Tips for Buying a Wedding Dress Online
If you’re buying a wedding dress online, you can browse through thousands of different styles from the comfort of your sofa (or bed, if you want to be really luxurious), and you can often find quality dresses for half the price of those in stores. However, we’ve all heard the horror stories too. There are definitely risks associated with buying your dress on the web, and you might need some tips to help you get it right.
When you should Order It
You need to plan way in advance if you’re ordering your wedding dress online. You definitely have to consider shipping times – imagine finding your dream dress a week before your wedding only to realise it has to fly half way across the world? You also have to think about returns and exchanges if it’s not quite right, finding a new dress if it’s completely wrong, and any alterations you may need if it doesn’t fit perfectly. If you’re dress turns up and is spot on what you wanted first time then you’ll be very lucky.
Check the Fabric
If the option’s available, always ask for a sample of the dress fabric. This will give you an idea about the quality of the dress (which can sometimes be questionable if you’ve found a very budget-friendly number) and whether the colour and texture is exactly as it shows in the pictures. If your dress turns up and the fabrics itchy or too thick (or sheer) you’re going to feel uncomfortable on your wedding day, so make sure if the sample feels bad, you don’t buy the dress. It’s just not worth it.
Send Accurate Measurements
If the company you’re buying from uses a made-to-measure production, make sure the measurements you send are completely accurate. Don’t use the ones you took four months ago or be a little forgiving about your waist and thighs – now is not the time to feed your vanity! Your measurements should be up to date and spot on. If they’re not, your dress isn’t going to fit you right which will not only be uncomfortable but can also ruin how it falls. If you’re worried, get a friend or your partner to measure you.
Know Who You’re Buying From
The nightmare scenario you want to avoid is your dress turning up and being like some horror-story version of the princess gown you ordered – or not turning up at all! The best way to avoid this is by shopping with a reliable company.
Find some off-site reviews from people who have bought dresses from the business you’re looking at to gauge their reliability, and get in touch to judge their professionalism.
Although you can sometimes find a gem, it’s best to avoid online auction sites – these are where the majority of the nightmares occur.
Don’t be Afraid to Ask Questions
It’s your wedding dress, you want it to be perfect! This means that you’ll probably have some questions to ask the seller, and you should never hold back; if they’re professional they’ll answer as many as you can shoot at them. If you’re having a dress made custom, or having a lot of alterations made to a basic style, it’s okay to ask for updates or check that they’ve remembered the type of lace you want for the sleeves, or that the diamantes are only on the bottom of the dress, or whatever you’re worried about! The more questions you ask the less of a chance there is of something being wrong.
Your wedding dress is one of the most important items of clothing you’ll ever wear, so you want it to be perfect.
There are risks to buying your dress online, but there are also a ton of perks so don’t be put off by what you’ve heard. As long as you know what you’re doing, you and your dress will be fine.