Like all Brides-to-Be, Amanda scanned the internet tirelessly for the perfect wedding gown. Before she was even officially engaged, Amanda fell in love with a gown, and set out determined to find it for her big day.
The would-be dream gown, was an unusual pink and blush designer gown by Raylia Designs.
After searching for the gown to no avail, this now Bride-to-Be found what she thought was a perfect solution, an online shop offering handmade "designer-like" gowns. The website www.bridaldreamdress.com makes hefty claims of made to order gowns, and even shows compelling side by side comparisons of their gowns to very expensive couture gowns.
After only 6 weeks, Amanda's custom ordered gown from that same website arrived. However, to her surprise it didn't quite look like the picture. She admits it looked "similar to what she was expecting" but says "it was just such poor quality...and looked like it was thrown together."
She had hoped the lace up back and ruched organza front would be figure flattering. "As you can see there wasn't much as far as structure to the dress, it did absolutely nothing to flatter my shape and I was looking for that..."
The the old saying "you get what you pay for" is never more true then when it comes to online designer wedding gowns. Many brides feel it necessary to cut expenses somewhere, and a pricey one-time-only gown seems like a good spot to often cut back. The fact is, when you buy online or from companies offering "too good to be true prices" you're sacrificing the quality manufacturing that goes into
real designer wedding gowns. Amanda ended up spending much more in the long run because the shoddy, made to order gown was not returnable. Now she, and many others like her, are simply out the money and must also pay for another gown.
After deciding that she wasn't happy with the on-line gown, Amanda choose to shop with
Michelle's Bridal and Tuxedo in Urbana, IL. Where she ultimately found the real dress of her dreams. "I know that Michelle's will take care of me", Amanda said after experiencing the customer service and dedication of Michelle's professional stylists. "The girls there all love what they do" and she now believes it's totally worth a little extra money to have the quality and service that she deserves.
In Amanda's case she thought she was getting the exact dress in the picture, even though it wasn't coming directly from the original designer. Many designer websites like Allure offer 'buyers beware' warnings on their website. Despite the warnings, many brides each year are fooled by websites offering what they think are the real deal.
Authentic designers recommend only shopping at an Authorized Retailers, to guarantee you'll be receiving a genuine article. If you have concerns about a store or a website's credibility, you can check the designer's website for a list of authorized retailers to verify their authenticity, or find a store in your area and shop in person.
Amanda's story has a happy ending. Even though she's out more money than she had originally hoped, she now knows that she can trust the friends she made at Michelle's Bridal and Tuxedo to help her with everything else she needs throughout the rest of her planning process. When asked to give advice to upcoming brides about shopping online, Amanda laughed and said confidently "just don't do it."
The would-be dream gown, was an unusual pink and blush designer gown by Raylia Designs.
After searching for the gown to no avail, this now Bride-to-Be found what she thought was a perfect solution, an online shop offering handmade "designer-like" gowns. The website www.bridaldreamdress.com makes hefty claims of made to order gowns, and even shows compelling side by side comparisons of their gowns to very expensive couture gowns.
After only 6 weeks, Amanda's custom ordered gown from that same website arrived. However, to her surprise it didn't quite look like the picture. She admits it looked "similar to what she was expecting" but says "it was just such poor quality...and looked like it was thrown together."
She had hoped the lace up back and ruched organza front would be figure flattering. "As you can see there wasn't much as far as structure to the dress, it did absolutely nothing to flatter my shape and I was looking for that..."
The the old saying "you get what you pay for" is never more true then when it comes to online designer wedding gowns. Many brides feel it necessary to cut expenses somewhere, and a pricey one-time-only gown seems like a good spot to often cut back. The fact is, when you buy online or from companies offering "too good to be true prices" you're sacrificing the quality manufacturing that goes into real designer wedding gowns. Amanda ended up spending much more in the long run because the shoddy, made to order gown was not returnable. Now she, and many others like her, are simply out the money and must also pay for another gown.
After deciding that she wasn't happy with the on-line gown, Amanda choose to shop with Michelle's Bridal and Tuxedo in Urbana, IL. Where she ultimately found the real dress of her dreams. "I know that Michelle's will take care of me", Amanda said after experiencing the customer service and dedication of Michelle's professional stylists. "The girls there all love what they do" and she now believes it's totally worth a little extra money to have the quality and service that she deserves.
In Amanda's case she thought she was getting the exact dress in the picture, even though it wasn't coming directly from the original designer. Many designer websites like Allure offer 'buyers beware' warnings on their website. Despite the warnings, many brides each year are fooled by websites offering what they think are the real deal.
Authentic designers recommend only shopping at an Authorized Retailers, to guarantee you'll be receiving a genuine article. If you have concerns about a store or a website's credibility, you can check the designer's website for a list of authorized retailers to verify their authenticity, or find a store in your area and shop in person.
Amanda's story has a happy ending. Even though she's out more money than she had originally hoped, she now knows that she can trust the friends she made at Michelle's Bridal and Tuxedo to help her with everything else she needs throughout the rest of her planning process. When asked to give advice to upcoming brides about shopping online, Amanda laughed and said confidently "just don't do it."