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Buying wedding dresseson Etsy is becoming a trend as more brides turn towards convenient, practicaland more budget-friendly ways of finding their dream dress. Not every bridewants to march into a bridal boutique store with an entourage and try onexpensive dresses. Some just want to browse online and find that perfect dressfrom a world of options.
But there is inherentrisk involved in shopping online for your wedding dress and even though thereare amazing wedding dresses on Etsy, should you take the risk?
What if the dressdoesn’t fit you, the color is all wrong or the material isn’t what the photossuggested? Can you return the dress? Who takes care of alterations? And how canyou pick the right retailer?
We hear yourquestions! In this guide, we walk you through the steps to buying your weddingdress on Etsy.
First Things First– What is Etsy?
Just in case you’re an absolute newbie, Etsy is an e-commerce platform (much like Ebay or Amazon) but one that’s dedicated to artisan, handmade and vintage items. You’ll also find a lot of craft supplies here.
Because anyone can sell on Etsy, you have the benefit of finding weddingdresses from all across the globe, in places you would otherwise not be able toaccess for your bridal dress, like Poland, Ukraine or the Philippines. Whilethis is a benefit, it’s also the disadvantage because this means that you needto vet the retailer by yourself.
Each retailer on Etsy has their own store policies and fine print, soit’s important to carefully find a wedding dress designer that you can trustand rely on throughout the process. Not all wedding dress designers are thesame and some are better than others.
The benefit of buying your dress on Etsy is that you’ll be purchasingfrom an independent seller who can personalize the dress to suit your needs.
How to Find the Right Etsy Seller
When looking for the right Etsy seller to make your dream dress, considerthe following steps.
Research, Research, Research
Floral lace gown by A Cherie Couture via Etsy
This is the most important step because it’ll ensure that you find aquality designer who knows what they’re doing. Your seller should be an expertin their field and not only provide a beautiful design but should also provideexcellent quality, honesty, transparency and open communication throughout theprocess.
Here’s what to check for:
- Customer reviews – what have othercustomers said about their experience purchasing from the seller? Carefullyread the reviews and look for photos. You can also get in touch with these pastcustomers and ask all your questions. Most people are happy to share theirexperience sometimes even sharing photos. The higher the customer rating thebetter.
- Number of sales – Etsy lets you seehow many sales each retailer has had overall. The higher the number of sales,the more experience the retailer probably has dealing with online orders. Thereare many first-time sellers on Etsy sometimes with gorgeous dress designs. Doyou want to take the risk of being the first customer? It’s up to you.
- Communication – some retailers take the time to respond toreviews and to try to rectify situations where the customer wasn’t satisfied.This shows interaction and communication with the customer, which is whatyou’re looking for.
- Location – as I mentioned above, Etsy sellers are located all around the world.This means that your dress could be coming from the other side of the world.This can impact delivery times as well as shipping fares. Take this intoconsideration before you begin your order.
- Response rate – Etsy lets you knowthe frequency with which the seller communicates with customers. Look for aseller who responds quickly, within 24 hours or less.
- Age of the shop – if you navigate tothe profile of the shop, you’ll see how long it’s been running on Etsy, justunder the name and description of the shop. The older the store, the morecredible it is, as you know they’re not going to take your money and run. Theyhave a reputation to protect. s
Look for Quality
Sparkling wedding gown by Alex Veil Bridal via Etsy
Don’t accepteverything at face value. Be critical of what you see on Etsy. You might find agorgeous-looking dress that looks a million bucks for a $100 but when it’sdelivered to your door, it could be the ugliest, cheapest looking dress you’veever seen.
To avoid thisdisappointment, know that there are many ‘sellers’ offering great bargains anddiscounts on Etsy that are too good to be true. There are many scams like thisso do your due diligence.
Again, this is whyit’s good to purchase from an established seller rather than one just startingout. You often get what you pay for, so if you’re looking for timeless classand quality, it’s better to loosen your purse strings a bit wider instead ofgetting disappointed with a cheap, low-quality dress.
Clear Communication
Tulle wedding dress by Mywony Bridal via Etsy.
I cannot stress how important this is when looking for your Etsy seller.The last thing you want is to commit to a dress design and then not hear fromyour Etsy seller or worse, not have them listen to what you want.
You need a seller that responds quickly, takes your concerns andquestions on board and incorporates your vision when making your dress. Whenyou initially get in touch with the seller, be critical of how they respond andcommunicate with you. This will give you cues about their communication style.
Always be clear and upfront about your expectations for your dress, thevision you have for it and be aware of their timeline for the dress.
Once You’ve Found Your Seller….
Once you’ve found the right seller, it’s time to get the dress of yourdreams created. Here’s how the process would pan out:
Step 1: Express Your Vision and Customize YourDress
Whether you’ve found adress you like, or two dresses with elements you would like to combine, behonest with your seller and ask them what they can do for you.
You might already havea piece like a veil or bolero that you want to add to your ensemble, in whichcase the designer would need to take these into account. Don’t hold back butask every relevant question you have.
You can set up a skypecall or some other preferred method of communication and make sure you’veclearly described what you’re looking for.
Step 2:Measurements Are Key
Floral silk wedding dress by Mywony Bridal via Etsy.
One of the mostimportant and often challenging steps is getting the right measurements foryour dress. Your seller should be able to help you find the right measurementsand provide you all the information you need for this.
It’s always a goodidea to get someone else to measure you for the most accurate measurements.Check the sizing charts and if in doubt, ask your seller for help.
If you’re buying areadymade dress on Etsy, you may have to factor in the cost of alterationswhich you’d probably have to do at a local tailor’s. It’s not always practicalto send the dress back to the seller for alterations.
Step 3: Trust YourSeller
While it can bedifficult, sometimes you have to trust the judgement of your seller and letthem do their magic. It can get annoying when someone tells you how to do yourjob, especially if you’re experienced and you know what you’re doing. Haverealistic expectations and know that sometimes certain things you want may notbe possible.
Step 4: ReceiveYour Dress
If all goes to plan,you’ll receive your dress within the stipulated timeline, with enough timebefore the wedding for alterations. Hopefully the dress is all that you dreamedit would be and makes you feel beautiful!
Etsy Sellers We Recommend for Your Wedding Dress
To take a little ofthe guesswork out for you, here are top 10 Etsy sellers that we recommend basedon their experience, reviews and gorgeous designs. Of course, what works forone may not work for all, which is why it’s important that you get in touch withthe seller before you commit to see if you can have a good workingrelationship.
Mywony Bridal:
Based in Ukraine, MywonyBridal offers made to order dresses for the modern, minimalist bride. Softpastel colors, 3-dimensional embellishments and flowy fabrics are somecharacteristics typical of a Mywony wedding gown. The dresses are oftennon-traditional but gorgeous, classy and timeless.
Wardrobe by Dulcinea:
Based in Lithuania, Wardrobeby Dulcinea features beautiful bridal separates and wedding dresses made toorder in custom colors. Pastels, ombre and whites are some of the colors you’llfind here, with designs that hold an ethereal, airy quality. Take a look attheir gallery of designs for inspiration.
Lace Marry:
Based in China, LaceMarry offers custom made couture wedding dresses to suit every bride. They havea range of designs on offer, varying from sleek and sexy sheath dresses, tocute, princess ballgowns.
Dreamers and Lovers:
Based in the US, Dreamers and Loversfeatures beautiful bohemian dresses for the dreamy bride. The dresses typicallyfeature lace, cotton gauze and silk. They even offer a Try Before You Buyservice and a personalized shopping experience.
Gibson Bespoke:
Based in the UK, Gibson Bespoke offersluxury bridal items at reasonable prices. They specialize in bridal accessoriesbut also have a good range of dresses on offer. Get in touch for a bespokeservice to find exactly what you’re after.
Milamira Bridal:
For the height of fashion in designer weddinggown styles, look no further than Milamira Bridal, based in Russia. There is arange of bridal dresses on offer, in a range of styles, colors and at variousprice points offering something for everyone. Check out their Sample Salecollection which features reasonably priced bridal dresses.
You’ll be looking atyour wedding photos for years to come which is why it’s so important to makesure you look and feel your most beautiful on your wedding day. A killer dresscan give you that feeling so getting it right is important. With all the choiceon Etsy, you’re bound to find your dream dress there. Say yes to the dressonline and wait for it to show up at your door!
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