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| - This review is ONLY for the 'Ritche Bridal Super Sale' that happens once a year in North York.
My sister and I attended on a Saturday around noon and it was my first outing to shop for 'THE DRESS'. I thought that I'd try on an assortment of dresses and styles and that I'd get a sense of what suited my figure - not that I'd would ever find 'THE ONE' on my first time ever shopping for a wedding dress.
The super sale was held in a hotel in North York and I think that the actual store is still around that area. I really wasn't sure what to expect before getting there - maybe elbowing a few other brides out of the way in order to grab a dress or crowded rows filled with eager brides hoping to score a deal.
When we entered the hotel and found the sale it was a bit overwhelming. There were two stages flanking opposite sides of the huge room with full length mirrors and spotlights and rows upon rows of wedding gowns. All of the sale dresses were organized by size (which although I had no clue what my size was) made it helpful to jump in and start looking. After going through a few rows of racks, we ended up pulling about 3 dresses. There were tons of makeshift change rooms with curtains giving at least a little bit of privacy. I'm glad I had my sister to help me try on dresses because they are heavy and require intricate lacing and such, but there was plenty of helpful staff available in case. After trying a few dresses and them all being 'no's' we hung them back on the rolling racks outside the dressing rooms and started round two. There really were a large assortment of designers, styles, colours and price ranges starting at $200 and upwards. A bride sticking to a budget definitely could find a dress if willing to buy off the rack. She could also get a dress at a fraction of the retail price if willing to search - I'm a major fan of Winners, so for me the thrill of the hunt is always exciting. Since I really didn't have any expectations, looking through the never ending racks of dresses was pretty fun. Some of the sale dresses were in better condition than others, but a seamstress could fix many of the minor flaws (a broken strap, an embellishment coming loose, etc.)
After a few more dress trials, I found MY dress. It was majorly marked down, in great shape and would require minor alterations that any wedding dress needs - hemmed, shortened straps, and a steaming. I found out that it was a couture Italian designer and the style was from 2009. When I asked a staff member if the dresses were samples, she said yes and that some were unsold extra inventory from previous designer collections. I personally enjoyed the atmosphere of brides and bridesmaids all hopped up on excitement gushing over dresses and sparkling under the spotlights on the stage as they carefully checked themselves out in the mirrors. If you are the type of bride that prefers one on one service that a bridal appointment can offer, then this sale might not be the place to find a dress. What was nice is that you didn't only have an hour to try on dresses or feel rushed. Staff was very helpful and answered all of my questions. There were also veils, accessories, and tiaras on sale at a huge discount.
In the end, I had a great time at this sale (even if my sister and I were starving and had to miss our sushi lunch date). I got my Mom and Dad to drive from Oakville and give me their opinions before making the leap and committing to the dress. My Mom even found her Mother-of-the-Bride dress for $50!! And she looks beautiful in it. They had a large selection of bridesmaid and M-O-T-B dresses at rock bottom prices.
I would recommend this sale for any bride that wants to save money, or to go and not feel any pressure to buy anything from sales staff (I don't think they were working for commission). You can try on as many dresses as you want but as with any blowout sale, dress purchases are final sale. If you are indecisive or need some time to ponder it over, then a retail store might be better for you. If you just want to try on a variety of designers and styles to get an idea of what you are looking for, I'd say go to this annual sale with a sister or bridesmaid and just have fun - you might get lucky and find YOUR dress at a major discount!
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