My Guide To Buying a Wedding Dress on Etsy
I got married last month and the number one thing I got asked about was my wedding dress because ~drum roll please~ I got it on Etsy!
For anyone who is considering buying their wedding dress from Etsy, I’m here to walk through why I decided to get my dress online, some of the pros and cons to consider when buying a dress on Etsy and of course, my best tips to make sure you get the dress of your dreams.
Why I went the Etsy route
The decision that I came to get my dress from Etsy came from three key factors:
1. I always knew I wanted to do two looks at my wedding
I know this is a trend right now, but making the most of an important evening with two outfits is nothing new for me. I did this at my sweet 16 and I knew I wanted to do it for my wedding too.
Because of that, I was having a hard time wrapping my head around the cost of buying a dress through a bridal boutique.
With a boutique, the minimum price I’d be looking at for a dress was around $2,500 and that wasn’t factoring in alterations, which I was told would be about $600 in-house at the boutique.
Side note: I’m in the New York metro area so I know this can vary based on where you live, just sharing what I was told as a reference point.
2. I was cutting it close with my timeline
Now this was partly my own fault because I waited too long to start trying on dresses. I don’t think I’ve really shared this on the internet yet, but 2022 was a tough year for me in terms of body image.
I had never previously spent so much time scrutinizing my body and being stressed about how clothes fit my body and what size I was. Anyway, I won’t spend too much time on this point but maybe some of you can relate.
Because of this, I waited until only ~10 months before the wedding to start trying on dresses, which was a mistake because I was told I’d have to make a decision within a week of trying dresses on to ensure it arrived with enough time to make any adjustments before the wedding.
I ultimately didn’t want to feel pressured to choose a dress I didn’t love.
For context, I was told an average timeline for the production of a wedding dress from a traditional bridal boutique is 9-10 months.
Some boutiques can do rush orders and shorten the timeline, but a lot of them are still playing catch up from 2020 so this may not be as common as it once was.
Sample sales are also an option, but I didn’t want to put all of my eggs in that basket.
3. I wanted something unique
It’s borderline impossible to find a totally unique wedding dress these days, but I wanted something that I hadn’t seen a million times on Instagram already and something that felt like me.
I tried to pick a few key words that I wanted my dress to emulate—which I highly suggest doing! Mine were sophisticated, whimsical and effortless.
I was looking for something city chic since we got married on a rooftop in Brooklyn, but with a bit of a nod to something a bit more bohemian feeling in spirit. I feel like the dress I chose really does reflect those two things.
Pros and cons of ordering a wedding dress on Etsy
In my opinion, here are the biggest pros and cons of buying a wedding dress from Etsy.
Pros:
You can do it on a faster timeline than traditional boutiques
On average it will be much more affordable
You have messaging and a direct way to contact the seller
Cons:
You don’t get to try the dress on until it actually arrives
Etsy shops are less streamlined than boutiques so they may all have their own timelines or way of doing things
Although the dresses can be cheaper, you will likely get less personalized attention
My experience
I was scrolling on Pinterest looking for wedding dress inspiration and one image that I saw lead me to an Etsy shop called SuPrettyBridal.
I started browsing the dresses available on their storefront and literally felt my jaw drop as I saw one particular dress.
I was so in love with it and I texted photos to my mom, mother-in-law, and maid of honor who all agreed that it was the one.
Ultimately, I ordered my dress in February for our late September wedding, and I’m glad I didn’t wait any later than that to order the dress.
The shop had mostly 5-star reviews and I was told I’d receive photos of the dress (which I did) so I could approve the dress before it was shipped out. I was also able to share my exact measurements for them.
I was originally told the dress would be shipped at the beginning of May but it did not ship until early July.
When I received the photos of my dress from the owner, there were a few key details that did not match the listing photo that I fell in love with.
I tried to talk myself into what they sent me, but it really didn't feel like the original dress so I went back to the owner with the changes I wanted which they agreed to, but because of the design they had to remake the dress again from scratch.
At one point in the process I started to get really stressed because I was following up asking for updates and almost three weeks went by with no response from them (not sure why this happened) so I finally reached out to Etsy support.
I had been holding off on doing this because I thought it meant that I would have to open a case for the dress (which I really didn’t want to do because I wanted the dress so badly!) but it turns out they were able to ping the owner that the order needed their attention and that got them to respond.
I wish I had reached out to Etsy support sooner because once I did, we were back on track
But this is why I think ordering with plenty of time to spare and being very clear and specific about what you want when messaging your seller (especially if there is a language barrier) makes a big difference when ordering a wedding dress through Etsy.
I do feel like my situation was a fluke since the shop still has dozens of great reviews so I would still recommend it, but be sure to follow my top five tips in the next section to make your experience more streamlined.
At the end of the day, my dress was beautiful and it arrived with enough time for me to get alterations and figure out what I would do for my veil and shoes.
The dress was a little big when I first tried it on. It’s possible that my measurements had changed slightly since I sent them in February but it wasn’t a major issue.
However, the dress really came to life when I brought it to the tailor.
In the end, I went to Alts West Village for my bridal alterations (shout out to my tailor Maryse in the photo who was so enthusiastic and helpful in making this dress really perfect) and I had a great experience there.
It took four appointments to get the dress to fit perfectly—we added trim at the waistband that I found at M&J Trimmings in the Garment District (photo below), added snaps for a bustle, hemmed the bottom, and took it in at the waist to be more fitted in the top.
The alterations ended up costing almost as much as the dress itself but it was still worth every penny and overall still much cheaper than buying a dress through a bridal boutique.
Top 5 tips for buying a wedding dress from Etsy
Now that you’ve read about my personal experience of buying a wedding dress from Etsy, here are my top five tips that I would share with anyone considering going the Etsy route for their big day.
Tip 1: Don’t skip an IRL appointment
I think it’s still important to try things on in person to understand what silhouettes you like.
I did a session at a bridal boutique near my hometown and had a great experience and it quickly revealed to me that I wanted an A-line silhouette for my ceremony gown.
Tip 2: Order with plenty of time
As I shared earlier, my dress shipped later than expected so be sure to place your order in plenty of time.
If you need a reference point, look at the date the dress would be expected to arrive and give yourself an extra 4-6 weeks of a buffer just to account for any delays or edits.
Tip 3: Plan on alterations
On a similar note, consider both the timing and the cost of alterations for your dress. It’s possible your gown will arrive and fit perfectly, but personally I had four alterations appointments over the span of about five weeks.
Also, the alterations were almost the same price as the dress itself and even though to me it was TOTALLY worth every penny, it’s something that I would recommend factoring in.
Tip 4: Do your research
Read the reviews carefully of every shop you are considering placing an order from.
Keep an eye out for positive signs like “the seller was super responsive” or “the quality was amazing” and also keep an eye out for any potential red flags.
Tip 5: Over communicate
This isn’t just any regular Etsy order—this is your wedding dress so make sure you are super clear about what you want, especially if your seller can accommodate edits and customizations.
Also, if you have an unresponsive seller, don’t be shy. Have Etsy customer support ping them and call attention to your order so you can make sure you’re sticking with your timeline.
Wow, I think that’s everything! I know this was a long post, but I wanted to be as detailed as possible to help any future brides who are thinking about going this route.
If you have other questions, please leave me a comment and ask away!
yours,
Austen
Photographed by Kate Edwards
Florals by A Lily Among Thorns