From the first haute couture house opened in Paris in 1858 and when Queen Victoria marched down the aisle in a white wedding dress in 1840, the evolution of wedding dresses continues to this day. From wearing the best dress they had in their closets to sewing their own dress to commissioning professional designers, brides through the ages have come into their independent selves.

Today, just mention the names of notable wedding dress designers like Vera Wang and Monique Lhuillier and brides-to-be will go into daydreams of dreamy wedding dresses. After all, these are the designers who made bridal dresses to celebrities like Mariah Carey, Victoria Beckham, Jennifer Garner, Britney Spears, Natalie Imbruglia and Pink!

However, as you well know, designer duds mean designer prices. Or do they? Well, not with sample sales!

To the merchandisers, retailers and designers of wedding dresses, sample sales are opportunities to unload excess merchandise at markedly reduced prices. Thus, to budget-conscious brides like you, sample sales are great opportunities to wear a designer wedding dress without busting the budget.

The trick is in knowing which designers are having sample sales at specific locations and dates. But not to worry since there are online sites for this purpose, with some offline sites advertising sample sales in big letters. Or else, you can tap into your wedding network of married family and friends! (Tip: Most sites offer sample sales on April and September)

Well, just like the food buffet, you can either choose to become either the barbarian before the food or the gourmand before the cuisine. Seriously speaking, there are a few basic rules in sample sales for wedding dresses that are also often clearly stipulated by the retailer/designer.

First, there are limited sizes available. You have to determine your size even before you engage in a sample sales scrimmage to avoid wasting your precious planning period for the wedding.

Second, it is on a first-come, first-served basis. No VIP treatment here, mind you. You have to come early if you want a first-go at the strapless ecru wedding dresses you have lusted for in the catalogue.

Third, all sales are on an as-is basis. You cannot have your choice altered on site, which means that you will have to spend on alterations for tears, dry cleaning, pressing and other dress repairs. Thus, you have to add the cost of the wedding dress to the alterations you will be making lest you spend more than the original budget.

Fourth, there are no dressing rooms. Unless you are prepared to bare it all in your undies in a room full of strangers, come prepared in leotards and clothes that you can undress and dress in easily.

Fifth, there is no haggling on the price. What you see on the price tag is what you pay for, which is reasonable considering that you can get as much as 40%-90% discount on an original Monique Lhuillier dress.

The best tip you can have for shopping for wedding dresses in a sample sales is to come early for the best selections and come late for the best prices. Early in the day, there will be more selections to choose from; later in the day, the discounts get higher because retailers want to dispose of the merchandise faster.

And when you have found the right wedding dress, one word for you, my dear! POUNCE!

Best for Bride Bridal Store

5359 Dundas St. West (at Kipling)

Etobicoke, ON, Canada, M9B 1B1