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Online Wedding Dress Fraud


When browsing photographs of brides sharing their online wedding dress horror stories, I couldn’t help but repeatedly utter, “Oh, wow.” It seemed as though each bride’s nightmare was worse than the last. In these cases, what the bride saw on the pages of the online bridal shop was a stunning wedding dress at an unbelievably low price. What was delivered to the bride resembled a completely different dress. In some of the worst cases, bride’s received dresses that resembled cheap Halloween costumes with gaudy colors and plastic embellishments.

Several disappointed brides received dresses that were different than what was advertised. In all the cases that I have seen, the online wedding dress store offered wedding dresses that appeared to be high quality, stylish dresses. However, what the women actually received were cheaply made knockoffs of the pictured gown. The websites often offer cheap versions of designers gowns. The actual dresses that are delivered are unusable.

Garish colors are one of the many problems with the gowns. The photograph on the website shows a white dress, but an awful green one is delivered. Another woman ordered a pale dusty pink gown and received a bright bubble gum pink dress. Bright fuchsia has been substituted for peach.

How can brides avoid wedding dress fraud online? News reports of the scams pointed out that most of the companies that are delivering cheaply made dresses while showing gorgeous gowns on their websites are headquartered in China. Some of these websites avoid mentioning their locations, or they post a United States or London phone number.

One way brides can avoid wedding dress scams is to contact the company. If the contact information is missing or misleading, that’s a definite sign that something is wrong. Many of the top, trustworthy online bridal stores also have brick and mortar stores where brides can browse a selection of gowns and get a proper fitting.

If the price is too good to be true, it probably is. This is an old saying that is still relevant today. Quality dresses cost money. If you see a website that is offering gowns at extremely low prices, beware of the possible danger. Many brides order dresses through these bargain wedding dress websites and either don’t receive any dresses or receive a dress that is not what was ordered.

Brides who can’t afford to buy the dress of their dreams may want to consider renting a quality wedding dress. The bride will know that she will have that perfect dress on her wedding day for a fraction of the cost of buying it.

For more ways to make the most of your wedding budget without falling prey to scams, browse the Best for Bride blog. There you’ll find many great tips for planning a wedding on a budget.

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The 5 Do’s of wedding registry

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There are definite advantages of registering for gifts. It allows your guests to buy you something that you value and appreciate and also saves you the trouble of worrying over what to do with all those wedding gifts you didn’t want.

To help you make the most of your wedding registry, here are the top 5 Do’s that will make sure you do not break any etiquette rules, while getting most or all the right things that will be useful to you.

Register at a few select stores only

Rather than registering at all the stores you can think of, stick to a few select ones. Take time to research your options and go with places that allow guests to also purchase online. This will make it convenient for them. When choosing the stores, make sure you check with them about their shipping and delivery options, exchange and return policies and also any discount or offer programs that you can make use of.

Don’t put your registry on your invitation card

Putting registry information on your wedding invite is considered a breach of etiquette. So, refrain from it. If you have a wedding website, put the information there. This will allow guests to locate it easily. Register early, before you send out your invitations, so your registry information is available to your guests when they seek it. Also pass on the information to your family and close circle of friends, so they can share it with those who ask them.

Register for a variety of gifts and with various price ranges

Remember to register for plenty of gifts, so your guests have enough to choose from based on their budget. One way to do this is to register for more gifts than there are guests. While including expensive items on your list, remember that you should provide affordable options too, so your guests do not find it difficult to find a gift. Else, they may end up buying outside the registry, and it may be something that isn’t useful or you would like displaying in your home.

Keep updating your registry

Make sure that you keep track of what is going on with your registry, from the time it is open to your guests. If a gift has been purchased, make sure that you know about it, and take it off the list. If the store doesn’t do this automatically you should continuously review your registry. Also update it with more options, so that the guests who buy late still have enough options.

Think long-term when registering for gifts

Your wedding is the occasion to receive some really valuable gifts, so plan your list sensibly. Rather than going with what you want now, think of how your life will be 5 or 10 years from now, and what gifts will last that long and serve you well. Think of the special occasions or family get-togethers you will host, and what will be useful when you do. Put these items down in your registry.

Once you are blissfully married and have received all your wedding gifts, don’t forget to thank every guest filled your house with the stuff you wanted. Personally written thank you notes will make sure your guests feel appreciated and happy in return.

For more wedding tips and advice, visit us at Best for Bride.

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Planning a Wedding on a $5000 Budget

Weddings are expensive, but they don’t always have to be. If you have an extremely small budget of $5000, there are still some fantastic ideas that will allow you to have the wedding of your dreams without going way over budget. Try out some of these tricks below so that you can have a beautiful wedding on a $5000 budget.

Your Wedding Gown

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While this is one area that you will probably want to splurge on, you can easily find a beautiful gown at a discounted price. Instead of looking for fully priced options, try looking at the discount racks at your local bridal store instead. You will be able to find beautiful options that won’t break the bank.

Décor

Décor can easily eat up a huge portion of your wedding day budget. However, you can also make some fantastic choices simply by making the decorations on your own. There are many ideas posted online that will help you and you can find tutorials on them as well. Supplies can be bought at any art supply store. Don’t forget to check out the clearance sections in these stores as well.

Invitations

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Ordering wedding invitations can be extremely expensive and can cost up to $1000 just by themselves. You should always look for discounted options or consider making your own invitations instead. There are many fantastic designs that you can print yourself using fancy cardstock and your printer. To find the cost savings, calculate the price that it will cost you to print them at home; including the price for ink, and compare that to the price you would pay to order them instead.

Reception

The reception is another place that can take a huge chunk of your budget. However, with some smart choices, you can easily knock down the amount of money that is taken up here. Consider having a simple reception where only cake and punch is served. If you are going for a full meal option, think about finger foods instead. For larger meal options, choose dishes that are made with chicken rather than steak because they are more affordable.

When deciding on drinks for your reception, you can also save money in this area as well. Instead of going for an open bar that will allow you to go way over budget, try some alternatives instead. By offering alcohol only during certain times, like the wedding toast, you will be able to save a great deal of money. Just make sure that you have some other options, like water and tea, prepared instead.

Entertainment

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Another thing to keep in mind is the entertainment that you choose. While you can book a DJ for around $500, an entire band will cost closer to $1000. Making smart choices when planning your wedding, can allow you to have a beautiful wedding at a fraction of the average cost.

Don’t forget to stop by Best for Bride for all of your wedding day planning options. From discounted wedding gowns to the perfect décor, you will be able to find it all here.

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Creative Guest Book Alternatives

Not many couples give much thought to the guest book. They simply buy a traditional guest book, set it out on the wedding day, and forget about it. The couple may browse the pages once or twice after the wedding. Over the years, many couples stick it on a shelf or in a box and forget it ever existed. Why not get your guests to create something that you will truly cherish as a reminder of your special day? These guest book alternatives are much more fun and meaningful than a standard guest book.

With these new ideas, a guest book attendant would be helpful to explain it to the guests. A puzzle can be made from a photo of the couple such as an engagement photo. Instead of signing a guest book, the guests sign the back of a puzzle piece. The puzzle can start as completed on the table with a vase, bowl, or box to put the signed pieces. Guests take a puzzle piece, sign the back, and place it in the container set up to hold the signed pieces. Instead  of a puzzle piece, one couple used Jenga game pieces.

Time capsule ideas involve the guests writing a message to the couple and placed in a container that will be opened at a later date. Some people use bottles with special printed labels that say what year the messages inside the bottle will be read. Another idea is an anniversary piñata to be opened on their 1st anniversary. Guests can be encouraged to write a prediction, wish, joke, memory, or note of encouragement to be added to the time capsule.

Display guest book alternatives involve the guests in creating a keepsake that will be on display at the couple’s home. The display can take several forms. A simple image like a tree or heart can be made by arranging heart cutouts on a plain color background. Heart-shaped wooden cutouts can be purchased at the local craft store. The guests can sign a heart on the display. The guest book may be in the form of a large photo or canvas with the wedding date in the center. The photo can have an oversized matting that is signed by the guests or guests can be invited to sign any part of the canvas. Couples can get very creative with the displays. The Petal Wishes guest book alternative is another great display idea which requires less planning and lower cost than many other display options.

A very practical idea for a guest book alternative is to ask guests to create the couple’s first address book. Index cards of contact information and an attractive file box can serve the purpose for both guest book and address book. Guests can be encouraged to leave a note for the couple on the bottom of the back of the card. Another practical guest book idea is to include a calendar at the guest book station for guests to write down their birthdays so that the couple have a nice calendar to remember the birthdays of their friends and family. The calendar can be combined with any of the guest book ideas.

Browse the Best for Bride blog for more great ideas to make your special day memorable. Our blog includes ways to make the reception more fun and how to make unique wedding decorations.