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| Frequently Asked Questions Hours and directions Shopping What kind of dresses do you have? What is the price range of your dresses? Are all of the dresses used? Do I need an appointment? What should I expect at my appointment? Why do I have to wear gloves? How many people should I bring with me? Can I take pictures? Will you hold a dress for me? Are the prices negotiable? How long do dresses "hang around"? Can you let me know when a dress I like comes in? Do you have accessories for sale? How do I know if the dress can be altered to fit? Can I order a dress I like in a different size or color? Can I rent a dress? How often do you get new dresses? Selling What does consignment mean? What is the fee for selling my dress? Do I need an appointment to bring my dress in? Does my dress have to dry cleaned? Will you take my dress? How much will you sell my dress for? How long do you keep my dress? What if my dress doesn't sell? Purchasing, Altering, and Caring for your Dress What forms of payment do you accept? Does my dress need to be cleaned before I wear it? Will you store my dress? How do I get my dress altered? Can I return my dress? Can I resell my dress after the wedding? * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
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| What kind of dresses do you have? We offer new and gently used pre-owned gowns, organic hemp and silk gowns, and designer reconstructed wedding gowns in sizes 0 to 16. With an occasional vintage or couture exception, all of our dresses were made within the last five years and are current styles. We do not have any bridesmaids dresses or evening gowns (unless it was worn as a wedding dress!). Most of our gowns are white, ivory, blush, or champagne. * * * |
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| What is the price range of your dresses? Our dresses range from $250 to over $3000, with the largest selection usually between $450 and $800. The prices depend on the designer, the age, and the number of times a gown has been worn. Most dresses are priced at 50-60% of new retail. * * * |
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| Are all of the dresses used? The majority of the dresses are pre-owned on consignment, but many have never been worn. Sometimes the wedding was canceled or postponed, but in most cases the consignor is happily married, she simply chose another dress for the wedding (she changed her mind or there was a change in date, venue, weight, etc etc etc.). If a dress has been worn in a wedding, it has already been drycleaned and inspected. * * * |
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| Do I need an appointment? We do require appointments on Saturdays and if you will be bringing a large group of friends and family along with you. Tuesday through Friday an appointment is recommended (especially after 5pm) to ensure a dressing room is free, but they are not required. We will make every effort to accommodate walk-in clients during the week. * * * |
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| What should I expect at my appointment? Expect to relax and have fun! When you arrive we'll ask you to slip your shoes off (slippers available) and don a pair of cotton gloves for handling dresses. You will have as much time as you like to go through the gowns that we have, and a dedicated consultant will be on hand to offer suggestions based on your preferences. There is no limit to the number of dresses that you can try on. You will have a private dressing room and your consultant will help you with all the zippers, layers, and buttons. Most appointments take about an hour, but it is entirely up to you. * * * |
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| Why do I have to wear gloves? Unlike most salons, we don't have samples, so the dresses you are trying on are the ones that will actually be worn in a wedding--maybe yours. Bridal fabrics are often delicate (and expensive!) and too much handling and cleaning can leave damage, so we try to minimize that with gloves. Most of the gowns are on consignment, too, so we want to respect the women who have trusted their wedding dresses to us. * * * |
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| How many people should I bring with me? You are welcome to bring as many people along as you like, though we are small boutique and it may get a little crowded with groups over six. Many women find it helpful to come to the first visit alone or with one friend and then come back for a second appointment with additional friends and family after they have narrowed their selection to a few gowns. * * * | |
| Can I take pictures? Absolutely! If you come by yourself, we'll help you. We are also happy to provide you with all of the information we have on any gowns that you like. * * * | |
| Will you hold a dress for me? A wedding dress is a big purchase, and we respect that you might need to "sleep on it." We can hold a dress for three days with a non-refundable deposit of 20%. The dress will be put in a garment bag in the back and no one else will be allowed to try it on or purchase it until the hold period is up. If you decide to go ahead with the purchase, the deposit is applied to the cost of the dress. * * * | |
| Are the prices negotiable? The prices of the dresses are firm. When a gown is placed on consignment, we negotiate a price that balances the interests of the seller with those of our clients and reflects the condition and age of the particular gown. If you would like, we will only show you dresses at your appointment that are within your specified price range. * * * | |
| How long do dresses "hang around"? Unfortunately there is no good answer to this question! The average is about three months, but individudal dresses vary widely. Some dresses are sold the same day they are dropped off and some dresses take nearly a year to find the right home. * * * | |
| Can you let me know when a dress I like comes in? Due to the volume of requests, we regret that we cannot provide individual notifications. If we don’t have what you are looking for in stock, we encourage you to sign up for email updates. These list all of the gowns that we have received during the week. * * * | |
| Do you have accessories for sale? Yes, we have a wide selection of veils, including hair ornaments and birdcage veils, as well as wraps, shoes, and jewelry. * * * | |
| How do I know if the dress can be altered to fit me? Most wedding gowns, even those ordered brand new, need some alterations, including hemming and bustling. In most cases we can provide guidance on what sort of alterations a gown will need and the level of difficulty. If the gown is going to need significant work or there is a question as to whether or not the gown can be altered at all, we will work with you to make arrangements for a seamstress to examine it before a purchase is finalized. * * * | |
| Can I order a dress I like in a different size or color? Except for the organic gowns from Conscious Clothing, no. We only have the dress that is on display. If there is something you love we will do our best to keep an eye out for you. * * * | |
| Can I rent a dress? We are not currently able to offer rentals. We will take most clean gowns back on consignment within sixteen months of its purchase and give you an additional 10% of the proceeds. Please ask your consultant for more information on a specific gown. * * * | |
| How often do you get new dresses? We receive new dresses every week. The fun (and frustration) of consignment is that we never know what is going to arrive! Because we carry such a wide range of sizes and styles, the odds of any specific gown arriving are rather low. If you are searching for a particular style, we recommend signing up for our email updates. * * * | |
| What does consignment mean? Putting your dress on consignment means that you are authorizing us to sell your gown on your behalf. We will do all of the work setting appointments, advertising, handling payment, etc. When the gown sells we send you a check. If the gown does not sell, it is given back to you or other arrangements are made (see below). * * * | |
| What is the fee for selling my dress? There is no fee for placing your gown on consignment. If we sell your dress, we split the proceeds. If we are not able to sell your dress, there is no charge. * * * | |
| Do I need an appointment to bring my dress in? We accept dresses on consignment Tuesdays through Friday. If you will be bringing your gown in after 4:30, we do request an appointment. If you are able to come during the day, please feel free to just drop by. * * * | |
| Does my dress have to dry cleaned? If the dress has been worn or is a sample gown, it will need to be cleaned prior to being shown on consignment. We have partnered with Lapels to offer discounted eco-friendly dry cleaning, or you can take it to the cleaner of your choice prior to dropping it off. * * * | |
| Will you take my dress? We take clean wedding dresses on a space available basis that are less than four years old and in like new condition. To save a trip, we recommend first emailing a photo or two to info@blueskybridal.com to see if the dress is something that we are able to accept. * * * | |
| How much will you sell my dress for? We need to physically inspect your dress before we can suggest a price, because it depends quite a bit on the condition of the individual gown. The general rule of thumb is that a pristine once-worn gown would be priced at 50% of new retail. * * * | |
| How long do you keep my dress? We arrange to keep dresses for three to eight months at a time. * * * | |
| What if my dress doesn't sell? At the end of your consignment period if you haven't received a check from us, you will need to call or email and make arrangements for your dress. In some cases we can renew the consignment for a few more months (some dresses receive lots of interest but just take longer to find the right bride). If the dress is not renewed, you will need to pick it up within three weeks or email us permission to donate the dress to Brides Against Breast Cancer. If you choose to donate it, we will include your address with the shipment so that BABC can send you a receipt. * * * | |
| What forms of payment do you accept? We accept cash, personal checks with ID, Mastercard, and Visa. * * * | |
| Does my dress need to be cleaned before I wear it? Dresses are drycleaned before they are placed on consignment and are checked over and spot cleaned before they go home. If the dress has been on consignment for a few months or has had a large number of "try ons" we will have it drycleaned again. You will most likely want to have the dress pressed after alterations (check with your seamstress), but it should not need additional cleaning. * * * | |
| Will you store my dress? We are happy to store your dress for a week after it is purchased. If you need us to keep it longer there is a small weekly storage fee or we can make special arrangement for long term storage. * * * | |
| How do I get my dress altered? When you purchase your dress we will provide you with a short list of independent seamstresses in the Seattle area whom we recommend. To avoid rush fees, you will want to contact them at least two months in advance of your wedding. * * * | |
| Can I return my dress? Because gowns are on consignment or special ordered, we regret that we cannot accept returns or exchanges. * * * | |
| Can I resell my dress after the wedding? We would be delighted if you are willing to pass the gown on to another bride and offer an additional 10% on gowns purchased from us. Please contact us for additional details. * * * | |
