Where Not to Get a Wedding Dress

All brides know the importance of keeping costs down when it comes to the big day. There are areas where youll need to stretch your dollar in order to stay on budget. Flowers, accessories, linens, and even catering can all be managed and shifted to fit your wallet in one way or another. On the flip side, there are also certain areas where skimping and penny-pinching might not be the best way to go. One such area is your actual wedding dress. Sometimes the lowest price doesnt always mean the best bargain. Getting a hugely discounted dress could wind up ruining your day or even cost you more than if you actually just bought the dress without the bargain. There are several scenarios in which you might want to avoid making the purchase. Below are some of the highlights. Just remember if its too good to be true, then it probably is. Buying off Etsy Without Research Etsy is crafting heaven. You can go on the site and find anything you want. Earrings made from stones mined near a volcano? The site has that. There is also a plethora of wedding-related items on the site to fit your needs and budget. One of the more unique sections on the site comes in the form of wedding dresses. You can find a huge number of dresses on the site. They range from handmade locally, to beautiful gowns all the way from Paris and Japan. Unfortunately this is where it gets a little dicey. What you see in the picture is more often than not a fake. It might look similar to the dress you get in the mail, but it wont be the same. It will probably not fit you that well either. Like Pinterest, the photos arent exactly what you might end up with. The dresses from other countries are made in mass quantities and when it arrives, you might be a little shocked to find that it either chokes you or falls off of you. Sure, that dress may half the price as the one you found in the store, but shopping on Etsy for your wedding dress is a huge risk. Visiting a boutique, such as LaBella Bridal Boutique in Occoquan, Virginia, is a much better option. Buying a Mistake Weve all been there. You see a clearance or damaged rack and its almost a knee-jerk reaction to dig around to find out if there are any good deals. A small stain can always be removed, and a tear in a shoe can be hidden by jeans. These are simple mistakes and shouldnt hold you back from making a purchase. But what about making a large purchase? Buying a wedding dress with a large tear, bad sewing, or a stain could be a dangerous move. If you have someone in your family who works on dresses, or know how to repair, then it probably isnt such a bad thing. Otherwise you might end up spending a lot of money to have the dress fixed. Dresses, unlike other items of clothing, need to be incredibly specific when it comes to the wearer. If a dress isnt right to begin with, it may take a lot of time and money to get it to the perfect point. Removing stains from a dress may also be dangerous unless a professional is dealing with it. Buying a mistake might seem logical for your wallet, but consider who you have in your corner and how much time and money you can devote to the repair. Buying From the Unknown As mentioned, buying from a reputable dealer like LaBella Bridal Boutique in Occoquan, Virginia is advisable. While looking for the best deal, you can often find deals that are too good to be true. These are the sort of deals that youll need to avoid at all cost. Shady boutiques or stores can leave you with an ill-fitting dress and nothing else. There have been stories of brides purchasing expensive dresses and being unable to contact the maker, shop, or anyone else in order to have the dress sewn or return it due to it being a mistake. The key to finding the right dress for you and avoiding the so-called snake oil shops is by doing the appropriate legwork. Research different shops in your area and read the reviews provided. If the reviews are mostly negative, it might be time to step back. Another powerful way to find the best shop to fit your needs is by asking around to friends and family members. They may have bought a dress from a great store or know someone who did. Either way, getting a solid review from someone you actually know is much better than taking a chance on a bad product.