Wedding dress deposit - wedding cancelled

Sadly that is how it works with bridal shops. You are already lucky they wont make you full price (most shops would and then you would have to try sell ther dess yourself to minimise losses). The dresses are made to order (so its not like they can just send it back) and new dresses come out at least once a year. So your dress wont be current season now and they will not be able to sell it for same price(likely will take them a long time to sell even with discount). You are actually lucky they are willing to keep it and only charge you 400. New dresses (unworn unaltered) that people try to sell due to covid/ cancellation rarely sell for more than 50% original price often less. Check your contract but usually deposits are none refundable due to having the dress produced to order. And the fitting/alterations usually costs extra so you paid for the dress to be ordered not for alterations/ fittings as such, so even if you did not get it fitted or chance to try on again they kind of are right to not refund as they cant return the dress and being generous offering to keep it without charging you more as there js no guarantee they will sell it to anyone else for a reasonable price.

The person above said exactly what I was going to say.


A non refundable deposit is standard for wedding dresses. Your best bet would be to cut your losses and leave the dress. You could buy it an full and try and resell yourself but I doubt you’d make your money back (especially with the market so saturated with postponing:/cancelling brides etc).
Good luck with whatever you decide x

Wow, that's good to know before piutting done any hard cash. That's steep!