That said, we should point out we've been full-time consumer advocates for brides since 1988. In that time, we've interviewed over 1000 engaged couples about their dress buying experiences. We attend the bridal wholesale markets to see the dresses firsthand. In addition, we interview bridal retailers and look at surveys of shop owners on this subject. Our opinions on gown designers and manufacturers are based on these experiences and research, plus the all-important feedback from readers of our bridal books.

You'll note that no designer received a grade lower than a C. That's because even the designers with the lowest grades still do an average job at delivering dresses. (There were a few designers in the past we would have given an F, but they have long since gone out of business. In a way, the free market often flunks these losers before we get a chance). Designers who get a B do an above-average job, while those with A's are our picks as the best of the bunch.

In determining our reviews, we look at the following four factors:

1. Quality
   
   Let's be honest-no bride wants to spend hard-earned cash to get an inferior gown. In this area, we consider gown construction and the quality of fabrics, laces and finish. Obviously, many big designers produce dozens (if not hundreds) of different styles. As a result, our judgment of their quality is an average of the entire line.

2. Value
   
   Some designers are "best buys." Others expect you to pay a premium for their brand name. When we consider a designer's overall value, we judge them compared to their competition—are the dresses a great buy? Or do you merely get what you pay for? Just because a cheaply made dress has a low price tag doesn't mean the designer is providing value. We'll note the "best buys" with a special symbol at the top of each review.

3. Delivery / Service
   
   How prompt is the designer with deliveries? Some designers take forever to deliver a dress. A late gown may set off a panic, not only for the bride but also the retail store. We should note this issue is a moving target—designers are constantly juggling their production between far-flung countries. A political crisis or union labor troubles can complicate matters, throwing a reliable designer into a tail-spin on deliveries. As a result, this area can change at any minute. We'll try to note any drastic changes on our web page.

   This category also includes customer service, that is the service the designer gives the retail store. Some designers have fantastic reputations for fixing problems like defective gowns, damaged merchandise, etc. Other manufacturers couldn't care less. While this is a difficult attribute to gauge nationally, we try to raise the grades of designers whose customer service is exemplary.

4. Fashion
   
   Is the designer a style leader? How innovative are the dresses? Does the designer set the trend or merely copy the competition?

   How fashionable a designer's gowns are is the least important factor in our ratings. The simple fact is that nearly every designer copies dresses from other designers. If someone has a hot-selling look, you'll be sure to find it copied in no time. Since "duplication" and "inspiration" are ingrained in the bridal gown business, we didn't penalize designers who simply duplicate looks from more expensive manufacturers. Besides, if the dress looks good on you and the price is right, who cares whether the designer thought of the idea first?

   Nonetheless, we gave bonus points to designers who were at least trying to do something different.

This section of the designer review gives an indication of a designer's discount availability: easy, moderate, difficult or impossible. We'll give you an explanation of how we came to these conclusions as well. By going with a designer that is "easy" to obtain from a discounter, you'll have a better chance of success using our BridalQuote feature.