What if the price she quotes is too much for me?

Question

I am getting my wedding dress made for me, but she hasn't told me what the price is going to be yet (she hasn't started on it yet). I've been asking here on Yahoo what some seamstresses would charge and I have been getting a lot of high prices.

So, I need help on what to say to the lady if she quotes me a too high of a price (keep in mind, she is a lady that I go to church with, and I really can't rub her the wrong way since I will be seeing her every week).

I need some polite way to tell her I am going to get a cheaper dress else where. Please any suggestions would be great! Like word for word suggestions!!!! Thank you!

Answer 1

You need to nicely remind her that you need to know the amount so that you can make sure it fits within your budget before she begins the work.  It is absolutely important to get that clear BEFORE she begins.

If she quotes too high a price, let her know politely (as in, "I realize your talent is worth it but that is more than my budget allows" and then you can either A) discuss options to lower the cost like going with a simpler style dress or less expensive materials, or you can B) politely thank her for her offer but that you'll go ahead and see what else you can find.

Make sure she understand that it isn't that you don't appreciate it, and that she does beautiful work, and that it isn't personal.  

Answer 2

"Hi, Ms ---.  I just wanted to ask you about how much you were intending to charge for making my wedding dress.  The reason why I'm asking is that I'm on a really tight budget, you know how it is, and I wanted to make sure that I would be able to afford whatever it is you were going to charge.  I'm sure whatever you were going to charge is fair, but, unfortunately, my budget doesn't necessarily cover fair, but I'm sure you know how it is when you're just starting out."

Answer 3

Don't confuse a business situation with a social situation. There is nothing wrong with asking her before you ever get started about what she is going to charge, and in fact it's the best way, because then you both know what the agreement is. She may have changed her mind about the price half a dozen times by now.

The easiest way to find out how much she will charge you is to ASK HER! If she hasn't started on it yet, perhaps that's because she is waiting for you to bring this up, and she may want a deposit to get started on materials. It doesn't sound like you have anything other than a conversation or two invested in this process.

If she does this as a business, she will understand if you decide to go with someone else because they were in your ballpark, so don't worry about hurt feelings as long as you approach it kindly and honestly.

I think you have been too timid about this -- be sure and get your lines of communication clear as quickly as possible to avoid confusion and wasted time.

Congratulations on your upcoming marriage!

Answer 4

you should have agreed to a price up front

tell her it can cost no more than what your highest price is