When should I buy my dress?
If you are ordering a dress that you have fitted, you should ideally place your order about 7 months before your wedding day. Why? Our dresses are imported and made to order. So, allow between 4 – 5 months from date of order for your dress to arrive AND allow 10 more weeks for alterations.
If you are buying a dress that is immediately available at Olivelli, you can do this much closer to your wedding date because the dress does not need to be imported. The earlier the better (less stress…) but allow at least 10 weeks for the dress to be altered to perfection.
So, how long before my wedding date should I start fitting dresses?
Use the info in the question above to see how much time you need. At Olivelli we find that many brides start fitting way before the required minimum time to order – even a year or longer before the wedding. That’s fabulous as it gives you more time to find what you want, lots of time to accessorise and means no need to worry about anything being last minute!
How do I know if the brand name of the dress I want to buy is genuine?
If it seems too good to be true it almost always is! You can also be guided by price – most “cheap copies” are much cheaper than the genuine item. Why? The copiers omit some of the structure, boning, stitching; or use different lace; or fewer layers; or cheaper buttons. They cut out detail to cut the price. Beware! Guaranteed – at Olivelli each dress is the real thing!
How do I pay for my wedding dress?
If you order a dress that you have fitted, you pay 60 % upon order and 40% when you are notified that the dress has arrived in South Africa.
If you buy a dress that is available in Olivelli, you are required to pay the full amount.
In both cases, alterations will be an additional charge. You will be quoted an amount for alterations for you to approve before any work commences.
Why does my wedding dress need to be altered?
All bridal gowns at Olivelli are imported and thus made to order. Each style is carefully manufactured according to international standard specifications per size. Alterations are needed to make sure that your dress is perfect for your body. In addition, you may want to add some embellishments.
How do wedding dress sizes differ from what I’m used to?
Here’s a guide for you to follow:
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| SA size | UK size | USA size |
|---|---|---|
| 28 or 4 | 2 | 0 |
| 30 or 6 | 4 | 2 |
| 32 or 8 | 6 | 4 |
| 34 or 10 | 8 | 6 |
| 36 or 12 | 10 | 8 |
| 38 or 14 | 12 | 10 |
| 40 or 16 | 14 | 12 |
| 42 or 18 | 16 | 14 |
| 44 or 20 | 18 | 16 |
| 46 or 22 | 20 | 18 |
| 48 or 24 | 22 | 20 |
| 50 or 26 | 24 | 22 |
| 52 or 28 | 26 | 24 |
[/fusion_table]
An Olivelli bridal consultant will give advice on sizes to fit and also take your measurements when you place an order, to be sure that your dress is ordered in the correct size.
Our tip: Don’t fret about size. Focus on the style and fit and how much you love the dress. Should you lose a lot of weight between ordering and the arrival of your dress, the expert seamstresses will deal with that!
Why do I need to book an appointment to fit a dress?
Because we need to make sure that a bridal consultant is available to partner you during your 1,5 hour fitting. Your wedding dress is not an off-the-rail purchase. A consultant will listen to what you have in mind and then suggest and fetch dresses for you to try on. She will know the details of each dress and also be brilliant about matching styles to body types.
Our tip: Saturdays are typically super busy as most brides-to-be work during the week, so bookings for this day will normally fill up fast. Be smart and make a week day booking.