Is it Safe to Buy Wedding Dresses On-Line, to Save Money?

With a recession upon us, many brides are asking if it is safe to purchase their wedding dress on-line. We ask top London bridal dress designer, Johanna Hehir for her opinion. Here are her pros and cons and the reasons why so few top designers sell their dresses on-line.

London (PRWEB) October 24, 2008 -- With a recession upon us, many brides are now asking this question. For many brides, their wedding dress is the most important and often the most expensive dress they will ever purchase. Not a decision to be taken lightly.

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Many brides are tempted by the hundreds of websites offering wedding dresses for sale on-line, but it is very much a case of, buyer beware. In addition to established retailers, there are now a considerable number of wholesalers and manufacturers offering to sell direct to the public, at what appear to be very competitive prices

Even though the prices are generally much lower than retail, it is virtually impossible for the bride to know if the dress shown on the website, will in fact be anything like the dress she actually receives. Some factories actually lift images from other designer's sites and pass them off as their own. What they are supplying is often a cheap, badly made copy of the original

Brides tempted to buy on-line should always get references or testimonials and only deal with reputable companies, who they can trust. If at all possible, it is advisable to try the dress on first to check the style and size, as returns can often be difficult

Most websites sell standard sizes and the dress will probably need to be altered to fit, so brides should ensure they leave enough time for this. Brides should pay particular attention to measuring themselves correctly and if they are not sure, get someone else to help them. Remember that it is always easier to take a dress in than to let it out

Here's what she had to say. "Many brides are tempted by the hundreds of websites offering wedding dresses for sale on-line, but it is very much a case of, buyer beware. In addition to established retailers, there are now a considerable number of wholesalers and manufacturers offering to sell direct to the public, at what appear to be very competitive prices".

"Even though the prices are generally much lower than retail, it is virtually impossible for the bride to know if the dress shown on the website, will in fact be anything like the dress she actually receives. Some factories actually lift images from other designer's sites and pass them off as their own. What they are supplying is often a cheap, badly made copy of the original".

"Brides tempted to buy on-line should always get references or testimonials and only deal with reputable companies, who they can trust. If at all possible, it is advisable to try the dress on first to check the style and size, as returns can often be difficult".

"Most websites sell standard sizes and the dress will probably need to be altered to fit, so brides should ensure they leave enough time for this. Brides should pay particular attention to measuring themselves correctly and if they are not sure, get someone else to help them. Remember that it is always easier to take a dress in than to let it out".

Given her scepticism, we wondered why she has taken the unusual step of offering her wedding dresses on-line, when most other top bridal designers simply refuse to?

She said that the majority of bridal designers have a large number of stockists who would be up in arms, if designers started selling direct to the public. Most designers prefer to direct brides to their nearest stockists for obvious reasons. But selling through stockists adds considerably to the final price of the gown.

She also explained that Johanna Hehir receives a considerable number of enquiries from brides both within the UK and abroad, requesting their nearest stockist. But because she does not have other stockists, she has been unable to satisfy this demand up until now.

With the current downturn, they are also seeing more and more brides at their shop who would like to buy a Johanna Hehir wedding dress but either cannot afford it or do not have the budget for a made to measure gown. Therefore they have decided to offer their wedding dresses on-line to make the dresses more affordable.

Her prices for on-line wedding dresses are up to 50% off her retail shop prices for standard sizes. The only catch is that Johanna Hehir is unable to alter these dresses to fit. If the dress requires further alteration, then the bride must take it to her nearest dressmaker.

Their on-line wedding dresses are manufactured in the UK to the same high standard and use the same quality fabrics as their retail gowns. Prices are from £1000.

Standard delivery on their on-line wedding dresses is three months. But they may be able to do rush orders (6-8 weeks) depending on the workroom schedule and fabric availability. This service is available for worldwide delivery.

Johanna Hehir is well known for the quality and fit of her dresses. Visit http://www.reviewcentre.com/reviews58474.html to see what other brides have to say about their experience at Johanna Hehir. Many bridal stores like to talk about their service and quality, but their track record does not always match their rhetoric. Brides are well advised to visit websites like Review Centre and other comparision sites to see what other brides have to say about their actual experience at other stores and websites, before purchasing their gowns.

Contact: Paul O'Donoghue - Director of Public Relations
Johanna Hehir
0044 2074862760
http://www.johanna-hehir.com

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