Purchasing a Bridesmaid or Wedding Dress Online

It can be very tempting to see a beautiful dress online at a fraction of the cost, a replica of Mori Lee, of Pronovias, Demetrios, even Maggie Sottero for a mere 50.00 ... You must remember you get what you pay for. The dress advertised in the picture looks wonderful professional glamourous - this is because it is ... its been taken direct from a catalogue and because the chinese seller assumes you take into account his feedback score of sometimes in the 1000's and is a powerseller that you won't read back past the last 3 pages to see that actually this is a fictious figure. Items sold for 1 pence or a "don't pay for this item" they have many id's which they use to "bump" up their feedback.When your dress arrives it won't look anything like the picture... the organza will be polyester the silk will be satin the crystals will be sequins and the boning will be of plastic and not metal framed corseting because of customs not allowing it through. Which leads me to mention the duty tax you may be asked to pay sometimes in the region of 100-200 pounds to get it through the airport.Another thing to remember is the postage cost... yes the dress is cheap at 50.00 but do you really need to pay up to 100 in postage for one dress?You get what you pay for.... for most of us 1500 on a "genuine" wedding dress is a lot of money. But please remember this is your wedding day the best day of your life one you will remember for the rest of your days... don't spoil it by penny pinching on the dress. By all means have a look around for a bargain, but steer clear of Chinese, Indian, Taiwan or Malaysian traders claiming that these dresses are authentic ... they are not they are counterfeit dresses made in sweat houses by children and young men and women who get paid peanuts for working 18 hours a day in a disgusting confined environment.Do you really want this on your conscious when you are walking down the aisle in a polyester dress ???I am only trying to guide you as when I started my business I needed to know what competition I was up against.. I ordered from 3 so called professional dress sellers. The first dress did not arrive and when I waited the 10 weeks that was in the description I was asked if I could wait 2 more weeks while they got me the tracking number when 90 days cleared I got in touch with the payment provider and told them but by then the tracking number if indeed there was one at all, was not showing up after 8 weeks of postage on the system and the 90 days from payment left me high and dry with no protection from the payment provider as it had exceeded their terms and conditions for a refund !The second dress was terrible quality the stitching was coming away from the seam. The measurements were nothing like I had emailed over to the seller . The material was creased, the packaging had split during transit and there was a dirt mark on the dress. ( it wasn't being used as a wedding dress but if it had it would have been ruined ) The third dress in all honesty was not bad for the money... the quality of the dress making was very good however the dress looked nothing like the Demetrios one on the picture.. there was no underskirt no tulle petticoat just a flat dress. When I emailed them to ask if I could have an underskirt ( as this was the better of the three I wanted to see what their customer service was like ) I was told this dress was an "inspired by" dress and that the petticoat underneath was extra.... another 125 extra ( without postage ) ! It was absolutely laughable. When looking for an online wedding dress purchaser follow these rules and you cannot go far wrong...

Make contact with them first before purchasing. See what their pre customer service is like. Remember though that once you have parted with your money have a definite delivery date in writing. This gives you more power when the goods are delayed.Always try to pay via paypal or a bank transfer that can be traced. Keep in contact with the seller throughout the whole process.Get a tracking number.If your goods have not arrived contact paypal or your bank or visa company immediately and tell them .Don't leave it too late. Giving them full details including any tracking number if the seller cannot provide this you have more chance of getting a refund. Dresses should NOT take more than 12 weeks to make. Regardless of the order levels. A guide time is 6-8 weeks from purchase to delivery. In some cases where dresses are being made solely to order for your measurements and there is more than 3 items per order this can extend to 8-9 weeks. BUT you should always be kept informed by the seller. This is just common courtesy on the sellers behalf.Don't just accept if the dress is exactly not as described. The feedback system is there for a reason to let others know your experiences. Don't be afraid of leaving negative or neutral feedback in case they leave bad feedback for you ... People understand when they read them they will see that you are not to blame for receiving negative feedback, and you have the right to respond on the feedback system to get your point across anyway.

I hope this helps and even though you may be a bit strapped for cash and looking for a cheaper alternative for your dress... there are options... Heres a few tips how to save money to put it towards your dressCut back on your favours ( make these yourself ) I remember we did Strawberry BonBons in little Gold Boxes and Love Heart sweets ... Instead of buying expensive bridesmaids presents ... take a photo of you all together and have these printed and framed... or have a pamper night just before the wedding where you are all together having a bottle of wine and a girly time ... the memories will last longer than a bouquet of flowers. Don't have a free bar all night at the venue... if you are expected to pay for all the drinks and the food and dresses and the flowers and the cake and and and .... come on in this day and age a free bar for the first hour is usually the norm then let them dig their hands in their pockets ! Only invite people who you truly want to share your big day with... I know you may have to invite the obligatory Aunty Mable... but as far as your friends are concerned only have the ones you know will appreciate being there don't have a rent-a-crowd just to make up the numbers. Small is beautiful . At the end of the day all that really matters is that you are marrying for the right reasons and that the two of you are going to spend the rest of your days together forever in love and happiness.... So even though the dress is a major aspect of the day ... don't forget the real reason you are wearing the dress Lots of love and I hope this has helped