Thinking of buying a wedding dress or bridesmaid gowns online but worried about the fit and quality? The internet can be a great money saving source when it comes to cutting the cost of one of the most expensive items in any wedding budget – the dress.
This article offers advice for brides on a budget who want a beautiful wedding gown at an affordable price.
Affordable Wedding Dresses
Believe it or not, a wedding dress can cost less than $100, even for a dress that is custom made to order using delicate fabrics like organza or silk. The trick is to buy the dress direct from the manufacturer at a wholesale price.
Beautiful wedding gowns with lavish trains and intricate embroidery or simple, informal, short reception dresses can be made to order from a company like Lightinthebox.com with prices ranging from under $100 to $600 for extravagant looking gowns that would normally cost thousands of dollars if bought in a bridal store.
Cheap does not equal poor quality as there are hundreds of positive customer reviews on the Lightinthebox site. There are, however, certain factors that need to be appreciated when ordering bridal wear online.
Risks of Buying Wedding and Bridesmaid Gowns Online to Save Money
The biggest concern for any clothing item bought online is that it may not fit. As any wedding dress or bridesmaid gown made to order is usually non refundable, unless there is a product defect, it is critical to order the correct size and dress shape. Here are some tips:
- Try on various dress styles and silhouettes at a bridal store to get an idea of what suits best, for example, Empire line, A-Line or Column style.
- Provide exact measurements to include height, bust, waist, hips and hollow to hem (the measurement from the hollow of the neck to the bottom of the heels) as instructed by the dress manufacturer.
- If possible, get exact measurements from a seamstress and book an appointment to get any alterations done, should they be required, when the wedding dress arrives.
- Ordering a colored wedding dress? Ask for a fabric swatch before ordering if concerned about color matching with wedding accessories.
- Make sure the order is placed well in advance of the wedding date to allow for any returns or alterations; wholesale dresses made in China take up to a month for tailoring and shipment combined.
Worried About Quality of Cheap Bridal Dresses?
If quality is a major concern, there are a couple of things to check for peace of mind:
- The weight of the garment – a lavish tiered dress with a long train weighing only a few grams, for example, is unlikely to hold its shape as the fabric may be too thin.
- Quality of manufacture – look at detailed images of the dress to check the intricacy of any embroidery and the quality of stitching on bodice and hem.
Ultimately, pictures can only show so much but if the product delivered does not look like the garment ordered, then there is a legitimate reason for a refund or at least a replacement.
Cheap Bridal Gowns
A bride can save money and still have the dress of her dreams for $100 or less by buying a wedding dress and any bridesmaid gowns wholesale on the internet. While it may seem risky ordering a bridal gown online, a good fit is possible through good choice of styling and a willingness to spend money on alterations should they be necessary.
Related Articles:
Also of interest may be these colored wedding dress articles as buying a colored cocktail dress at a department store is a great way to save money:
- Colored Wedding Dresses, Why Wear One?
- Why Wear a Pink Wedding Dress?
- Cheap Celebrity Wedding Dresses Custom Made to Order
Helen Smeaton - Helen Smeaton runs a cycling and hiking business and is also a freelance writer and web designer. Read her profile for more information
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