Online wedding dresses, any good and what advice?

kristinanikita  Hi manda, Im having my dress (which is on my photoblog) from an internet site,it's the same site my friend had hers from and it was of excellent quality, and was a replica of a designer dress she had priced for over £1000 and like you with the website she got the same dress with postage for about £200. the website if you want to take a look http://www.yourbridalwear.com/ I havent got my dress yet as i need to lose weight after just having a baby.so i cant really comment on a dress or tips in website bought dresses.Im just going off word of mouth.

debbieandjaysbigday  Hi Manda, just wanted to give you a bit of feedback regarding buying your dress online I bought mine from ebay and I absolutely love it, I feel like a complete princess and it is so beautiful. It may need to be altered ever so slightly but nothing a seamstress won't be able to sort. It is on show in my photoblog if you want to see, it only cost me £150.00 BARGAIN
Can I mention though that I did buy another dress before I got THE DRESS from a chinese manufacturer and although the style and the dress itself was really pretty. The colour was supposed to be a pale gold/cream but when it arrived it was a rose gold almost a pinky coloured which was sadly no good but it worked out for the best in the end when I bought this one All I will say is be wary, do your homework on the seller even maybe ask for a fabric sample and additional photos..........it's far too easy to end up stuck with a dress you don't want but equally if you find the right one it could be the best bargain you've ever bought!! Hope all your other plans are coming along well? When is your big day? If I can be of any further help please get in touch. Debbie x

manda2107  Thank you so much,
kristinanikita, the website is amazing, thank you so much, i've found so many new dress' which are amazing, i'll post my favourites for people to help me choose,
Debbie, thank you for your advise about ordering online, the website where I found ideal dress doesnt have review by other people, thats why apprehensive buying it, did nt want to end up with a dress thats not wearable. I'm glad you got you got one that you like, i think your right its worth shopping around.
Were hopefully eloping to Greece next September or October, just depends on finances as about to buy a house!

pixieboo  I am part of a website called Dooyoo.co.uk where ordinary people review everyday stuff, there may be wedding dress shops or websites on there that people will have reviewed. There is also plenty of wedding dress shops that cater to people of any size so I suggest getting out your yellow pages and giving a load of shops a ring and booking some time in to go have some fits with off the rail stuff or just generally seeing what they have.

give_me_strength  OMG I have just found the dress I fell in love with on that site yourbridalwear - however i know the gown costs around £1200 normally so I don't know how they can sell it for £160 - whats the deal? Makes me very suspicous! If anyone can vouch that the dresses are real and not amateur fakes i'm ordering it now and selling it on if need be lol! x

ljmg69  Ello there girls! The dresses are real and are a replica of the expensive designer dress My friend got hers from there a couple of months ago and loves it! It took about 3 weeks to get to her but well worth it. Ive saw my dream dress but i dont know what to do as im not getting married till June 2012 x

give_me_strength  Yeah I saw it said replica - just worried it will be bad quality and also very difficult to get it altered! Plus it doesn't show the backs of the dresses so they may change them! I want to order mine just in case but my wedding isn't til May 2012 like you ljmg69 x

mel18  anyone know any uk websites 4 wedding dresses keep lookin but can't find the right one , i got loads of time to get it sorted as wedding isn't til sept nxt yr xx

teeniet  If you look at ~indesigngown.com they have fab dresses or lastminuteweddingdress.com known as Evie Bridal fabulous dresses in the £300 - £500 price mark~~~~ i've been to 2 different shops local to me they have the same advise you need to try on the dress and feel the fabric your in the dress all day and photo's etc>>>>> with online sales unless you order a sample to try on your going on gut feeling!!!! i also found a fab dress it's with alterations £1000 but similar at Evie Bridal is £423>>>> but yes i'd be interested if any Brides have found a good company~~~~ Hope this helps!!

shobo123  hi i ordered my dress from an online shop on ebay, the quality is fantastic and the service was great 2, they made sure i measured myself before i could order it as they wanted it to fit me perfectly. the dress i bought is £950 is the shops i paid £88 for the dress and £15 for the hoop to go underneath the postage was free so had a fantastic bargain. i wouldnt shop any other way and if you dont like the dress when it comes they will happily give you a refund.

i hope this helps xxx

p1nky20  ive done the same can i ask do you have to pay for import duties ? and where did you find your petticoat hoop (if you dont mind me asking) im still looking for one any ideas ?
im hoping the dress is as gorgeous as it looks when does your arrive ?
p1nky x

shobo123  i bought the hoop from the same shop i got the dress to make sure it was the right one for the dress and to make sure the length was right. i didnt have to pay import duties just the price of the dress and hoop i didnt even have to pay postage costs. i have my dress already it took 30days to come as they had to make it, it is absolutely stunning. the shop i got it from is called chinese-shop2009 on ebay you have to email them to send you a hoop they dont actually have them on there listings. you should go onto the site you bought your dress from and ask them to send you a hoop to go with it as it will be the perfect one for your dress.

i hope this helps and im sure your dress will be gorgeous xx

shellyriannon  Woooooo!!! Interesting!!! I was thinking about ordering one from an ebay site too when the time comes - I was wondering if anyone had tried it! I'm going to try and do my whole wedding for about £5,000 which may bit a little ambitious but hopefully I'll manage it - one of the things I was going to do was order the dress for less than £200 on ebay! I can do it a little more confidently now!

Thanks

vicki29  hi i got all my bridesmaid dresses from ebay, they r from usa, all 5 cost me under 150.00, they r in my photoblog, if using ebay always check feedback n i messaged a few ppl that had brought from them n ask them wot theres was like.

manda2107  I've messaged someone on ebay who I know has bought a dress I really like, Am I being a bit cheeky? I just want to know what its like and the quality, would anyone else ask people?

5tephie  I've heard some horror stories, but I know of others who were really pleased with what they got. A friend of a friend got a copy of a designer dress from the internet and couldn't tell the difference between her dress and the designer one she'd tried on in a bridal shop.

The advice I found for buying internet internet dresses was to check reviews and buy it plenty in advance so that if it doesn't fit right you have time to fix it or to replace it and sell the other one on.

5tephie  You were also asking about how the dresses will fit you. I'm a plus sized bride too and this is what I's advise from my own experiences. The best way to find out if a particular shape fits is to try in some similar shapes in a bridal shop if you're struggling to find dresses to try on in your size there are a few bridal shops dotted around that specialise in plus sized bridal wear. If like me you have a bit of a tummy it's best to have a design that has some rouching across the stomach area to hide any lumps and bumps. I have a ball dress that is flat across the tummy and it always looked beautiful at the start of the evening, but after the meal it always had creases under the bust because I'd been sitting down. I never had this problem with my other dresses as they have rouching just under the bust.

manda2107  Thank you for your advice, i've not found any shops in Leeds that have plus sizes to try on, may have to go further afield. I've spoken to a local bridal shop and discussed dress' their, the dress I liked in the shop is the second one in my photoblog, its very expensive though, the dress I've put on today looks really nice but not sure how it will look. Having difficulty with the top of the dress as got quite a big bust and dont really want it on show as dont think it will look right.
I want to get married on a beach so dont want one thats too heavy, h2b thinks that a tea length or mid-calf would be best but I want a long one as got fat ankles.
Would like to know what shops online and ebay people are buying theirs from, that way can ask them on their opinion and quality like.
Not planning on getting married till late next year so got plenty of time.

5tephie  A beach wedding sounds lovely, and ideas where yet?

You should always feel comfortable in your wedding dress so if you'd be worrying about your ankles all day shorter styles probably aren't for you. If you want a lightweight dress it may be worth remembering that many bridesmaids dresses are available in white or ivory and some of those are really beautiful, much cheaper than bridal gowns too!

I payed a visit to The Big Day http://www.thebigdayuk.com/index.html it's in Castleford so not too far out from Leeds and they specialise in bigger sizes. Whilst i didn't get my dress from there in the end, I'd recommend paying them a visit as they stock a variety of styles, they're really helpful and they'll be able to recommend necklines and silhouettes that will flatter your bust-line. I really wouldn't recommend buying a dress from anywhere until you've tried some on as many people buy a completely different dress to what they thought they wanted in the beginning. Once you've tried on some dresses it'll be much easier for you to imagine how the dresses on the internet will look on you.

manda2107  That website looks really good, will have to visit them. Hopefully getting married in Greece, just the two of us. alot easier that way.

mrsstockton2b  @shobo123
Hi, what was the seller called?
Thanks

mrsstockton2b  Hi ladies,
Just a quick word of warning. I just bought my dress on Ebay. I was abit apprehensive about buying online but after reading all your positive comments i just went for it. It arrived yesterday, when I opened it it was coverd in damp. The seller is called Charm Angell2046 and despite extremely positive feedback and been rated a top seller, I was completely disappointed. I emailed them straight away and they immediately offered me a refund. They must have known the fabric was damp when they were making it, as it was stained all over. I have sent it back today. Hopefully I will get a full refund when they receive the dress.

ocarina  Hi,
I have been looking to buy my wedding dress online for the last 7 weeks or so. I have done Ton of research over the last month and spoke directly with a couple of online wedding dress companies.
The site which has particularly interested me is based in Canada but they get their gowns made in china by a company called Milly Bridal.
By the looks of things most of these Ebay, online cheap wedding dress websites source their gowns from China.
I have spoken to over a dozen ladies who have all bough their dresses from China and the majority are very happy with the whole experience. I was certain that this was the route I would take as the cheap prices are worth the risk..

So I found a dress which i loved (Alyce Claudine design), i emailed this company based in Canada and asked how much they could make this dress for. It only took a couple of hours to get a response and they quoted me £389 for it. Bargain i thought
I then found a comp based in the UK, thebridalwearcompany who can offer this dress, not a replica but the real thing, for only £120 extra..

I have been in a total dilemma for the last week trying to figure out what i would do.
I think ultimately buying from an online wholesaler has its drawbacks. There are no return options on bespoke made to measure dresses, you cant see and try the dress on before you buy and you are totally at the mercy of a PC communication based relationship. Whereas in the UK i can order this dress, pay a deposit, go and collect the dress, try it on and if i don’t like it i don’t Im not obliged to buy it I would get a full refund on my deposit.
And for only £150 extra i get a real designer gown which is fully guaranteed...

I guess in short i was too chicken to buy my dress online. I did hear a couple of horror stories about dresses not being what they ordered, the time it takes for dresses to arrive and the lack of communication between the customers and the wholesalers..

Keep us posted and what you’re final decision is.

Ems

bluemadcow21  I believe Milly bridal have there own site x I know some one who is very happy with her gown from there xx

sues07  milly bridal are also my weddingdressforless.co.uk i know a few ppl who oredered theres from there x

ocarina  Myweddingdressoforless is the company i was referring too. I have been speaking with a really lovely lady called Neta..
I haven’t told her yet that i won’t be buying from her after all..

Neta runs a separate company to Milly Bridal and she is based in Canda. She can actually provide cheaper dresses as she get a discount from buying directly from Milly Bridal.. I almost used her comp for my dress, and to be honest im still a tad temped!!

meeeshel  Ocarina - have you been to the bridalwearcompany yet? as I work in Newbury sometimes i popped there at lunchtime and the woman was more than happy to let me try on dresses despite not having an appointment, she was lovely. i found an amazing dress there but i have since fallen in love with an alfred angelo dress so i think i'll be getting that one!

Has anyone thought of buying a designer dress from america? i've tried on dresses and love alfred angelo 1136 but online from america on jaysbridal- they're the actually designer dresses just cheaper as they're from america - I'm very tempted.........

ocarina  @meeeshel Hi
I haven’t yet been to the Bridal Wear Company in Berkshire. Although i have had various email correspondence from them and so far they have been noting but helpful!
I have paid a deposit and ill be collecting my dress sometime in September. I have chosen an Alyce Claudine design which i believe is an America design house, hence why my dress is taking so long to arrive.

I have checked out this website and it looks good. The dresses are lovely and the prices are reasonable. Although, i have found a similar dress on this site and it actually cost about the same as the one im looking at in the Bridal Wear Comp!!

I have been toying with the idea of buying from the states/China for months now and have finally decided that i want to use a comp in the UK. Just for piece of mind. The dresses at the Bridal Wear Comp are lovely and very well priced! Plus, i can go and try it on and if i don’t like it i get my money back and choose another…

It has to be up to you. What ever you choose to do keep us posted. Im very keen to hear people stories about ordering on line!

tiggerificmummy  @kristinanikita that websites amazing, dresses are stunning

thomastobe  I ordered my wedding dress from e bay which came from china. i gave all my measurements and they made to order. i had already tried the dress on in a shop so knew it was the one. it took about 5 weeks to come and it is stunning it is slighty different due to sequins and bits but fits perfectly and the materail and colour ivory is perfect and i saved so much money by doing this. On another note i also ordered my bridesmaid dresses from a different site which is called light in the box. again gave all measurements for both my bridesmaid. it took about the same time to recieve and they are also stunning and perfect but one of them was made way too big infact alot bigger than my measuresment after many e mails back and forth i got a refund back on it and now having to get it altered and luckly i have a family friend who can do this for me so all ok. the dresses are gorgeous tho and the other one fits perfectly so really not sure what happened. i also ordred my fur wraps from china which saved me money and are wonderful too so it has not put me off doing this and would recommend it.