Buying a wedding dress online?

You've been out to the stores and your not finding what you want. You may have a specific dress in mind, but if you live in a smaller city you may not get to try on the exact dress you want.

Here comes the online looking and shopping. Should you buy your wedding dress *gulp* online? The first thing I would start with is looking at reviews. Wedding Forums are a great place to start looking for companies or people who sell them online and to get reviews.

There are a couple different types of sellers, there are companies that sell brand name wedding dresses and are licensed to do so, you can probably save a couple hundred dollars on your dress by doing so. There are companies who claim to sell brand name wedding dresses, but most likely don't. The first tell tale sign is the price, if it's a fraction of the price that you would pay at a store, like $150.00 online and $1200.00 in the store it's a pretty clear sign it is a knock off. Also check their policies or proof of purchase from the designer. The next type of seller is those that sell wedding dresses at inexpensive prices, that look like the designer dresses, these companies are usually upfront that it's not the designers dress and it won't look exactly like that dress. And another way of going is custom made wedding dresses.

There are sellers who have images of dresses they currently make and are open to making other styles. This can be very hit and miss, it is very important to read reviews of the dress maker. And even after you've done a ton of research you will still feel like you're taking a leap of faith, and you are. Their prices are about 1/2-1/3 the cost of a dress at a store (all depending on the design, complexity and materials). One of the wonderful things about going this route is that you can have a custom made gown, you can make changes, pick your fabric, etc. This is the way that I went for my wedding. I had a custom gown made that was absolutely perfect for me. I did my research and eventually took that leap. We went over fabric, colors and I had to give her tons of measurements. The lady I used was Wendy from http://www.etsy.com/shop/ieie

I am only referring her based on my experience, which was really wonderful. You should still do research as well. When I brought my dress to the seamstress after receiving it, she was speechless. She couldn't believe the low price I paid and the quality of the stitching and fabric. There was honestly nothing wrong with my dress! I did have it hemmed a little, just in the front and part of the chest area taken in because I had lost weight since taking my measurements.

There are many ways you can save on your dress if you are on a tight budget, or can't swallow paying $2000 for a wedding dress. I've included pictures of my dress that Wendy made for me.