Buying Wedding Dresses Online

Pmatthews2015

Has anyone had a good experience buying a wedding dress online? I have been looking at jjshouse.com, izidresses.com, etsy.com, and shirleysdress.com but I am worried with the strict return policies so I just wanted to hear from others. Are there any online websites that are legitimate with good quality dresses?

missdelilah

What about http://bestbridalprices.com? I've heard some good things about them. I'd avoid jjshouse at all costs. The quality isn't good. It's sort of passable if you want something as a costume or for a cocktail party, but I absolutely wouldn't recommend them for a wedding dress (I actually bought two wedding dresses from them for my friend to cut up to make me a costume, and FI and I spent ages laughing at how horrid they were). If you go through Pearl's Place, I'm told you need to call them, and place an order that way. They won't sell you anything unless you've tried it on somewhere else, as there are generally no returns on bridal dresses. You can also check http://tradesy.com or http://preownedweddingdresses.com if you're on a budget. Catching up on this discussion (http://forums.theknot.com/discussion/1036267/pearlsplace-netbride-and-best-bridal-prices#latest) might be of interest to you.

southernbelle0915

I wouldn't do this in a million years. 

A lot of people think they want a certain style of dress because of what they see in magazines/online/etc. IRL when the dress is on a normal human being who isn't starving, the dresses look really different. I highly recommend going to a brick and mortar store and trying things on before you commit to anything.

manateehugger

All of the sites you listed sell stolen designs made with cheap, crappy material. You'll be incredibly lucky if you get what you thought you were ordering. 

What's your reasoning for wanting to go online instead of a true store? Budget? If you post a budget range, we might be able to help point you in the direction of some legitimate designers.

Maggie0829

The absolute only way I would do this is if I had tried on and fallen in love with the dress in person, had accurate measurements taken and went through reputable website (and those are few and far between).

Think about it.  Your wedding dress will probably be the most expensive and most photographed garment you ever wear in your life.  Why would you risk such an expense by purchasing it online?

doeydo

Please don't do it.  https://www.facebook.com/BridesBeware

CMGragain

Pearl's Place will decline to order a dress unless you have actually tried it on in person somewhere.  This is because those dresses look very different on you than in those over-photo shopped pictures of anorexic models in tortuous poses.
We ordered daughter's dress from them after she found iit in a local shop.  We saved a lot of money.  They do not accept internet orders.  You must telephone them and speak to them in person to place an order.  They do not help you shop.  They simply order your dress at a discount and mail it to you.  They cannot discount Maggie Sottero dresses, due to her price fixing practices. All sales are final, like any bridal shop.  They are ordering direct from the designer.
If you are looking for a bargain price dress, try David's Bridal and their website.  They have super clearance sales, and there is a DB store near most cities.

KenyanBeauty87

Don't do it girl! I almost did and I'm so glad I didn't! You'll find something beautiful in person.

lovesclimbing

I'm going to go against the grain and say you can, but you do have to be careful. Only order from a reputable site.  The ones you listed are not. Also, make sure you like the style.  I knew what style I wanted. And yes, I believe you can know what style you like. The ladies here a lot of times say they got something totally different than they thought they wanted.  While I don't doubt that's true, I do think that doesn't apply to everyone. I got an A-line dress and it looked really nice on me. I knew I wanted an A-line.  Trying on a mermaid or poofy ball gown would not have changed anything for me.

I ordered from simplybridal.com and I was very satisfied with how it turned out. This is what I've typed for someone else. I ordered my dress from them.  It came in and looked beautiful!  It was a bit too big but I expected this considering I had not tried it on before ordering and didn't have them make it to my exact measurements: I simply bought it in a regular size according to their sizing chart.  However, I had a wonderful seamstress lined up who did an amazing job for a very reasonable price.

 

These are the alterations I had done it after I got the dress

-Hemmed

-Bustled

-Took it up in the shoulders because the arm holes were a bit big.

-Took it in at the waist

-Yanked the stitching on the waistband to remove a pucker

-Stitched the lace at the neckline together a tiny bit because the neckline was a tad low for my taste.

 

They are not the most high quality made dresses in the world but my dress looked absolutely beautiful.  The satin was heavy and felt really nice.  It did not feel cheap.  I definitely feel that I got a good quality product for the price I paid, about $225. 

 

I was dissatisfied with the waistband.  The way it was stitched down caused puckers.  However, my seamstress was able to rip the stitching so that it was only stitched down on the top rather than on both the top and the bottom and ironed it flat.  It looked lovely!

 

I have no regrets and definitely recommend Simply Bridal to any bride.

Yes, they do make them in China but they are not one of those Chinese knock off sites.  All the dresses are their own design.  Unlike knock-off sites which only let you return them if they made a mistake, Simply Bridal lets you return the dress within 30 days if you don't like it for some reason and they are US based.  They have offices in the US.

Anyachen83

lindseyses1 said:

The only legitimate online vendors are Pearlsplace.com and Netbride.com.  They are both long time vendors that have real stores and sell real merchandise from their designers.  Some companies they are not able to discount but you will get a real dress from either store.

My understanding of an online vendor is one that sells online and in the case of both Pearlsplace.com and Netbride.com they appear to be websites to promote their actual stores. No prices on their sites but they will provide a quote. 

missdelilah seems to be a good option and they do sell online. As for JJsHouse or JenJensHouse, avoid at all costs.

If you are looking for some sound advice and a long list of sites to avoid, I suggest you check out this site - http://www.bridestore.info/ seems to be well informed about the scammers. Hope this helps.

Anyachen83

IrenaukCMGragainmissdelilah you must call them. That's not an online vendor so it's totally wrong to say that the two places you mentioned are "the ONLY legitimate online vendors". Are you saying that Bestbridalprices are not a legitimate online vendor? I wonder what they would have to say about that.

Finally, you referred to "click through sites" and asked if I really wanted to do that with such an important purchase. Well I actually bought my dress online over two years ago and it was custom made and just about perfect in every way including the price. But I agree that I would not do it if it was just a 'click through site" where I just place my order and hope. I bough my dress on a site where I was able to speak with somebody in native English who answered all my questions before I bought. Like everything in this life there are good are bad. As I suggested in a post above, I suggest you check out www.bridestore.info as they are not a vendor but have a lot of good information.  

CMGragain

OK.  The ONLY truly reputable ON LINE sites are David's Bridal and J.C. Penney's (limited selection).  They accept returns, unless it is a clearance dress.
Pearl's Place, Netbride, RK Bridal are excellent discount ordering sites.

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glitch104

So glad I read this... I am stearing clear of any online ordering sites for cheaper dresses. Thank you all very much!