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The internet is a great way to shop and get exactly what you want without spending a lot of money.  Is it a good idea, however, to buy something as important as a wedding dress online?  Today many brides are doing it and saving bundles of money to be spent on other fun wedding features, or even the honeymoon!  Buying a wedding dress online is not about being brave or taking risks, it's about knowing how to go about making an important online purchase such as this one. 

Begin the search for an online wedding dress by, contrarily enough, going to some bridal stores and trying on dresses!  Each specific designer and style of dress will look differently on any given bride, and it's a good idea to have a solid idea of what you like before making an online purchase.  Remember the idea is not to fall in love with a dress, but to decide whether a strapless dress suits you, whether a Vera Wang fits best on you in a 2 or a 4, and whether snow white or cream best suits your skin tone. This important step can keep brides from imagining themselves into a dress that would never work on them in the real world!

Now that you've got an idea about design, brand and style, it's time to figure out budgeting.  Mark down the prices of your favorite dresses in bridal shops, then head to the internet to contrast and compare.  Following a few 'sample' dresses that are close to what you think you might ultimately by can tell you whether or not the prices change over time, whether or not the item would be cheaper in a retail store, and exactly how hard the dress might be to find.  Spend at least a month researching dress prices before setting a firm price point.  Be sure to include in your overall budget the cost of wedding dress 'extras' like undergarments, shoes and a veil. 

As it nears time to order the dress, make sure to know your exact measurements.  Going to a professional tailor or seamstress and getting the right figures can be a lifesaver when ordering a dress online.  Keep in mind that most people have to have their wedding dress fitted anyway, and include this cost into the budget price.  Take a guess at the undergarments you'll be wearing and include any extra material or padding in your overall measurements. 

If you're picked out the perfect dress at the perfect price, and that is pretty darn close to the perfect fit you may think it's time to order, but not so!  First, take time to research the seller.  Look for testimonials from other women who have used the website (keep in mind these might not be posted right on the website itself, especially if they are negative), and see whether the company can be counted on to deliver a quality product, and deliver it ON TIME!  The deal of the century on a wedding dress is no good if it arrives within a week before the wedding; a week before is already too late should anything go wrong!  Check out the dress from the front, back and side in photos to avoid any surprises when it arrives.  Should everything check out with the dress and website, it may be time to buy!

When purchasing anything expensive on the internet it's important to pay with a secure source like an online pay account or a well protected credit card.  This will allow you to fight back should the website turn out to be a dud after all.  If the dress is not delivered in a timely fashion or found to have any defects, you'll want the time and ability to send it back to the seller.  Always ask about how this process would work before purchasing, and ask about the possibility of a full refund in case the dress is simply unusable.  Remember purchasing online may mean trying a few times before finding exactly the right dress and look.  The real question is not whether the perfect wedding dress can be purchased online, but whether each bride is willing to put in the time and effort to find it!

This article was written by Mona Pennypacker who runs a business specialising in web site design in Colorado.