It happens all too often… The lucky “Bride to Be” finally gets the marriage proposal that she has been waiting for, that sparkling diamond ring on her finger, and then all of sudden her first thought is “Oh my god, I get to pick out my wedding dress.” So what is the first stop? Internet.
With couples facing such high wedding costs, it’s only natural that a bride will be enticed by a “too good to be true” bargain for her dream wedding dress by her favorite brand. But “Brides Beware”, established by the BBSA (British Bridal Suppliers Association) says hey ladies, not so fast!
Amanda Bradwell, Chairman of British Bridal Suppliers Association and owner of Eternity Bridal, commented “I decided to set up the campaign Brides Beware in 2013 to help raise the awareness behind the risk of purchasing wedding, prom and bridesmaid gowns online. To help inform brides before they waste their precious wedding budget on a copied gown and help protect the bridal industry that is hugely effected by the problem.”
The Brides Beware campaign has received a large positive response from both brides and retailers alike, generating over 27,000 followers to their Facebook page and a growing number of followers each day on Twitter and Instagram.
So what can we learn from Brides Beware, besides being shocked and sadly amused at the poor quality of dresses brides have received in the mail?
Here are some warning tips from Brides Beware, which retailers can also share with their brides in case one claims to have found a way better deal online:
- A website with 300+ styles available
- Often in $ and often available in any size, any colour
- Using a mixture of different images styles on one page
- A website claiming to be selling lots of different designers collections, using them by name
- No contact phone number or email address
- Fake postal address or phone numbers
- Spelling mistakes or misinterpreted text
- Free shipping and money off offers
- Live Chat option available
And of course for German websites, keep an eye out for the “Datenschutz” and “Impressum” if you are still unsure. Brides Beware also informs us that most of the sites are Chinese based and to not be fooled into thinking that you are buying a designer gown since these fraudulent sites are stealing photography owned by manufactures and designers, claiming to be selling the exact same dress.
If you find your designer dream dress offered online at a price that is not comparable to what you saw at the bridal boutique, chances are the offer really is “too good to be true”. The next thing you know, you get your 2019 Halloween costume sent to you in the mail. And good luck trying to return it!
According to the Brides Beware website, their goal is to get internet shoppers to “Click to Brick” and drive buyers to retailer shops. “We are aiming to help brides before they waste their money and end up with a substandard wedding gown. Help retailers as their time is being wasted by brides that have no intention on buying from them. And help designers and manufacturers who’s images and photography is being stolen and used to sell these counterfeit gowns,” commented Amanda.
Bride’s Beware’s advice to brides is, “Please do not be tempted to buy online. After all, who wants to purchase the most important garment they will ever wear from a stolen photograph? Anyone that has been to try on wedding gowns, bridesmaid gowns or prom gowns will know how important it is to try on a number of different styles, see and feel the quality of the garment you are buying and use the expertise of a trained sales staff.”
We couldn’t agree more.
Thank you to Brides Beware for sharing your helpful tips with Bridal Times.
Brides Beware exhibits at bridal shows across the UK such as London Bridal Week, Harrogate Bridal Show. They can also be visited at the following links.
www.instagram.com/bridesbeware