The one question every bride should ask when buying a wedding dress

Getting married? Don't forget to ask this important question. Photo / Getty Images

Finding the perfect wedding dress can be a daunting prospect for any bride-to-be.

With dozens of styles, colours and fabrics on offer, many women can find it difficult to know where to start.

And once they do settle on a design they like, anxious shoppers can find themselves swept up in the excitement and pay without pausing to work out the finer details.

Now a wedding dress shop owner has revealed the one question that all women should ask while browsing to ensure they are not stung by hidden costs, reports the Daily Mail.

Speaking to Cosmopolitan.com, Kate Halfpenny, of Halfpenny London, said all brides-to-be should double check whether alterations are included in the price.

If they are not, they should be sure to negotiate an mount early on in the process to avoid paying over-the-odds later on.

She also advised brides-to-be to leave plenty of time for the gown to be made, or risk incurring additional costs.

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What a night! Thank you Belfast for making me feel so welcome. I love it here. Such wonderful people! Thank you @twgboutique for hosting such an epic event (and looking so hot in the black edit cheryl dress). @saraoneillstylist for the best interviews and chats, I'm so inspired, @rnncomms for pulling off such a great guest list of fab women. British bridal at its best in Ireland. Exclusively available at @twgboutique ❤️

A post shared by Kate Halfpenny (@halfpennylondon) on Oct 4, 2017 at 12:21am PDT

Kate said: "Some designers that are from other counties need at least six months to put your dress into production. You also might pay rush fees on dresses ordered less than three months before your wedding."

Earlier this year Brides Magazine revealed that the average gown costs $2,575.