I love to shop, but I hate hate HATE trying clothes on. I know what dress I want and I'm very close to ordering it on line. I know it will be hit or miss though since I can't try it on. What if it looks like cr@p on me.....what a waste....lol

Anyway, does anyone have experience with ordering a wedding dress on line?

I know someone that bought their dress on ebay. It was through a seller where you send in all of your measurements and it's custom, but much less expensive than some other options because it's overseas.

If you're going that route, I'd make sure to have a professional take your measurements so they're correct.

Personally, I haven't but I do have good luck with most size charts. I would suggest trying on a similar style at a bridal shop and double-checking the website's return policy, just in case.

Having a professional take your measurements like Quiet Ballerina suggested might also be a good idea. Not only would a tailor be able to fit your dress to you when it arrives but they might also have some great tips for you about buying the dress too. If they are a reasonable tailor/seamstress, they may offer you a better deal on making it for you. Just a thought.

Good Luck! Wedding planning is crazy....

Bought mine on ebay 10 years ago it cost 47.00.Perfect size and everything.

I have no experience ordering a wedding dress online, but I will be stalking this thread because I want to do this. I've seen some beautiful cheap dresses online and I just can't bring myself to spend thousands of dollars on a dress in a store!

I didn't buy mine online, but I think it would be okay. If it doesn't exactly fit, you can always have alterations done. They can be expensive if you need a lot done though, keep that in mind.

I would really encourage you to try on some dresses in the store. It is just a special moment when you see yourself in the mirror with the right dress and helpful to see how you look in different styles. Also, wedding dress sizes differ from regular dress sizes and wedding dress alterations usually cost more than regular alterations. Last year, I went to a few bridal boutiques and made a list of specific dresses that looked good. Then, I searched for them online and found really good deals! I bought my dress on eBay for such a great price that I splurged and got my dream veil. :-)

I screwed up my measurements online and got a horrible dress.I think it was a horrible dress aside from the screwed up measurements though. I would not recommend ordering one online. If you do order online, get a professional to measure you. Also things you think might be ok might not be. For example, I thought the arm holes would cover that jiggly bit under my arms but they didn't. You should at least try on the type of dress you want to see if it works for you. I ended up being able to find a cute new one at a thrift store for not much money so my wedding is not going to be ruined by a bad dress. What a headache. You really don't need to deal with this at this point in your life.

Try on a similar style dress to see if it works for you, then order

I'm planning on buying mine through Light in the Box. This is not an ad, but just a comment from a future bride who's got moths flying out of her pockets. The reviews that have photos of women from the States and Australia wearing their dresses (I prefer the evening gown dress styles - not the wedding gowns, but to each her own) are encouraging.
I'm planning on trying on a few similar dresses at Nordstrom, first, though. Good luck finding the right dress!

I would definitely try on some dresses in store before purchasing online. Plenty of times I have seen clothes that I loved and then they didn't look as I had hoped once I actually tried them on.

Good luck!

I ordered a dress from BHDLN (Anthropologies online wedding store) and got a beautiful potential reception dress in the mail but it was so wrinkled and in need of steaming that it was hard to imagine the polished look (I returned it). Also, you never know what'll look good until you try it on. Wedding dresses are so different from other clothing. Plus it's sooooo fun to go wedding dress shopping and try on all the styles. Most of them are built to flatter your body. Don't miss out on that!

8 yrs ago I was scouring ebay after having tried on dresses in the store to no avail. The dress I chose was a floor model in excellent shape and I bid on it right away. It fit wonderfully except for the shoulders. I had it altered for little cash and it fit just right after that. I got the dress for a steal and I love it! I still have it today, even though it takes up a lot of room. I was not happy with any of the dresses I tried in stores, but I think I have had good luck with some things. I did, however, have to reschedule the wedding as a hurricane came through our town, so I guess not all of it was lucky! But hey, I still have a great husband, so I guess it all worked out! My recommendation would be to make sure you have very good measurements and a general idea of how the particular designer's sizes run, and you should be fine (If you know what kind of dress looks good on you). I found that out from the dresses I tried on in stores.

The biggest thing to remember is that many, many wedding dress designers and manufacturers have not caved to vanity sizing. You maybe an eight by today's standard and a 14 in wedding dress - or a ten or a sixteen. And because some are starting to expand their sizes and some are not, unless you try YOUR dress on or have their exact size chart, you just don't know what you're getting.

Agreed! In my case I'm tiny on top (a 4/6 in normal dress sizes) but mostly fit size 8 wedding dresses.