Cheap Wedding Dresses | UKbride

Sadly, the wedding dress industry is rife with rogue traders replicating the real deal, and what's more, there's also a band of brides fuelling the fire with their demand for cheap wedding dresses.

It is crucial, now more than ever, to raise an awareness amongst brides-to-be about the nature of this nuisance, in an attempt to halt the growth of the counterfeit wedding dress industry.

Whilst the contemporary credit crunch bride might be tempted by a pretty price tag, you should steer clear of unauthorised internet retailers selling cheap wedding dresses at all costs. Although it may appear to save you money in the short-term, by the time you've forked out for shipping costs, alterations, and exchanges — your dream day may well have turned into a nuptial nightmare.

It doesn't take Albert Einstein to work out that the material, fit, and finish of an imitation dress will be of inferior quality, and if that's not enough to put you off — you'll also be guilty of supporting an immoral, unethical and often illegal trade.

In short, there's just no excuse for frittering your finances on fraudulent fashion!

If you're confused about counterfeits and cheap wedding dresses, here are some common warning signs:

• The cheap wedding dress neither looks nor fits like the photos you've seen. Be aware that manufacturers often lift official photos from the real designer's website, convincingly passing them off as their own.
  
• The 'designer' dress is a fraction of the price of the genuine article. If it sounds to good to be true, chances are it is.
• The seller claims that their discount prices are because the garment is shipped directly from the factory, and they don't have large overheads to pay like the majority of the UK's bridal stores.
  
• The dress arrives in a small A3 size envelope — an indication of the lack of craftsmanship and quality.
  
• The finish of the dress is poor — sub-standard stitching and mediocre materials are telling signs.

Pete Meads — director of Essex-based Bonny Bridal UK — has had 25 years experience in the bridal industry, and has recently set up a website to warn brides-to-be of the dangers associated with buying a cheap wedding dress from an unauthorised seller.

"Cross check with the manufacturers that it's a genuine website or an official supplier you're buying from," he advises. "It's not rocket science."

Furthermore, one British bride-to-be whose story has been circulated on the internet tells of her encounter with the illicit wedding dress industry;

“Having looked through a lot of websites, at various wedding dresses, I discovered the same photographs reappearing on numerous sites, with the wording ‘direct from my factory’. Being naïve, I decided to purchase a wedding dress online. The price was £24.99 with postage of £70.00 plus £3.00 postage and packing and the photograph which had attracted me showed a very expensive-looking designer dress. The dress arrived in a small A3 size padded envelope, with a veil and stole. The veil had a paper edging around it as you would find on a paper doily and the dress did not resemble the photo in any way. The finish on the dress was so amateurish I could have wept, the zip was badly put in and the material was substandard…”

To cut a long story short — nothing compares to buying a brand new wedding dress from a professional and established bridal boutique! You'll receive expert advice, and will be rest assured that the gown your buying is high quality, and more importantly — authentic. What's more, your bridal fittings should be a fun part of your wedding planning — make the most of them by taking your mum or your bridesmaids along with you.

And if you're looking to save money with a cheap wedding dress, why not try past season collections, or UK designer sample sales?

If you want you the perfect wedding, don't let a dodgy dress disrupt your day!

Click Here to browse UKbride's vast selection of approved wedding dress suppliers.