5 Amazing Tips for Buying Your Wedding Dress Online
I never thought I’d buy my wedding dress online, but I did! My husband and I got married in July of 2016.
I found my wedding dress on a website called Dressilyme, it was an online dress seller that made beautiful replicas of designer wedding gowns. There are actually quite a few different shops like this online, but that was the one I chose!
The dress I bought ended up looking amazing! I absolutely loved it.
I did a Google search recently and couldn’t seem to find the Dressilyme website anymore. Back when I was searching for a dress, I found a website called JJ’s House who had some comparable options. So if you’re considering purchasing your dress online, check their site here!
PROS TO BUYING YOUR WEDDING DRESS ONLINE
The positive reviews online
Most of my decision to buy my dress online was made by reading written customer reviews and pictures on the Dressilyme website, as well as Youtube videos of women unboxing their dresses. I watched quite a few videos of ladies giving detailed accounts of their experiences.
This really helped me to feel comfortable with taking the risk. I’m thankful for the people who took the time to do this! Here’s a good review you can check out if you’d like: DressilyMe Youtube Review.
Great Customer Service
Customer service was extremely responsive and timely with responses too. You send a message through their website, and when they respond, you receive a notification via email.
A few hours after I placed my order I sent a message to see if I could revise my measurements, and they responded later that night. Over the next couple days I worked with the same customer service rep and they confirmed my measurements with me to make sure they had things correct before the dress went into production.
This made me feel awesome as a bride because this was such an important purchase. I felt like I was in good hands.
Received dress in a timely fashion
I ordered my dress on November 30th and I received it on December 26th. Honestly I was pretty nervous while waiting for it to arrive but it arrived in 4 weeks!
I ordered it 7 months prior to the wedding which left me time to find another dress if this one didn’t work out.
It actually arrived just in time for my sister to see it before she left to go back home to Minnesota.
I had planned to do an unboxing video like the ones I’d seen online, but it was fun to just be in the moment and experience it with my sister and my Mom. We unboxed it together and my sister helped me try it on. It was fun and I’ll always remember it!
Very Reasonable Cost
Let me be honest here and say I did not want to pay an arm and a leg for a wedding gown I would only wear for one day.
I knew I wanted to be fabulous but for a good price. And for what I paid, it was the best deal I could’ve come across! Even if I needed to alter it, the cost of altering it compared to the cost of the dress would not break the bank. And that’s what was important to me.
A well made, custom gown
This point speaks for itself! It’s custom made to fit you and only you, what better way to order a wedding gown than with your own specific measurements?
CONS TO BUYING YOUR WEDDING DRESS ONLINE
The horror stories you read online
Okay yes this is the opposite of my first “pro” point, but hear me out.
This was a little frightening because you really take a gamble ordering a dress online, and all you have to go by is what you read or see.
I have to say any negative reviews I read were mainly from other companies but not Dressilyme, which is what encouraged me to give it a try.
Waiting for your dress to arrive
Obviously one of the pros to buying your dress directly from a local boutique is that you get to touch, try on and look at the dress BEFORE purchasing it.
Unfortunately that’s not an option when buying online.
However I’d already tried on enough dresses and styles to figure out what I liked and how I wanted the dress to look. I was constantly drawn to a particular style dress (a mermaid style) so I knew which style I was going to choose. (With the help of my wonderful Mom!) It’s always good to have another set of eyes on board. I was a little antsy waiting, but hey, 4 weeks wasn’t that long.
It will be wrinkled!
Somehow they were able to fold my dress down into the smallest package! Of course it was wrinkled, but it was nothing a little steam couldn’t handle! I was glad to see they had put my dress inside a really nice protective plastic cover before they put it in the plastic shipping bag.
Not to worry, steam got it nice and straightened out!
5 TIPS ON BUYING YOUR WEDDING GOWN ONLINE
1. Go to a few Bridal shops and try on some dresses!
I knew I wanted a mermaid style dress, but I knew I wouldn’t be completely convinced until I tried on other styles to see how they’d look on me.
I’m a pear shaped girl so a mermaid dress is said to be unflattering for my figure. BUT I had this vision in my mind that I couldn’t shake!
I tried on the ball gown, the a-line, all of thee above! When I tried on these styles, they were definitely pretty. But I didn’t get that “this may be the one” feeling until I tried on the mermaid styles. So then I knew for sure what I wanted! And it gave me the confidence to pick my dress! And also it was a great relief to be able to narrow things down to one category.
2. Check out the reviews
I read the website reviews on the Dressilyme site almost ad nauseum. I mean, I really read lots of them, and looked at the photos customers posted. Most every customer photo was an exact representation of the model photo the site had posted.
This made me feel more confident in my purchase because I just HAD to be as certain as possible that I trusted the website I chose. It paid off in the end! So go on and read those reviews.
As I mentioned before, it also helped me to view unboxing videos on Youtube. So many of those reviews were positive and it helped me make the decision to purchase.
So here are the places you need to check reviews from, just to sum this up:
- Google: Just do a general google search and see what comes up about the company.
- Better Business Bureau: Definitely check to see if there have been any complaints filed with the BBB. Also see how they resolved their issues with customers, IF there is anything filed.
- Check Youtube reviews: See what people are saying, and check the comments below. Sometimes there is information posted by viewers that can be valuable.
- The Website Customer Reviews + Photos: Look at the customer reviews and photos they post with them. This has been extremely valuable to me whenever I purchase anything online. Thankfully most people are honest and pictures say what words can’t!
3. Get a second opinion
I was pretty sure I had found my dress, but I knew I wanted a second opinion. I knew it was wise to have one more set of eyes (in my case it was two sets) to see if they felt what I felt when I saw the dress. And why not share the experience with those you love! Sharing this process with my Mom and sister made it so memorable.
Maybe you don’t have a Mom and Sister, do you have close friends or other relatives you can bring along? How about aunts? Co-workers? Many ladies (and men!) love weddings, and would LOVE to help you hunt down your perfect wedding dress.
Sharing this journey with some special people in your life makes this time all the more memorable! For you and for them.
4. Make sure your measurements are correct
Some websites sell dresses with standard sizing. Some websites sell dresses with 2 options: standard sizing and custom sizing. With custom sizing, you have to measure yourself, enter the measurements into the website and send them in with your order.
Be absolutely sure your measurements are correct before you hit send.
I sent my measurements in, and then thought, wait! What if I gain weight between now and the wedding? I should probably add an inch to my measurements just in case. It’s better to have and not need, than to need and not have.
In other words, it’s better to have the extra room to make alterations if needed, than to not have the extra room, and be forced to buy another dress because it’s gotten too small.
Obviously it wasn’t in my plans to gain weight, I just knew I’d be under a little stress, and I’d rather be safe than sorry.
The website I chose did NOT require you to add an inch to your measurements.
I knew the mermaid style dress was a form fitting style, and I wanted a little wiggle room to get in and out of it. Had I purchased a ball gown, I wouldn’t have added the inch. But it turned out to be a great decision! It gave me juuust the right amount of wiggle room and made getting dressed a little more easy.
5. Purchase the dress in a timely fashion
Make sure you allow enough time to find another dress if things don’t work out. You don’t want to order this 2 months before your wedding, please don’t do that! Order it at LEAST 6 months before, but really I’d order it sooner.
If you go with a local bridal shop, they won’t alter your dress if you bring it to them too close to your wedding date. They do not want that kind of liability on their hands!
So definitely be safe and order the dress allowing time for any incidentals, as well as time for you to find another dress and have it altered if needed. There will be other things to worry about, so do the best you can to make sure this piece of the puzzle is squared away to the best of your ability.
Additional Aspects of Wedding Dress Prep
Bustier or Bra: I recommend finding a local dress or lingerie shop for your bustier or bra and have a professional fit you for one. You definitely don’t want to shortchange yourself with this item because you want to look back at your pictures and only see a fabulous bust line!
Body shaper: You may only need this item if you’re wearing a form fitting dress. Mine was form fitting so I wore a body shaping short just to make sure everything looked seamless and smooth.
Petticoat: I did add a petticoat for fullness at the bottom of the dress, I wanted it to billow out with my train in the back! I LOVED what it added to the look of the dress, so I’m glad I wore one.
Accents: My amazing aunt is a seamstress, and for her wedding gift, she sewed lace onto the hem of my dress. I was so thankful for her labor of love! Sometimes an accent like this can add something really special to your dress. If your dress is a little plain, you could also add a pretty belt or a broach! There are so many options.
In Conclusion
Overall I have to say I’m so glad I ordered my gown online. As you can see the pros outweighed the cons for me. I absolutely loved my dress!
See the pic at the top! That’s me and my hubby♥
Happy dress searching!
Have you ever ordered a special occasion dress online? How did it go for you?
For more on dating, relationships and marriage, check out these articles:
Christian Dating: A Simple Guide to Waiting on “The One”
Marriage: 2 Mind-Blowing Lessons To Learn Before Saying “I do”
Our Love Story: Erica and Emanuel’s Incredible Life-Changing Journey to Marriage
By the way, if you haven’t done your Amazon Wedding Registry, click here! Create an Amazon Wedding Registry
How to Find a Wedding Dress Online
