Online shopping is where you can find some of the best deals out there, but a lot of people are wary about buying their wedding dress online. Fear not, frugal friends! Sure, it’s a big decision, but don’t miss out on online deals! Here is how you can navigate the online wedding dress market in order to find the picture-perfect dress for your big day!
Know Your Body Type
Everyone is a special snowflake, so you have to start this process by understanding the specialness of your own snowflake. You have to know how different styles look on you and which are the most flattering. One of the best ways to do this is to go to a bridal store and try on different silhouettes, this way you can see how different fabric lie on your body as well as how flattering different silhouettes may be on you. Then apply this knowledge to your online dress shopping in order to eliminate some styles right off the bat.
Measure, Measure, Measure!
Chant this a la Jan Brady, because this one is important! Different manufacturers have different sizing systems, so once you find a dress you’re interested in make sure you look up the fit guide on the site for the dress and then take your own bust, hip and waist measurements to identify the size you need. In case you need help, here’s a great tutorial on how to measure yourself! The rule of thumb in the bridal gown world is to order a size up, by the way, and then have it altered in order to fit you properly…just sayin’.
Fabric Frenzy
The world of fabrics is diverse when it comes to wedding gowns. Some are stretchy, some are not. Some are stiff, some are soft. It’s really important that you understand the type of fabric that the dress you want is made of because the photo is not going to be enough to base your decision off of. It also doesn’t hurt to go to a store to look at and feel different fabric choices for yourself so that you understand what will appeal to you.
Federal Bureau of Wedding Gown Investigation
Guess what? You’re now an honorary member of the FBWGI. Your duties include dissecting every letter of a wedding gown description. It’s guaranteed you will run into inexpensive knock-offs online, and while this isn’t necessarily a bad thing you need to be very selective. Understand what fabrics are being used, how and even if the dress is lined and where it’s made. If it’s not cut properly or lined correctly then it can bunch or wrinkle easily and that will lead to disappointment for you. So, Nancy Drew, start sleuthing!
Tall Girl Troubles
A word to the wise tall girl: make sure you understand the length of the gown you are going for, especially if you’re over 5’9”. You’ll need to calculate the length with your wedding day shoes counted in so it won’t look like you were expecting a flood on your wedding day. Most gowns allow for extra length so they can be hemmed, but you need to double-check.
Review the Policies
If you need to cancel or return the dress you don’t want to need an act of Congress to do it, so make sure you review all of the sites policies when it comes to shipping, cancellations and returns.
So, there you go! You don’t feel so intimidated now, do you? Happy Wedding Gown Hunting, and don’t forget to ‘Like’ us on Facebook!