New wedding dress dilemma - would you buy from this site?

[ATruthUniversallyAcknowledged]

So, with a little help from MN, I finally decided this wedding dress was the one

I went back to the shop I tried it on in yesterday only to discover they'd sold the only one they had [busad]

I've tried on others and they are lovely, but I can't get this one out of my head and as it was a 2010 dress I'm unlilkely to find an 'real' version anywhere. I've found sites online that do copies (the link up there is to a copy) but the returns policies are terrible. If it didn't fit, or was just crap, or nothing like the dress in the picture, then I'd need to pay a 50% 'restocking fee', plus all the taxes, postage etc to send it back. Basically I wouldn't get any money back at all.

So, do I risk it? Buy the 'dream dress' but know that it may end in disaster and I could lose around £200? Or do I find another dress from a site with a better returns policy (eBay, Dresilyme, etc)? Anyone got any experience of buying a wedding dress online? Or suggestions?

My budget, by the way, is £300, so whatever I bought I would almost definitely have to buy online or from a sample shop.

The site doesnt look all that and their policies are one sided. Can u not get the name of the old dress u like and start searching in the uk via shops and websites. Someone must have one!

Have you considered a pre worn wedding dress? There are some oxfam shops that specialise in wedding dresses, which would be within your price range, and then you could try on too.

I know Lostinsuffolk. I did the face when I read their policies. I've been looking and can't find it on any UK sites though. It's a San Patrick 'Elenco' dress from the 2010 collection if anyone has any ideas where else I could look.

Unfortunately there are no pre-worn specialists near me catsareevil - I've looked in a couple of charity shops but their dresses are a tad, um, outdated and on eBay, but so far nothing has come up near me that's the right size, a style I like etc. There are nice dresses in the sample shops, but I just didn't decide quickly enough! (And even that one I loved would have been £600 and I think I'd rather put the extra £300 towards wine for guests than my dress!)

Could you approach some local dress makers and see if they could make something in a "similar style" (most won't copy)

I would contact the label direct and ask if they have any stockists with a sample, and also search for second hand dresses.

Now that you have tried on 'the real thing' it will be very obvious if you buy a copy how different it is. If the dress was a plain heavy satin, I would say give the copy a go because it will probably be quite similar - but this dress is very detailed and in an unusual fabric which moves in a specific way. The copy will not be comparable in my opinion.

Where are you based? There is a sale shop in Liverpool that sells off designer dresses within your budget - I believe it's not very glamorous, it's just rails sorted by size and there aren't really proper trying-on facilities, but you would have a good choice of dresses that you can actually see and try on before buying. I can't remember what it's called but if you're within travelling distance I will have a search and try to find it for you. A friend of mine bought her dress there and I believe there is a decent range.

I'd reconsider the wine/dress budget. All eyes are on you for the day, everyone will be commenting on your dress, few people will notice the quality of the wine.

This is the place in Liverpool - I've never been but heard good things www.bridalbasement.co.uk/.

aw sorry to hear your woes! i also think its a good idea to see if a dressmaker could do something similar to the style!

I would agree don't risk it, as someone said is a difficult dress to copy. Plus the copy you linked to is not overly flattering on the model, despite being very skinny it makes her hips and behind look rather large, imagine if you copied it and got the same effect. Have you considered occasion wear shops that are not necessarily bridal, often they have wed dingy type dresses in similar style within your budget. What area of the uk are you in?

Wedding type not wed dingy type!

Wow that dress is fantastic! Was expecting to say ah it doesn't matter you'll find something else but its great.

Id keep looking on ebay. Even if its pick up only you might be able to negotiate delivery.

Have you tried phoning around every wedding dress shop you can find?

Found This on preloved if it suits your measurements.

Or the real deal here but the price is £££ compared to your budget.

But as someone else said, it's worth asking for a quote from a local dressmaker for something in the same atyle. It would be unique to you then.

I understand your dilemma though. When I got married, we were on a tight budget, and I didn't agree with spending thousands on a frock for one day, so I bought mine from eBay, and had it altered to suit locally. It looked great :)

No don't go for that site. Even if it ended up half decent, it wouldn't look at all like the original - it's too specific and detailed, agree with other posters about fabric quality etc. - with a returns policy like that, what do you think the quality is going to be like? :)

I'd take a pic to a local dressmaker and get a price for a dress in that style. Then you'd get to see and feel fabric etc. I bet you'd end up very satisfied!

I got my dress from an online Chinese company. It's still being made so I can't give feedback on it yet, but they've been good with communication and I know someone who had bridesmaid dresses made by them, which were very good quality. If you plan to go ahead with an online order though, I'd choose a company with more feedback online (I've looked at quite a few online companies but hadn't heard of the one you posted). Have you seen this thread (on another site) about knockoff wedding dresses? It helped reassure me as there are plenty of photos of dresses people have received, and they seem quite honest about the difference you need to expect from the real thing. Shades of Pale, Landy and Duocheng seem to be the most recommended companies. Some of them will send you pictures during the manufacturing process and you can ask for adjustments to be made, get samples of fabrics sent etc.

I hadn't actually tried on the real dress that mine was inspired by, so I think that would make a difference as you have your heart set on that dress, and you'll notice the differences. I think you also need to allow for alterations in your budget as well, even if it's made to your measurements, which can add quite a bit to the total. But that would be the case if you found a secondhand/sample version here as well. But I also think it would be hard to find a second hand version of that dress for under £300 (and allow for alterations) though, as I was looking at dresses whose original prices were about the same as yours, and they were all £450+ on ebay/the secondhand wedding sites. My own budget was £500 inc alterations - I wouldn't have been able to get a dress made at a local dressmaker for that price (but I am in the SE, I wonder if it is cheaper elsewhere in the country?)

How long before the wedding? If you have a bit of time, you could set up a search alert on ebay, and also a Google search alert to deliver alerts to your inbox. You could also register and post on the specific wedding forums just in case?

Have you tried the oxfam online wedding dress shop - they also have bridal shops, probably a better bet than random charity shops.
www.oxfam.org.uk/shop/results.aspx?catalog=HighStDonated&category=ClothesandAccessories_Bridal_WeddingDresses

Wow. Thanks DAISY. That preloved one could be good. She's miles from me so not sure how I'd manage to try it on etc, but will definitely contact her to ask.

I really don't want to up the budget. We're trying to do the whole thing for £4k and it just doesn't sit right with me to spend more than £300ish on a dress. I'd really rather get something cheaper and then put the rest of the money into buying more wine as I want to be spending the majority in our guests (who will have travelled, made an effort, etc etc)

It may sound arrogant, but lots of dresses I've tried on have looked good, so if I can't get that one then I'll just buy a different style off eBay & try to forget the Elenco ever existed!

You should hopefully be able to find something in a similar style, or one that suits before the big day. I'm a great believer in fate, so maybe the reason you missed out on that dress is because The dress is yet to present itself!

Sorry, meant to say thank you to everyone else as well

I'm just going through those websites now. I'm in Worcestershire, but could always have my hen do in Liverpool

There are a few second hand specialist sites you could keep an eye on:

www.stillwhite.co.uk
www.wornoncewithlove.co.uk
www.sellmyweddingdress.co.uk

About a 10. I'd either order in a 12 & get it taken in professionally or buy a 10 & pray!