ordering dress online....bad idea???

aerm0911

I found a dress online that I absolutely LOVE and I have a good feeling that the style might look pretty good. However, none of the bridal salons that I've been to have a model that I can try on and they keep telling me that if they order it for me, I have to buy it. Is this standard practice? Is it a really bad idea to order online and then take it to a seamstress to get altered?  

opalsky007

I would not buy a dress without trying it on first...they just look so different on you vs. on a model (there is actually a whole post on this further down the page). Make some phone calls, to salons, and to the designer who makes the dress. Travel a bit to another salon if you have to. Ask if you can have a sample brought in from another shop.

cathycoyle28

Hi, i've seen an unbelieveable dress at www.bestdressprice.com..and im in the same boat as you! im scared that if i order it, i might hate it wen it comes

has any1 else out there had any experience or know any1 who has had experience with this website?

opalsky007

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/wedding-boards_attire-accessories_ordering-dress-onlinebad-idea?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Wedding%20BoardsForum:15Discussion:e44f36d3-03f3-4970-a9c4-61b6549ba269Post:4c19f149-1bec-43ec-b073-c4add5b9a66e">Re: ordering dress online....bad idea???</a>:
[QUOTE]Hi, i've seen an unbelieveable dress at <a href="http://www.bestdressprice.com..and" rel="nofollow">www.bestdressprice.com..and</a> im in the same boat as you! im scared that if i order it, i might hate it wen it comes :( has any1 else out there had any experience or know any1 who has had experience with this website?
Posted by cathycoyle28[/QUOTE]

I'm pretty sure they're selling knockoffs--the prices are about 80% off retail. That's okay if you accept that risk, but know that the dress you receive might not even look anything like the picture. Go try on the original dress, see if it's even the one for you, and then consider your options for getting a discount--there are other discounters who sell authentic gowns.

graysquirrel

I've never tried an online seller, but I have found great deals at dress warehouses. I bought a Sottero & Midgley for nearly 50% off at one and love it! It is authentic and looks beautiful. I would highly suggest trying to find one of these in your area.

aecappelli

I never buy anything before trying it on, much less a wedding dress that probably costs hundreds of dollars.  Have you tried on wedding dresses at all?  The reason I ask is because the one I liked most, I wouldn't have even given a second glance on the rack.  I'd be afraid to have the opposite experience, order a dress I like in a picture and then hate the way it looks in person.  Yikes!  I would personally steer clear of this option.

mef1183

I bought my dress online without trying it on first.  I love it in person just as much.  I know that I'm probably in the minority though.  But once I came across a picture of it I fell in love with it, and when I found it on ebay for a steal I knew it was just meant to be

mm133123

I totally agree with aecappelli, I wasn't wowed by my dress until I tried it on.  The way it fits on your body is what makes the dress so beautiful.  If you buy that dress, you're stuck with it.  What looks great on the hanger does not always translate to what looks great on you... and vice versa.

cathycoyle28

To ''ANACHAN 88''

that dress id gorg!! wat online store did u get that from?

waltzingmatilda13

Call around to bridal stores a little farter out to see if they have it in stock. I traveled about 90mins away to try on my "dream dress" and ended up hating it. I would have been out a lot of money if they made me buy it to bring it in.

mmort06

Go over to the trash to treasure page. You will find girls that ordered there dress online and now dont want it.

raw1299

i think it would be ok to buy a dress online. personally, i want the experience of trying different ones on, and having that "moment" of finding the one. if you have a good feeling about it, go with your gut and buy it. make sure you buy the dress a size higher so you can get it altered (which will cost more money). if it doesnt work out when you try it on, just resell it on ebay!

Maddie&Brian

I ordered a dress off of DHgate.com that I found and fell in love with (needless to say I had not done my research). The dress I got was a knock off (I expected as much) - that loosely (and I mean LOOSELY) resembled the designer photo. It was patterned incorrectly, fit awkwardly, and the material was atrocious (and yes, my rage probably made me spell that wrong). But at the end of the day, I paid $139 for the dress AND shipping. Not the end of the world. Their return/refund process through their escrow system takes patience - overall it took me about 4 weeks to get a 50% refund (which still hasn't shown up in my bank account yet). I do get to keep the dress, so if I can resell it on ebay for $50 or so, it won't be much of a loss at all. The real problem is the time consumption, the headache, and the disappointment in waiting 6 weeks for your dream dress to arrive and hate it upon arrival.

Lessons learned: You get what you pay for. But even if only 1 in 4 brides like their online wedding dresses, you can buy 4 online and still spend less than you would on 1 boutique dress. And if you have the savvy to work your way into partical refunds, at the end of the day it isn't the end of the world. And who knows, maybe you'll even get a cheap party dress or rehearsal dinner dress or "TTD" dress.

Keep an open mind. You can't help it if you fall in love with something you can't find at a shop. If you shop early enough, you can buy it online and work from there.