previously worn dress for your wedding, you should definitely opt for one. We understand that your wedding day has been your dream for so many years, but a second dress will at least make it happen on that very day. If you can’t find a wedding dress anywhere, you could always explore things online. It’s simple and easy. You could explore websites that deal with reselling bridal gowns such as Nearly Newlywed and Stillwhite and do not forget to browse through their shipping and delivery options. Just make sure that this one reaches you on time!
Understanding that time is precious
Considering the critical situation that the wedding industry is in, time is of utmost importance. If you are planning for a fall wedding and yet to buy your wedding dress, chances are there’ll be more brides-to-be standing ahead in the queue due to their postponed weddings. Or those brides who just want to have their wedding dress in their hands, even way before their 2021 wedding! Therefore, we urge all the brides-to-be to explore and decide on their wedding dress as fast as possible to avoid the last-minute scarcity or confusion.
Pay more attention to policies.
Now that we know that a situation of this sort can arise where the bridal dress delivery can be delayed by weeks or months, we have to prepare in the future. Therefore, if your original bridal dress isn’t going to make it on time and you are ordering another one for your wedding, make sure you read all the policies regarding delivery and non-delivery. It’s imperative to find out how the boutiques and designers plan to handle such unforeseen situations in the future.
So there you go! We hope we have given you some hope for your wedding dress! Given the criticality of the situation, these ways are an assurance to get you out of this mess. Although you would have to compromise in one way or another, they sure promise you a wedding! And if you look at the bigger picture, that’s all the matters!
