Wedding Dress Shopping - David's Bridal in Portland, Oregon

My friend recently went wedding dress shopping at David's Bridal in Portland, Oregon. As one of her bridesmaids, I went along to help her try on and choose a wedding dress. Four of us trooped out to find our bride to be the perfect gown.

We went in on a Tuesday, shortly after they opened, without an appointment. They like you to have an appointment so that they can assign a saleswoman to you to help you pick out your dress. Since we didn't have an appointment, they didn't have anyone to assign to us. The saleswoman we spoke to told us where to look, gave us a fitting room and let us hunt for a wedding dress on our own.

We were allowed to take three dresses into the fitting room at one time. At David's Bridal, they let you use a slip and corset-like bra to wear when trying on the wedding dresses. The sizing is European, so each size is one size smaller than the sizes you'd find in the U.S. If you usually wear a size eight, you'll want to try on a size ten.

When trying on a wedding dress, you should always pull it over your head, rather than step into it. Stepping into a dress could damage it. We eventually tried on fifteen dresses, and then the bride tried on the one that we liked the best for a second try. Once she had that dress on again, she started to glow. This was it! Surprisingly, it was the only dress she had tried on that was on sale for $99!

The saleswoman noticed that we had chosen a dress, and came over to start pushing the accessories. They urged us to also buy the veil, shoes, tiara, bra and slip. The bride to be did pick out a veil. The veil ended up being more expensive than the dress! Also, it costs at least a hundred dollars to have the dress altered by them, and they need a couple of months to do it. We were offered a ten percent discount on any of the wedding related items we chose to buy that same day from David's Bridal.

Overall, our experience with David's Bridal in Portland, Oregon was a good one. I was a little put off by how pushy they seemed as far as selling bridal accessories. I would look there again if only to try on the dresses on sale for $99. If I ever get married, I think I'll be making my dress!