So you want to buy your wedding dress online. Great! Shopping gowns online can save you lots of time and money. But it can also be a bit risky. How much do you trust the seller? How much experience do they have selling and shipping wedding dresses to San Francisco, California? Is there someone you can contact if things go wrong? And if you find somewhere that does seems to be professional, how can you be sure they’ve actually got your favorite dresses?
Still, just because there might be problems doesn’t mean that buying your wedding gown online is a bad idea. Far from it! You just need to know what you’re getting into so you can make the right choices for you. Check out this list of dos and don’ts for buying your dream dress online!
Do try on some dresses first
Unless you’re planning on choosing a gown that is similar in shape and silhouette to things you’ve worn before, you probably don’t have a good idea of how a wedding gown will look. You might be in love with a slinky charmeuse gown in theory, but find a ball gown style suits you better once you try it on.
Don’t buy a used gown without seeing it in person
There are plenty of people online selling used wedding dresses in the San Francisco Bay Area, but this prospect is fraught with risks. First off, there’s the difficulty of having to meet up with a stranger to collect the gown—never have it shipped, since there’s no backup if something happens to it in the post! And never, ever buy a used gown, even if the seller claims it was “never worn!” or “tags still on it!”, without seeing the gown in person. It’s easy to hide flaws in photos, and your dress is too important to risk. While the prices may be tempting, buying from these kinds of online marketplaces should only ever be considered with extreme caution.
Do shop local!
Buying from a local salon’s online shop is possibly the best of both worlds. Here at Flares Bridal + Formal, you can try dresses on in the shop, talk to our expert consultants, and then take some time to think about it and browse even more gowns online (ours is one of the biggest collections of wedding dresses in San Francisco, California!. Best of all, if you have questions or concerns, you can just give us a call.
Don’t forget alterations
No matter where you get it, your wedding gown will almost certainly need to be altered to achieve that perfect fit. Make sure to line up a seamstress in plenty of time and order your gown early so the two of you can work together and decide what alterations you might need or want. Many salons (like Flares!) offer in-house alterations, so if you’re buying online from a local salon, check to see if you can make an appointment with their seamstresses for a fitting. If not, look for seamstresses in the San Francisco Bay Area that specialize in wedding dresses and bridal-wear.
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Hear It From Our Brides
Join our community of radiant brides who have found their dream dresses at Flares Bridal, and be inspired by their unforgettable wedding moments.
Flares and the alteration team did a wonderful job in getting my dress ready for the big day. They were communicative and friendly at every step. Thank you to the alterations team for meeting with me so many times to get the dress right!
Tiffany N
I said yes to the dress at Flare’s!!! The selection here is stunning, and the staff is so helpful and genuine! This is the perfect environment when shopping for your wedding dress. I’ve also had my dress altered here, which has been an easy, enjoyable process! Highly recommend
Jamie R
Lissa helped me find the most perfect dress. She gathered all the feedback from previous dresses I tried on and managed to find the one that ticked all my boxes. The dress is comfortable, stretchy, vibrant, and photographs so well. I was made to feel so special and confident in preparation
Kellene R
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