Shopping for your wedding dress has been deeply etched into our minds as being this magical romcom scene where you stand in a platform while all your family and close friends cry as you try on “the one”. With the Internet, this has changed a little.

Pinterest boards were revolutionary to the Pittsburgh wedding game and honestly are an amazing source for (affordable) alternatives ideas for your wedding that can save you some big bucks.

Now, there is no need to physically go to the store, gather all the people whose opinions matter to you or even try the white dress on.

But should you go this technological, modern route? As an experienced Pittsburgh wedding photographer, I have heard every success and horror story there is to tell from my clients so I’m here to share some of my personal pros and cons on buying your wedding dress online.

Pros

Same dress, cheaper price.

Since your wedding dress doesn’t have to travel around the world to reach your hands, it’s avoiding paying all those distributors and retail stores. Think about it, no middleman between you and your beautiful flower girl dresses; you’ll be getting the catalog dress you’ve been dreaming off, but a couple hundred dollars less.

No idea what you want? Wedding dress designers have all the options and you can browse them with the click of a mouse! If you still don’t know what style you’re looking for, shopping for a wedding dress online can be extremely helpful. The amount of dresses and different styles and sizes is endless, so you can see everything that’s out there!

What’s trendy?

With online stats, you can actually see the most popular dresses and the styles that are in season along with the thoughts of other brides who bought the same dress you are looking at! You can see the percentage of positive ratings received by the provider from satisfied brides. This feedback might be helpful in finding the perfect gown. You should definitely check out Peaches Boutique’s website if you’re looking for a sexy red prom dresses online.

Cons

Delivery times.

No doubt, this is the biggest risk you run when buying your wedding dress online if you do not use a trustworthy platform. It can happen that the order is delayed or that last minute inconveniences arise that you were  not counting on. Also, always keep in mind that you must give yourself a margin of time for those alterations that the garment might, most definitely, need.

Flawed expectations.

Something you have to be aware of is that not always what is publicized is what comes to you. In the best of scenarios where you are not a victim of misleading advertising: the quality, textures and appearance of the dress can vary a lot from photography to reality and in the worst case you get something totally different to what you you asked: the wrong size or in another color. This is why it’s important to go with a reputable designer website and don’t go for the cheapest options.

Additional payments.

In some cases, especially for international shipments, there may be occasion in which your order is retained in customs and require an additional payment of taxes to be released, meaning not only an additional cost but a delay with the delivery date. Always read the fine print before hitting that order button!