Wedding dresses on ebay????

[RippinKittin]

Hi, I'm new here. I know my wedding isn't for another year and being that my parents are no longer here I have to foot the bill. I would like to save every where I can so I can have my wedding at a decent banquet hall and not at some VFW with the local pizza shop to cater it. (not thats it's a bad thing, just not my thing.)

Well anyways I was looking at some wedding dresses on ebay that are custom made and the bidding starts at 9.99! The only thing is the shipping is a lot of money. These dresses are gorgeous and they are hand made from china. So I am a little afraid that the dress will be a bit tacky when seen in real life. It just seems too good to be true! Has any one else done this?

[mitch]

Hi and Welcome to OW.

There's a few posts on here concerning the Dresses You mentioned. And no doubt some of the Ladies will read this and reply.

I too looked at them. But i've read some horror stories about shoddy workmanship like bad hems etc. Also some Dresses are ending up nothing like the Picture Advertised.
I personally think they are made in some sweatshop in the back streets of China. Paid Minimum wage, working all the hours sent. And i for one will not support it.

As they say if it's "Too Good To Be True" then it probably is.

[neebelung]

There's been a lot of Ebay brides here; some with great stories, some with not so great... here's some threads that should give you some insight:

http://forums.onewed.com/showthread.php?t=18842&highlight=ebay

http://forums.onewed.com/showthread.php?t=18988&highlight=ebay

http://forums.onewed.com/showthread.php?t=18759&highlight=ebay

http://forums.onewed.com/showthread.php?t=17741&highlight=ebay

http://forums.onewed.com/showthread.php?t=16062&highlight=ebay

http://forums.onewed.com/showthread.php?t=15884&highlight=ebay

http://forums.onewed.com/showthread.php?t=15306&highlight=ebay

http://forums.onewed.com/showthread.php?t=14809&highlight=ebay

http://forums.onewed.com/showthread.php?t=7330&highlight=ebay

http://forums.onewed.com/showthread.php?t=14321&highlight=ebay

[mitch]

There's been a lot of Ebay brides here; some with great stories, some with not so great... here's some threads that should give you some insight:

http://forums.onewed.com/showthread.php?t=18842&highlight=ebay

http://forums.onewed.com/showthread.php?t=18988&highlight=ebay

http://forums.onewed.com/showthread.php?t=18759&highlight=ebay

http://forums.onewed.com/showthread.php?t=17741&highlight=ebay

http://forums.onewed.com/showthread.php?t=16062&highlight=ebay

http://forums.onewed.com/showthread.php?t=15884&highlight=ebay

http://forums.onewed.com/showthread.php?t=15306&highlight=ebay

http://forums.onewed.com/showthread.php?t=14809&highlight=ebay

http://forums.onewed.com/showthread.php?t=7330&highlight=ebay

http://forums.onewed.com/showthread.php?t=14321&highlight=ebay

Geez. How on earth did You dig that lot up in under Five minutes :bbeek:
I never knew there was that many on the subject. Maybe they need a section of their own now LOL.

[neebelung]

Geez. How on earth did You dig that lot up in under Five minutes :bbeek:
I never knew there was that many on the subject. Maybe they need a section of their own now LOL.
:rofl:

I knew I had posted a couple myself (having bought a dress on Ebay first), so I just searched "ebay" in the title and skimmed over to see which we specifically about buying dresses there. :)

I agree, though... might not be bad to have an "Ebay Brides" subforum!

[RippinKittin]

Thanks so much! I'm sorry if this topic has been posted already, I'm just a noob! But I figured a dress for under 200$ dollars what do I have to loose. My sister dropped 5 grand on her dress and imho, is a little foolish for something your gonna wear for a day.

[mitch]

Thanks so much! I'm sorry if this topic has been posted already, I'm just a noob! But I figured a dress for under 200$ dollars what do I have to loose. My sister dropped 5 grand on her dress and imho, is a little foolish for something your gonna wear for a day.

Well first of all You Lose $200 on something that might not be right.
Bridal stores have sales on all the time. And i've heard they have $99 Sales.
I only know this through this forum because i'm in the UK. Plus My Dress is Second Hand.
Try Stores first. As Your First post said. You have another Year to find something. And as most here will tell You. Never go for the First Dress You see.

Good Luck.

[neebelung]

Thanks so much! I'm sorry if this topic has been posted already, I'm just a noob! But I figured a dress for under 200$ dollars what do I have to loose.

Oh shoot, no apologies needed! We're all noobs at one point!! Hopefully some of those ladies' experiences can help you, but if not, maybe post up specifically what company it is you're looking to order from; maybe someone here has had experience with them. Good luck!!

[tortoisegirl]

I've been browsing my local Craig's List for wedding stuff (centerpieces, lights, etc). I have seen tons and tons of ads about dresses. You could get a great deal and still be able to see it in person and maybe try it on first. I've seen lots under $200. Some were even marketed as brand new.

I personally bought a $100 dress from David's online that is informal and I think used to be marketed as a bridesmaid's dress. Needs some slight alterations, but I'm amazed with the quality for the price. Depending on what you are looking for, you may even be able to buy something new, as pointed out by mitch.

If you chose to buy something online, I'd personally choose an online bridal store before I'd chose Ebay, if only for the fact that you could return it and only be out shipping, where if you bought the Ebay dress and didn't like it, you'd have to re-sell it, probably at a loss (and no guarantee it would sell).

Guessing from your statement about pizza, you're having a more informal wedding. A more informal dress, and non-designer, is a lot less than the $1,000+ fancy dresses. We thought about having pizza at our wedding at one point. =)

Best wishes.

[Nekochanpurr]

Well first of all You Lose $200 on something that might not be right.
Bridal stores have sales on all the time. And i've heard they have $99 Sales.
I only know this through this forum because i'm in the UK. Plus My Dress is Second Hand.
Try Stores first. As Your First post said. You have another Year to find something. And as most here will tell You. Never go for the First Dress You see.

Good Luck.


Agreed. I got mine at David's Bridal for $250... $150 off. It CAN be done. Personally, i like to know that people here have jobs before i send out for anything overseas. :D

[NikonL18]

my best friend was an ebay bride... i guess she's one of the lucky ones who got a great dress on ebay. you're right, these are china made. one thing though, her dress was nothing like the one advertised on ebay. but still she loved it.

my wedding dress on the other hand was my twin sisters' dress, so i saved a lot on that one. something borrowed, something new, something blue, guess what my something borrowed is :)

[Kay]

I found the exact dress I want on David's Bridal. It is $499. It is currently on E-bay, new with tags, listed by a gal who ended-up cancelling the wedding, for $300 (it was $200 yesterday). When the time comes that I'm ready to shell-out the cash... I plan to go to David's, try on the dresses I'm interested in... and then shamefully go to E-bay and find one of them! I'm just going to be a budget bride who is easy to please ~ not being totally broke pleases me. HA :winktongue:

PS - I've read 2 or 3 journals on here where the ladies got their dresses from "regular sellers" (NOT CHINA) from E-bay and were very happy. I know China sounds tempting but I'm just not going that route...

[f77g4]

A girl from my hometown got all her bridesmaids dresses online for next to nothing and they all looked gorgeous!

Just make sure to read the feedback on ebay before buying and usually buy from an established seller.

[joeyz_gurl]

Thanks so much! I'm sorry if this topic has been posted already, I'm just a noob! But I figured a dress for under 200$ dollars what do I have to loose. My sister dropped 5 grand on her dress and imho, is a little foolish for something your gonna wear for a day.

Hi RippinKittin,

I am originally from NJ, moved to GA for grad school! welcome to the forum! I am also getting married on Halloween 2009.

as far as the ebay dresses ... check the seller's feedback, you can learn a bit from reading that and exercise caution...

[MichelleB]

I wouldn't trust ebay with something as important and timely as a wedding dress to be honest!

[TheFutureMrsSmith]

Here's a tip for searching on ebay for wedding gowns (if you don't want to be flooded with those made-in-china dresses) Type "wedding gown worn" and you will be more likely to come up with results that are posted by real brides wanting to get rid of their dresses.

[AVernon83]

NO! DO NOT DO IT! I did and it was such a waste! Now I can't even re-sell it for $50! It looks nothing like the pictures and is really poorly made! I regret I ever did it. I hope its not too late to stear you away...

Concerned bride in Ohio

[beaverbride]

Well first of all You Lose $200 on something that might not be right.
Bridal stores have sales on all the time. And i've heard they have $99 Sales.
I only know this through this forum because i'm in the UK. Plus My Dress is Second Hand.
Try Stores first. As Your First post said. You have another Year to find something. And as most here will tell You. Never go for the First Dress You see.

Good Luck.
I went to davids bridal only 3 weeks into my engagement figuring why not "just look." Well the 2nd time I went I checked out the $99 rack and found 2 dresses my size. One was not my style and the other was absolutely perfect! It fit perfectly and is just beautiful for only $99! So I had to buy it. Definitely check out sales in stores first-you can try them on and still find a bargain!

[Terk29]

Hi, I am also new here. I have been watching my roommate plan her wedding and have become quite facinated with the whole process. I have done a little research myself and stumbled across tips on getting your dress on a low budget. If you are cool with second hand you can try some of your local thrift shops and find a taylor to customize it for you for a much cheaper cost than buying them new. Also with the economy the way it is try searching for some stores that are going out of business and may have some dresses really inexpensive. One other way to keep your cost down is to try searching for dresses in local stores before prom and they have some really good sales on dresses.
Sorry if I sounded off topic to start, I am not sure how to rearrange this post since I started typing. I am a bit leary myself of buying a gown on ebay. I personally won't buy anything off ebay that comes from China. Best case for ebay is you want to buy from someone who has a huge reputation at least 100 positive responses and try for over 90% feedback. Read their recent feedback and find out how the customers, not the sellers have responded to them and you should get a good idea as to whether or not you can trust your seller. If you find a seamstress who is more local the shipping should be more reasonable and sellers do jack of shipping and handling sometimes to make up for a low starting bid.
I hope some of this is of any help to you. I have been reading a lot of posts and was a little too excited to respond to a post. I will try to shorten it next time. Have a wonderful day!

[caligal85]

One of my good friends got her dress off of ebay and she loved it. As long as it's a reputable seller and you establish good communication, it can be a good experience.

[krystal87]

I have ordered a dress from one of the ebay sellers from China. It should be here any day - when it gets here, I will post pictures of it - cross your fingers for me :bbeek:

[JJsWifey08]

I saw these dresses and thought how pretty but the shipping was too much. Davids bridal had the $99 sale and I bought my dress from there!! check around before settling. good luck

[conceited]

Please post the pics I am planning to do the same thing. I dont care about the quality as long it looks good and doesnt rip for at least 6 hours. It will be well worth the 100.00 I plan to pay. The seller that I found has excellent feedback on other items that he makes. so we will see.

[tk93]

The only thing is the shipping is a lot of money. These dresses are gorgeous and they are hand made from china. So I am a little afraid that the dress will be a bit tacky when seen in real life. It just seems too good to be true! Has any one else done this?

i just saw this thread and hope it's not too late.
i didn't buy through ebay, but i did get a second dress (for the reception) through a website that sold handmade dresses from china for ridiculous prices. it was a replica of a raylia dress, and i did as much research before i ordered as i possibly could. reviews on such purchases were either really positive or horrendously negative.

i took a stab and placed an order after verifying their 100% money-back guarantee via email w/ the seller. the dress came very quickly, but it was the ugliest thing i'd ever seen. the quality was worse than i had anticipated, it looked nothing like the original it was supposed to be a replica of, the proportions were all off, and the list goes on and on. i contacted the seller to return the dress and was given a brush off until i demanded the return address w/ an email containing the original message they had sent me w/ the return policy.

it cost me $50 to return the dress, but the seller repeatedly refused to refund my money claiming they never received the dress, even though i'd provided them w/ the tracking # of the return package stating it had been delivered to the address they provided me. it took 4 weeks of going back and forth with the seller to finally get my refund issued as a chargeback to the seller through my credit card dispute and paypal.

as far as ebay dresses go, i'm sure there are plenty of legitimate sellers with great dresses, but i'd watch out for these handmade dresses from china. i am a first generation asian immigrant myself, so i'm quite used to interacting with those with limited knowledge of english, but it was beyond brutal dealing with the seller. i'm not sure if they really did not understand when i told them the dress was returned to them and i had the delivery confirmation, or if they were simply playing ignorant hoping to get away with not refunding me.

also, another item to note is that paypal was not of much help in getting my refund issued. i bring this up because most ebay transactions are done through paypal. paypal initially denied my claim and i had to go through AMEX, the cc i used to make the payment via paypal, to get the investigation going and finally get my money back.

sorry this post is so long.. but i wanted to get it out there so others have some details of a cheap deal gone bad.

[RosieAngel]

I have heard so many horror stories about dresses from China that I just wouldn't go there. However!

There are many cheap places, not just David's, to get a dress! I got mine at David's because there's one near my house and I wanted a big dress with a train, but there are a lot of other options...

1. Department stores like Nordstrom have clean, modern, streamlined gowns in the $200-$300 range. Most of my friends went this route, because you can get more bang for your bunk.

2. Jessica McClintock. Most of her dresses are under $300, and hey, if her designs are good enough for Hillary Clinton to get married in, they're good enough for us normal girls, right?
http://www.jessicamcclintock.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/StoreCatalogDisplay?langId=-1&catalogId=10002&storeId=10001

3. Alfred Angelo also has cheap dresses along the lines of David's. I was a bridesmaid several times, and my nicest bridesmaid gown was an AA.
http://www.alfredangelo.com/Company/75thAnniversaryHome.aspx

4. Get a white bridesmaid dress or prom dress from any designer. I rarely see a BM dress over $200, and designers often make their bridesmaid dresses to look like a simplified version of their wedding gowns. You can also find some really great formal gowns at stores during prom season, and white is a popular color for them.

5. Get something used from an online consignment shop. My friends have had great luck with http://www.preownedweddingdresses.com/ and I know there are many other great sites that offer a similar service!

6. Thrift stores really work well for some people! One of my friends got this awesome tulle princess dress for $30, and it fit her perfectly! No alterations needed! I tried to do the same, but I'm a weird size and body shape, so I had no luck.

Good luck at finding your dress! We're here to help!

[anaffairoftheheart]

I've been reading your posts about e-bay dresses from China. One way you can tell if these will be replicas is if many of the sellers have the same pictures on their pages. I would be weary of these as you may or may not get the dream you want. You can refine your search for wedding gowns to be only in the US if that is where you live and it will give you shops who are clearing out their sample gowns at a more reasonable price. I have small shop out of my home and sell my samples for quite a lot less than retail. (I haven't put them on e-bay yet though) This way you have more of an assurance that you are getting the dress you want. My Best to all of you planning your special day. Patty
An Affair of the Heart

[krystal87]

OK, so I had my dress custom made from one of the chinese sellers on ebay, gianiarbridal. it is a copy of the Pronovias Nicole, but I asked her to change the back from a zip-up to a corset. It is absolutely beautiful! Here's the pics

[anaffairoftheheart]

That is a very beautiful dress! Does it have boning in the bodice? I tried to find the seller on e-bay. Could you give the name again or a link to the company? I am always looking for companies to make gowns for me.
Thanks,
Patty

[krystal87]

Yes, there is boning in the top, and a built-in stretchy corset thing. The link to the ebay store is http://stores.ebay.com/gianinarbridal. They were great throughout the process - her english is so-so, but she was always able to make herself understood, and would clarify things until i felt comfortable.

Happy buying - it worked great for me!

[anaffairoftheheart]

Do you mind telling me what they charged for shipping?
Patty

[krystal87]

Not at all - it cost $170 total. $60 deposit, for them to make the dress, then when they finished the dress, $60 more to buy it, and $50 to ship.

[anaffairoftheheart]

Thanks, I've been browsing their site. I might give them a try. I hope the best for your wedding!! Enjoy all the planning and especially your wedding day!
Patty

[conceited]

Im so excited. Im ready to order from them. They have the exact same dress I wanted, and they actually have the pictures of the dress when they made it. The only thing I want is the (bodice) made in a regular satin or shinier satin than the one in the picture. Krystal do you think they will understand if I tell them I just want the bodice in a shiny satin and leave the bottom the same. I mean, was there and communication barrier when describing the changes you wanted?

[conceited]

an also its sayin 89.00 for shipping to the US. Is that just an estimate or are you in the US?

[dizy1j62881]

congrats on the dress...very pretty. happy it worked out for you and you got the dress you wanted

[krystal87]

I think that they will understand you just fine - if you could find some type of picture to illustrate what you want, it might help, but if not I don't think you will have a problem.

Shipping was less for me - i think it's just the way they break it down differently for the custom made styles vs. the styles that they list on their website. The total price should equal out to be the same. Most of the dresses listed on the site cost $100 to make, while the custom ones cost $120 - i think they just use the shipping to make sure that the total cost stays the same - does that make sense?

I think she'll be able to understand what you want without a problem - good luck! :)

[conceited]

yeah, you were right krystal, I think she understood. I just wanted the bodice a shiny satin an not the matte satin.

[Karissa&Bryan]

I bought my wedding gown on ebay and I got it for less than $100 with the shipping included from a site that was selling them for charity after a local shop was shutting down. It was retailing for $700 and it had the tags on it. If you contact me I can send you pictures of it. I also got my daughters dresses on there as well and they are quality made and were not expensive at all.:)

[conceited]

it appears that they want me to pay the full amount including shipping upfront. Any ideas why krystal? I sent the seller a question, so I am waitin on a response.

[conceited]

hey krystal, what kind of material is your dress made of?

[conceited]

and she told me why, I ordered off the site, if you find a dress you want made, you only pay half upfront, due to the dress being listed on ebay that i wanted ebay requires full payment.

[Tarin]

The majority of bridal gowns all come from China anyway. I would be cautious when ordering direct from a manufacturing warehouse. Unfortunately, all the factories pay minimal wages to their laborers. Unfortunately, the same gown made in the states would cost thousands. Sad, we can ship a dress half way across the globe for less than is would be to have it made here.

[janina10]

i was very cautious when buying my wedding dress from ebay but i did research and found this amazing dress for only $125 (retails for 500-600).

ATTACH]3999[/ATTACH]4000

[kylie_thatsme]

Hi Krystal, I found this site by searching for the Pronovias Nicole dress as I tried on a real one and fell in love with it and also wanted the back like yours I was just wondering if you told them what material to make it with or if they knew. Was the material the same as the original? Thanks for your help youve given me hope that I can afford the dress I want
Kylie

[krystal87]

I did not tell them which fabric to use, they said they could tell by the pictures. They used duchess satin, and it was perfect! It felt just like the one in the store - the only difference was that in the store the "poufy" underneath was built in, and I had to buy a petticoat thing for mine. I can't even say how happy I am with the quality of the work, and I would definitely do it again.

I was in the same boat as you, loving a dress i couldn't/didn't want to afford, but this solution worked for me! :)

feel free to email me krystal87@gmail.com with any questions, too!

Good luck!

[kylie_thatsme]

Hi thanks, I think ill get one like yours did it turn out to be the same oyster colour because they have asked for a colour sample but I dont know where to get it from what did you do?
Thanks!!

[lilmsjess]

i am browsing through their store now.....i'm curious, do you think they could make any of the gowns in 2 totally separate colors? i found one that has a strapless bodice, that's tight to the waist, and then falls in organza, with silver beading all over the skirt/train....i'm wondering if they could make the skirt in black, with the top white? it's got a wraping design around the hips, which would sugges they could possibly cover up the hem/color change?

[krystal87]

i did the oyster color - i told them "champagne" colored, and it turned out a little darker than the oyster. but for me, it was close enough. i'm not sure where to get a sample, other than go the fabric store and find something similar - i'm sure the dress store wont give you one!:huh: It's up to you on how exact you want the color to be - i would say it was just a tad darker, and maybe more gold undertones. but i don't think you could tell the difference unless looking at them side by side - maybe ask for "light champagne"?

and yes, i'm sure they could make one in 2 different colors

[Nicole12726]

I Bought my dress of ebay and i absoutely love it!! It was the best choice I ever made. My dress was white with aqua on it. I got to customize it the way i wanted it and it fits perfectly! I saved tons of money and got the perfect dress!!!

[rubysync]

I did not buy my wedding gown on ebay but I found lots of beautiful gowns there... for me, the hard thing on buying to online stores is the shipping.. it will cost you more...

[kylie_thatsme]

i did the oyster color - i told them "champagne" colored, and it turned out a little darker than the oyster. but for me, it was close enough. i'm not sure where to get a sample, other than go the fabric store and find something similar - i'm sure the dress store wont give you one!:huh: It's up to you on how exact you want the color to be - i would say it was just a tad darker, and maybe more gold undertones. but i don't think you could tell the difference unless looking at them side by side - maybe ask for "light champagne"?

and yes, i'm sure they could make one in 2 different colors

Hi this is kylie again, I got the pronovias nicole dress like yours made from gianinarbridal after your reccommendation. The dress turned out great but they made it a real dark gold different to yours. I told them it was like a champaign but now I find out there are 3 shades. I sent them your pic and they said they are unsure exactely what colour they used. It may be s43c. If you have any idea any chance you can let me know as I am getting another made with the veil because the quality was so good but the colour wasnt. Thanks and thanks for putting me on to them they are even better then i ever expected. Kylie

[krystal87]

Unfortunately, i don't have a color number, i just said champagne and they sent it...i'm sorry yours is too dark, but glad that you were happy with the quality - and, with the turnaround time being so quick hopefully you won't be stressed for time...

So no, i don't think i'm of any help on the color, other than "champagne".

Sorry, and good luck!

[kylie_thatsme]

Thanks anyway. I will try the lightest champaign they have. Thenks for all your help if it wasnt for you I wouldnt have found them thanks!!

[ksherlin]

David's bridal is having the $99 gown sale right now! I am getting my dress form there and have gotten previous prom/special occasion dresses there in the past. They treat you very well there and really help out! In fact, they have a layaway plan where you don't have to pay anything up front. They will fit you for your dress and also have many accessories to choose from. Also, if you buy your dress there, your bridesmaids get a discount on their dresses! It is worth it! you can check out the website at www.davidsbridal.com. You can plan you wedding party, request an appointment, and browse the collection. It may be worth a try if you are on a budget like me!