Buying dress onling

jlpenland

We're on kinda a tight budget and so I thought I would try buying my dress online. I've looked and have found a lot of websites, but find myself nervous.
1. How do i know i will get the dress and they just wont rip me off?
2. How do i know that the dress i pay for will arrive looking like that?
3. Even though they say they take returns, when I do send it back, will i get my money?
4. Am I missing out on the going to the dress parlor experience with my mom?
Plz help.....If anyone has any advice!

danielle16_17

I would go with websites that are trusted that other brides on here have ordered from


like
Bravobride
preownedweddingdress.com
woreitonce.com
pearl's place
jaysbridal
bestbridalprices
Netbrides

to make sure the dresses fit you could look at some online then go try them on at a local store then buy used somewhere or look at craigslist to see if you can try on dresses for sale

also if you cant afford that much for a dress try going to a local used wedding dress shop or getting a sample gown

fairy_diva

Only a couple of store have good reputations for online wedding gowns.  You can check BBB and Rip off reports to see what people have filed.  Three of the one I have found have good reviews and several women on the boards have used them.  I would recommend trying on dresses in store and finding out your look and size, then ordering that dress in the same size.  I can guarantee that any dress you order will need to be steamed and pressed, most even tell you that in their FAQs.  Esp since they squish a large dress in a shipping box. 

The 3 I've heard good things about are:
www.plussizebridal.com they sell sizes from 2-32 and they take returns on extended sizes. 5 days to return the dress.
www.ebridalsuperstore.com all sizes, no returns
www.bestbridalprices.com all sizes no returns

Go salon shopping with your mom, don't miss out on that if you want it.  I plan to so the same with my mom, best friend and sister in law myself.  I want the whole experience myself, just not the over inflated salon price.  I think with Plus Size Bridal is they way I'm going, esp with a 5 day return policy.

Here's their policy from their website:
Plus Size Bridal has one of the most liberal return policies in the bridal industry. To ensure customer satisfaction we have created a Satisfaction Guaranteed Return policy. We will refund or exchange any size 16-32 Bridal Gown within our 5 day time period.  If for any reason you are not satisfied with your Bridal Gown  purchase (size 16-32), you may return the dress to us for a refund less a $50  Freight/Restocking Fee within 5 days of receiving your order. A refund will be given provided it is not past your stated wedding date and  the dress is returned in Original Condition with tags still attached.  All Shipping Charges are Non- Refundable. You may also exchange your dress for size or style with in the 5 day time period.  Dresses must be sent back within the 5 Days or they will be shipped back to sender. Please note that if your wedding date falls inside the 5 day return policy you must have the dress postmarked before the stated wedding date.  Dresses from our: Prom, bridesmaids, flowergirls, and mothers dress section are non-returnable and non-exchangeable all sales are final.. Bridal gowns size 0-14 are all sales final.  The $50 Freight/Restocking Fee applies to Cancellations (sizes 16-32 wedding gowns), Returns, and Exchanges and will be charged upon receipt of Return or Exchange. Rush Charges are non-refundable. Wedding gowns ordered with special measurements (made to your specific measurements) can not be returned or exchanged once ordered.  Please note when exchanging items shipping fees will apply. PS Bridal does warranty all gowns to be defect free and original, authentic designer gowns. We do not carry any off brand, replicas or knock offs so you can be sure you are getting the real designer dress.  If your dress arrives damaged from shipping or in the unlikely event you receive the wrong size or color contact us immediately and we will correct the problem.

jagore08

No matter where you purchase your dress from, online of in a store, TRY ON A SAMPLE FIRST!  Do not purchase a wedding dress without trying it on because most bridal stores (online ones too) will not do returns.  Like the first poster said, look on the sites, write down the ones you like, and call salons around you and see if they have the samples for you to try on.

I used Jay's Bridal (they are located in Gainesville, FL and are authorized retailers of all dresses they sell) and they were great.  I even had my BP get their dresses from Jay's.  I also got a free veil with my dress and because I live out of FL I got free shipping. 

KappaUCF20

Pearl's Place and Netbride have been around the longest so that's who I would recommend.  In all the years I've been on here, I've never heard a single bad thing about them. I myself had a good experience with both.  To answer your questions:

1. Both of these companies have real brick and mortar stores in addition to their online shops and, as I already said, they have a longstanding reputation of excellence so you can feel safe ordering from them (I can't vouch for any other companies though). 

2. The dress will be coming from the manufacturer just the same as it would from a regular store so there wouldn't be any differences (other than some wrinkles from shipping).

3. It's up to you to check the company's return policy but refer to #1. 

4. DO NOT BLINDLY ORDER A DRESS THAT YOU HAVEN'T ALREADY TRIED ON!  Most brides who order their gowns online have already visited several shops and know what designer/style they want.  Once you have information you can call Pearl's Place or fill out Netbride's online form to receive a price quote.  Then if you decide to order from them, you have to take your bust/waist/hip measurements (either you can do that yourself or you can have a professional seamstress do it) and look up the designer's size chart (I know Netbride has size charts on their website for every designer they carry, or you could just google it).  It's usually a good idea to order according to your largest measurement because it's generally easier to take a dress in than let it out. 

I hope that helps!  It's really very easy.