The Best Wedding Dress Stores

Friday, October 4th

2024 Wedding Dress Store Reviews

Azazie

• Prices from $199 to $1,119
• Made-to-order dresses
• Production times between 2-4 weeks
• Free shipping
• At-home try on program
• 305 wedding dresses
• "A+” Better Business Bureau rating

Azazie was founded in 2014 and headquartered in San Jose, California. They are committed to reinventing the bridal shopping experience by providing women the dresses of their dreams regardless of their size or budget. The company is proud to be body-inclusive, with sizes ranging from 0-30. They have a beautiful selection of wedding dresses as well as little white dresses for bridal showers, engagements, rehearsals, or bachelorette celebrations. To go along with your gown(s), be sure to also check out Azazie's collection of veils, shoes, handbags, jewelry, and shapewear.

Custom-made dresses

All dresses at Azazie are made-to-order, meaning you'll input your sizing and then they'll begin making your dress from scratch. This is also the case for their bridesmaid and mother-of-the-bride dresses as well. Their production times vary by style and range from 2-4 weeks, not including shipping. There are over 300 dresses in their online showroom that can be narrowed down by silhouette, strap and sleeve length, color, neckline, price, embellishments, boning, padding, and more.

Variations of white

When you're scrolling through Azazie's wedding dresses and find one that appeals to you, you can click on it and start customizing. A lot of the dresses come in multiple colors. None of them are vastly different from each other, but if you like a bright white dress, you have that option along with a diamond white/champagne color, or a more subtle diamond white/nude color. These color options are mostly for dresses with layers of tulle, whereas satin and other simpler dresses come in one color.

Barbie bride

Azazie added a fun, new Barbie collection to their inventory with six dresses that have a splash of pink, which is a unique flair. One is a rose gold mermaid gown covered in roses, another is all white with a peachy-pink trim, and one is a big beaded satin ball gown. The others are just as fanciful and unique, so if you're not married (pun intended!) to the idea of a strictly-white wedding dress, check out the Barbie collection.

Surprisingly affordable prices

The price of dresses from Azazie range from $199 to $1,119. This had us totally floored since most ready-made dresses from other stores can easily be over $1,000. For the beautiful, custom-made dresses we are seeing here, these prices can't be beat. Their least expensive dresses are satin-knee length dresses, so there isn't as much to them, but they are still classy and beautiful. Their most expensive ones come with layers of tulle and delicate applique flowers or sequins. Also, with an email signup, you can get 15% off all formal and evening gowns, 3 free swatches with free shipping, and 10% off all accessories.

Sizes 0-30 or custom

When ordering, you can select your size ranging from 0-30 or input custom sizing (for free) of your bust, waist hips, hollow to floor, height, and any extra length you'd want to add. Be sure to check the shipping timeframe listed. For us, the arrival time was about a month, but we could get it about 4 days sooner if we wanted to pay for expedited shipping ($10). The last thing you'll need to do is check out and get excited for your dress to arrive.

At-home try on program

Since purchasing a made-to-order dress takes longer than one that is ready to ship, you really don't want to get your sizing wrong. With Azazie's at-home try on program, you can select 3 gowns that will ship to you that you can test out before ordering. You can select a gown and see what sizes are available right away for try-on. If you don't see your size, you can view the calendar to see when it will come back in and be ready to ship out to you. There are limited gowns being distributed for at-home try-on, so you're at the mercy of other brides who are also testing out the dress and size.

No returns on custom sizes

There are no returns accepted for custom size, made-to-order dresses from Azazie, so double and triple check your measurements before sending them in. The company only accepts returns within 30 days for standard size dresses and most accessories.

"A+” Better Business Bureau rating

All of Azazie's dresses have unfiltered reviews, which is fabulous. Some have added pictures of them in the dress on their wedding day and written detailed explanations of the whole process and quality of the dress. This is incredibly helpful and we are happy to report that all the dresses have great ratings. On top of this, Azazie has an "A+” rating from the Better Business Bureau. This company is the real deal and well-liked by customers.

A great choice

Custom-made dresses can be hit or miss depending on the company, since they either come looking nothing like the picture with incorrect sizing, or you find a retailer like Azazie who produces high-quality, affordable, beautiful dresses that you'll love forever. We are really pleased with this company and have given them our highest rating.

David's Bridal

• Prices from $39.99 to $2,249
• Most dresses under $1,000
• 424 wedding dresses
• Get 15% off your next order with emails and texts
• 7-day return window
• Free shipping on orders $99+

David's Bridal was established in 1950 as a single bridal salon in Florida. It has grown into an international destination for weddings, quinceaneras, prom, and other special occasions. The company boasts that 1 in 3 brides in the United States purchase their wedding dress from this store. Some of the exclusive partners that work with David's Bridal include Pearl by David's, The BLK Tux, Diamond Nexus, Little Tuxedos, Shutterfly, and Blooms.

412 ready-ship options

You can view 424 wedding dresses at David's Bridal. If you want one that's in-stock and ready to ship, your selection drops to 412, which is still pretty good. The company is known for its traditional styles with mostly white gowns. You can find some that come in other colors too, but not nearly as many. We recommend sorting the inventory by sleeve type, silhouette, color, size, length, neckline, and especially price to get started. Sizes range from 0-14 in "missy” sizes, 16-30 in "plus” sizes, and 0-14 for "petite” sizes. Not all sizes are in-stock for a particular dress and some of them have no options for customizations, so you may not have a full 412 dresses to choose from.

Affordable price range

The prices of dresses range from $39.99 to $2,249. The cheaper dresses aren't exactly what you think of when you picture a wedding dress since they are mostly 2-piece sets (sold separately) with short skirts, loose-fitting pants, or a more casual look. The most expensive dresses here usually have big, layered skirts covered in lace with detailed necklines.

Most dresses under $1,000

Most dresses are under $1,000 though, so we feel like the prices of wedding dresses at David's Bridal are actually quite reasonable. If you sign up for emails and texts from David's Bridal, you can take 15% off your next order, which could be a big savings for you. And, when you spend over $99 at David's Bridal, your order will ship for free.

Initiate a return within 7 days

When you find a dress you love and select your size, you'll see how long it will take to ship the item. Most dresses say 1-3 days, so at David's Bridal, you can get a gorgeous dress within a matter of days. If you try it on and feel like you need a different dress, you can reach out to the company within 7 days of receiving your order and either exchange it within 60 days or send it back right away for a refund via your original form of payment, minus a $12.50 return label. The only brand that has become non-returnable is Vera Wang, so keep this in mind.

Rocky transition

David's Bridal has a "C” rating from the Better Business Bureau. This is about as average as their customer reviews. Some of the things people have recently said about this company include, "I wish I could give them a zero star review”, "They refuse to process returns”, "Disappointing”, and "An absolute joke.” To be fair, we can assume that mostly disgruntled customers write reviews, and they do have some positive ones, mostly from those who worked in-store with an employee they really liked.

Bankruptcy issues

The unusual amount of issues David's Bridal has experienced recently could be due to their bankruptcy issues in recent years. In 2023 they went through a major transition when they came under new ownership. It's not uncommon to see a company's processes hit some major bumps during this time and cause serious issues for customers.

Give them a chance

Customers can leave unfiltered reviews on the dresses here and we found that the ones that had ratings were mostly quite high. This is a reliable way to gauge the quality of a product. Overall, David's Bridal is a good place to look if you want a fairly priced dress that will ship to you right away. Not everyone has time for a custom-made dress, so that's partly why David's Bridal is so popular. Since you can return your order within 7 days, it's fairly low risk. Although they've gone through some issues in the past, we would still give David's Bridal a chance and look to them for a wedding dress.

Nordstrom

• Prices ranging from $38 to $8,490
• Over 1,790 white dresses
• Designer brands
• Free returns
• Unlimited return timeframe
• Free standard shipping
• "A-” Better Business Bureau rating

Nordstrom got its start clear back in 1887 when John W. Nordstrom, a 16-year-old, came to the United States from Sweden and joined a partnership in a shoe store. The first shop opened in Seattle in 1901 and the company has now grown to have more than 360 locations throughout the United States. The company also sells way more than shoes with collections of every type of clothes imaginable for men, women, and children. Their inventory seems limitless, so it's no surprise that you'll have your pick of more than 1,790 white dresses here.

Only some passable for a wedding

Although there are 1,790 matches for white dresses from Nordstrom, not all of them would qualify as a wedding dress in most people's eyes. Some look more like a beach cover-up or a casual dress you'd run errands in. Since there is no "wedding dress” category at Nordstrom, you may have to do some narrowing down to have a selection of formal-only dresses. You can sort by size, brand, length, material, neck style, occasion, price, sleeve, length, and style.

Simple wedding dresses

If you're picturing your wedding dress as layers of tulle with lace and beading from top to bottom and a beautiful train, you'll be disappointed by what you find at Nordstrom. This is not the place to find an extravagant ball gown, but rather something simple, sexy, and maybe even somewhat plain. There are only 301 floor-length dresses, so if you don't want your wedding dress falling to your shin or above the knee, you'll have fewer options.

Great product information

One of the most traditional-looking wedding dresses we found comes in 7 colors including black, pink, mint, cobalt blue, and red. It had one big ruffle sleeve that continued down to the hem of the dress. It was long, flowing, and had a square open back. The sizes range from 0-16 and Nordstrom tagged the dress saying that many customers say it runs large. Nordstrom's dresses are ready-made and able to ship quickly, so there's no waiting for it to be custom-made. Nordstrom does a great job of providing plenty of details about how to care for their dresses, sizing info, shipping details, and unfiltered reviews and photos from other buyers.

Sizes vary by style

The sizes that are available to you are completely dependent on the dress style. The filtering feature lets you choose sizes between 00 and 16, 14W and 28W, petite sizes 4-16, and maternity sizes 0-18+. Some dresses have very few sizes, so we recommend filtering by size first so you get a more accurate idea of which dresses will work for you.

Wide price ranges

The least expensive white dress at Nordstrom is $38.97. However, this is a dress that comes above the knee, has long sleeves, and has a wrap/tie to the side. It looks like it could pass as a bridesmaid dress or even something you wear to church or on a date night. We wouldn't consider this a wedding dress, so don't be fooled by the price. For dresses that are more likely to pass for a wedding gown, you could pay closer to a $300 to $500 range. The most expensive dress is $8,490. We were surprised to see that it said there were only a few left of this dress considering the price. It is a silk chiffon gown that hangs straight down to the floor with a giant flower protruding from the neck area. It's definitely a unique dress!

Free shipping and returns

An admirable thing about Nordstrom is that they don't have any timeframes for when you have to make a return. They want their customers to be 100% happy, so whenever you decide you want to take your dress back (as long as it's in new, unused condition of course), you can either return it in-store or by mail for free. They also give customers free standard shipping on all orders, regardless of your purchase total.

Popular, highly rated store

Nordstrom has an "A-” from the Better Business Bureau and it's a favorite store of many people because of their huge selection and designer brands. If you find a wedding dress here that you love, more than likely it will have a few helpful reviews from other buyers, so you won't be buying anything in the dark here.

Decent selection, no guarantees

We like Nordstrom for so many reasons. Their selection of clothes is amazing and they have something for everyone here. When it comes to wedding dresses, we have to acknowledge that the company doesn't actually claim to sell any. They just have hundreds of white dresses that could be worn for your wedding if you are on a budget and don't want to wait for one to be made for you. We're confident that this store will help some brides find success in their search for a wedding dress, but it might not be the best place overall. Nordstrom has earned a high rating from us, but we recommend checking out some of the other good options we've reviewed as well.

Anthropologie

• Dresses range from $289 to $3,500
• 102 wedding dresses online
• 10% off purchase with email signup
• Free shipping on orders of $50+
• Unfiltered customer reviews
• 30-day returns

Anthropologie was founded in 1992 and considers themselves a full-lifestyle shopping destination. Their products include an assortment of clothing, shoes, accessories, furniture, beauty, and home decor. The company has over 210 stores throughout the United States that you'll primarily find in shopping malls. Their in-store products change pretty frequently and they have a lot of seasonal items, so their online shop is the place where you'll find everything all at once.

A surprising wedding dress destination

Most Anthropologie shoppers love the store for their upscale clothing, accessories, and home goods. What a lot of people may not realize is that you could also find a wedding dress here as well. Since they don't display their wedding dresses in-store, their online shop is the place to view over 100 options. All of them are ready-made dresses and when we filtered our results to the in-stock options, we were left with 78.

A splash of every style

The categories of wedding dresses include modern bride, classic bride, boho bride, city hall bride, romantic bride, and beach and destination bride. Whether you want a long, flowing gown or a simple long button down blazer dress, Anthropologie has options. You can easily filter by size, price, sleeve length, neckline, material, embellishments, brand, and more. The Anthropologie website is user-friendly and they have gorgeous pictures of their dresses from all different angles for you to view.

Plus size options

The sizing on any given dress is different depending on the style, brand, and designer. We recommend filtering by size to make sure that the options you see will fit you well. Some dresses, like their most expensive ones, also have plus size options ranging from size 20-32. If dimensions or a size guide is available for the particular dress you're viewing, make sure to follow that since dress sizes can vary between companies and designers.

From $289 to $3,500

Nothing at Anthropologie is cheap, so we would expect their wedding dresses to cost a pretty penny. The bright side of this is that your order will at least ship for free since it will be well over the $50 requirement. The least expensive "dresses” here are $289, one being just a strapless pleated top that could be matched with a long bridal skirt (sold separately for $528) or some wide leg pants (also sold separately for $750). The other option for $289 is a long satin gown, so that's a great price. On the other end of the spectrum, Anthropologie has wedding dresses upwards of $3,500. Many of these have layered skirts with detailed appliques. One is a long-sleeve, slim-fitted dress with sequins from top to bottom. These dresses are fancy and fabulous.

Save 10%

Whenever a company offers a discount for email signups, we always recommend you do it. If it saves you some money, then why not? And then of course you can always unsubscribe later. Anthropologie will give you a discount for 10% off your purchase if you sign up for their marketing emails, so that could save you hundreds in this case.

30-day returns

If you order a dress from Anthropologie listed as "in-stock”, it should only take a few days to arrive. If you try it on and don't feel like it's the perfect dress for you, you can send it back within 30 days for a full refund or exchange. This can either be done by mail or at the Anthropologie store closest to you. For most mailed returns, a $5.95 fee will be deducted from the refund, but no restocking fees or anything else will be charged.

Mid-range BBB rating, but happy customers

Anthropologie has a "B” rating from the Better Business Bureau (BBB). This isn't great, but it isn't bad either. The company is sister stores with Urban Outfitters, Free People, Terrain, BHLDN, and Nuuly, all companies under the URBN portfolio of brands that range from "B” to "A” ratings from the BBB. You can see unfiltered reviews on some of their wedding dresses that may be the most useful bit of information in choosing a wedding dress. Many of their gowns haven't had any reviewers yet, so this is a little less helpful. Overall, people do generally like shopping at Anthropologie because of their unique selection, good customer service, and quality products.

A fun place to look

If you're looking for high-end, fanciful dresses, give Anthropologie a shot. They don't have a huge selection and their styles may not be for everyone, but this is a fun place to look. When you shop here, you know you'll be getting a wedding dress that's unlike any others you've seen people wear. You'll probably end up spending more money than you might elsewhere too, but if it's in your budget, Anthropologie is a good option. We've given them a good rating among wedding dress stores.

Lulus

• Prices range from $89 to $522
• 30 wedding dresses to choose from
• Free shipping on orders over $50
• Free 3-day shipping on orders over $100
• Unfiltered reviews on dresses
• "A” Better Business Bureau rating

The idea for Lulus was born in 1994. The owners almost considered opening a coffee shop instead, but their love of shopping won out and the first Lulus opened in 1996. They launched their online store in 2005 and have been growing steadily ever since. The company sells everything from women's shoes to swimsuits to wedding dresses. If you're looking for chic, stylish, fairly-priced clothing, Lulus has something for everyone and every occasion.

Small selection

Wedding dresses aren't Lulus' bread and butter, but they do have a selection with some beautiful gowns. There are 30 dresses to choose from, all ready to ship so you don't have to wait for the dress to be made first. The dress sizes range from XXS-3X and all of them come in either white, black, or beige. All of the dresses are floor-length and mostly traditional styles.

Helpful sizing information

Not every dress you see will have all sizes in-stock. Click on a dress you're interested in and you'll see the color choices, available sizes, description, size and fit details, and model information. We really appreciate it when you can see the dress on the model and then find out their height, bust, waist, hip, and the size they are wearing in the photos. This can be one of the best ways to gauge your own size.

Simple, inexpensive wedding gowns

The wedding dress selection at Lulus ranges in price from just $89 to $522. The least expensive dresses sometimes have additional color options because they could also be used as a bridesmaid dress or for any other formal occasion. They aren't as formal as some fanciful gowns we've seen elsewhere. Lulus doesn't have a lot of choices for dresses that are layered with tulle or that have big skirts or long trains. Most of what you find here is simple, sleek, and elegant, but not especially unique. Even the most expensive dress is a mermaid style with floral embroidery and off-the-shoulder sleeves, but it isn't something you'd only find here. If you're on a budget, you can easily get a pretty wedding dress for $200 or less, so this will be great for some people.

Free shipping

For first-time subscribers, you can submit your email address and get 15% off your next Lulus' order. This is always a good idea if you want to save a bit of money. You'll get free shipping on all orders over $50 and free 3-day shipping when you spend over $100.

30-day returns

If you need to return your wedding dress to Lulus, it needs to be unwashed, unworn, and in new condition. Return packages need to be postmarked within 30 days for the order delivery to be accepted. If you send it back within 10 days, you'll qualify for free return shipping. The company doesn't mention anything about restocking fees, so you should be able to get all your money back if you return your wedding dress promptly.

Reviews on all dresses

All the wedding dresses from Lulus have unfiltered customer feedback, which we love. Oftentimes this is either not information that's provided at all, or some products haven't had any reviewers yet. On all clothing at Lulus, you can read if the buyer felt that the fit runs small, true to size, or big, what size they ordered, the color, what the event was, what they would rate it out of 5 stars, their opinion of the item, and a photo of them in it if they choose to upload one. They can also add their height, weight, and other personal measurements so you get an idea of what size might be best for you. This is invaluable information when purchasing something as important as a wedding dress.

"A” Better Business Bureau rating

A good portion of the negative complaints this company receives tend to come from outside of the United States. This could be due to the fact that their warehouse is in Pennsylvania and there are more difficulties with shipping out and returning orders. Our best advice is to refer to the reviews on the individual dresses to see what people have to say and rely more on that. The Better Business Bureau gives Lulus an "A” rating, which is reassuring.

Could be a win

We wish Lulus had a bigger inventory of wedding dresses. It's great to find a place with ready-made options for those who are in more of a hurry. The company also gets positive reviews on their wedding dresses, so that's a huge plus. If you find something you love here, then that's a win. We like Lulus and don't see any reason not to shop here if you're excited about a dress you find. However, since they don't have as big of a size range as some companies and their inventory has fewer dresses, they've not earned one of our highest ratings.

The Dessy Group

• From $448 to $520
• 9 custom-made dress styles
• Hundreds of bridesmaid dresses
• Unlock 15% off your order with email signup
• All dresses ship in 7-8 weeks

The Dessy Group was founded in New York City in 1939. They call themselves a global leader in social occasion dresses and wedding apparel with distribution networks in the United States, Canada, Ireland, UK, and Australia. The Dessy Group specializes in made-to-order bridesmaid dresses but also has a selection of flower girl dresses, wedding dresses, tuxedos, and formal accessories and gifts.

Only 9 styles

Considering The Dessy Group is a wedding boutique, we were surprised at how few wedding dresses they offer. You have a whopping 9 styles you can pick from. There will be no chance to get overwhelmed with style options here. There are two dresses that aren't quite floor-length and the rest are long. They all have a somewhat slim-fit design without much detail. If you wanted to expand your options, you could see if you like any of the bridesmaid dresses and select them in a white or ivory color. This opens up hundreds of options that, in our opinion, are just as beautiful and formal as the wedding dresses. You could find ones with all different sleeve details, floral decals, ruffles, and materials.

Wedding dresses under $500

If you want to save a bit of money on your wedding dress, sign up for The Dessy Group's email list and save 15% on your order. But even full price isn't much considering your dress is made from scratch. Prices range from $448 to $520 and they ship within 7-8 weeks time. If you find a bridesmaid dress that you could use as a wedding dress, you could pay as little as $150 and some of these dresses even process faster.

Off-white wedding dresses

Most of the wedding dresses here come in a single off-white color. But, the bridesmaid dresses come in up to 43 colors. So if you prefer a lavender, pink, or taupe wedding dress, you could make this happen. Rather than selecting a single size, you'll input your bust, natural waist, hips, height, and typical size in order to get a recommendation. Then you'll add your wear date so that the company knows when you need it. Each product listing comes with details about how to care for the dress, details about the style, and the purchase terms.

25% restocking fee

The dresses from The Dessy Group aren't actually made according to someone's specific body measurements. They just use these numbers to find the size that will fit you best. Since technically everything here is "standard sizing”, all dresses are returnable within 30 days for a 25% restocking fee and $7.95 shipping fee.

Worrisome reviews

The Dessy Group gets mixed reviews from customers. It seems like for every glowing review, there are 2 bad ones. One person says their staff is knowledgeable and goes the extra mile for their customers while another says that sizing is completely incorrect and the dresses are cheaply made. The company gets a "D-” rating from the Better Business Bureau because of their failure to respond to a couple of complaints from customers.

Disappointing choices

If we're looking at The Dessy Group just from the perspective of their wedding dress selection, we are sorely disappointed. It seems like they'd have more styles since wedding occasions are their main focus. However, you could easily make a bridesmaid dress work as a wedding dress and have more options. We are concerned that so many people have bad things to say about the company, though. If you have a poor experience with the dress you receive, it's unfortunate that you'll have to pay a 25% restocking fee, so this is a high-risk choice.

Find a better option

We wish The Dessy Group was a higher-quality company and produced better products to keep their customers happy. It would also be nice to see them include a bigger wedding dress selection. There are better companies for wedding dresses than The Dessy Group, so we'd recommend buying from one of them instead.

Cocomelody

• Prices from $100 to $2,499
• Over 780 wedding dress styles
• Made-to-order dresses
• 15-75 days for production time depending on style
• Free 7-day returns
• Free standard shipping

Cocomelody has set out to help everyone feel unique and beautiful for life's most important moments. That's why their collection of gowns includes styles for brides, bridesmaids, mother-of-the-bride, flower girls, and parties. The company has a few in-store locations in Utah, South Carolina, Moses Lake, Seattle, and Hollywood, but their online store has the biggest selection.

Dress inspiration heaven

There are over 780 made-to-order wedding dress styles at Cocomelody to choose from. If you look nowhere else for some design inspiration, look here. There is such a range of silhouettes, necklines, fabrics, sleeves, necklines, and much more. Since every dress is custom made, the turnaround time of 50 days is about the same whether you order a custom or standard size. Standard sizes range from 0-22, but you can choose a custom size for an additional $199 to $399 depending on style.

Unique colors and designs

Some of the most unique wedding dress styles you'll find at Cocomelody include one with multi-layered tulle in blush pink, baby blue, yellow, and peach. Another is made with a dark pink underlayer with a black overlay in a trumpet mermaid style with a long train. Some come in a light lavender color, midnight blue, blush pink, peach, deep orange, black, and of course white. Some are simple and classic, while others on the opposite end of the spectrum give us evil queen vibes.

From $100 to $2,499

The least expensive wedding dresses at Cocomelody are under $100 and some have short skirts, while others are more formal and have floor-length skirts. These simpler dresses have a production time closer to 15 days instead of 50, so this is a faster, less expensive route to go if you like these options. The most expensive dress you can buy here is $2,499 with a princess cathedral train made of tulle and lace with flower appliques from top to bottom. It's breathtaking and seems like it would be worth the money. This dress, and some of the other more expensive choices take 75 days for production.

Detailed product descriptions

When you select a wedding dress, you'll first see photos from different angles of the dress, view production time, and then select the color. If you choose one other than what's pictured, you may pay a small fee around $40 or so. Then you'll select your standard size or input custom sizes. Cocomelody shows some "often bought with” selections if you need ideas for accessories that would go with your dress. You can read tips for measuring your dress and choosing a color as well as a detailed description of the dress.

Free standard shipping

On top of production time, you can expect 3-10 days for shipping depending on the method you choose. Dresses ship from warehouses in the USA and China, so depending on your region, the arrival time will vary. If you choose standard shipping at checkout, shipping is free, which is a good perk.

No returns on wedding dresses

Cocomelody offers free 7-day returns for ready-ship standard size dresses, accessories, and shoes. However, their custom-made items are final sale, which means there are no returns on their wedding dresses. You'll want to make sure you trust this company and that your sizing is perfectly accurate before making a purchase here or you could be out a significant amount of money.

Declining customer satisfaction

Over the last couple of years, Cocomelody's ratings have gone down significantly. People claim their orders never arrive and they get the runaround from customer service. They have an "F” rating from the Better Business Bureau. For a while, people were always pleased with what they received from here and felt that the prices were great and quality was satisfactory. The dresses can have unfiltered reviews, and some of them do, but a lot of them haven't been reviewed yet. As much as we love the huge inventory and range of styles, we would be a little bit worried about how the process of ordering a wedding dress would go here. We would recommend digging deeper into the company to decide for yourself.

Good potential, but too many issues

Cocomelody has great potential. We really like what we see and the prices are as we would expect. However, the company has fewer included sizes than a lot of other wedding dress stores we've seen, and it's crazy that even though all dresses are made-to-order, it costs an additional $199 to $399 if you need a size larger than 22. With the recent onslaught of negative customer reviews, we've given Cocomelody a lower rating than we would have hoped to.

Milanoo

• Dresses range from $57.39 to $679.99
• 840 wedding dresses
• Mostly made-to-order dresses
• Sizes 2-26 with some custom options
• Free shipping
• 14-day return policy

Milanoo is a Chinese company established in 2008. They specialize in offering a diverse range of made-to-order products including men's and women's clothing, special event items, footwear, and accessories. They're popular because of their massive selection and inexpensive prices. There are 840 wedding dresses to view at Milanoo, so there is no shortage of styles here. Whether you want a pantsuit for your wedding, a flowing black gothic gown, a layered red velvet dress, a traditional white dress, or a 2-piece jumpsuit, Milanoo has you covered.

Smorgasbord of dress photos

Milanoo's website is easy to navigate, but it isn't the most aesthetically pleasing. When you're looking through all the wedding dress options, you'll notice that the photos have all different backgrounds. Some were taken in a store, some seem to have come from actual weddings, others even include the groom in the picture. We can only guess that the dress styles from Milanoo are being sourced from a variety of places, which is why the pictures vary so much. This isn't a bad thing, but it is unique since companies often like to take their own product photos to prove that they have them in-house and can make it easier to compare the different designs.

Can't sort by size

You'll probably want to sort through the collection of wedding dresses with Milanoo's categories like price range, color, silhouette, hemline/train, neckline, sleeve length, fabric, embellishment, and train length. It's a bit odd that you can't sort by size since this is going to be one of the biggest factors in which dresses are available to you. Most dresses range in size from 2-26, but some have fewer sizes or even options for you to input your own.

A mix of custom and ready-made dresses

For dresses that aren't ready-made, it takes about 7-12 days to process. The time you should expect it to take is listed underneath the dress description as well as the shipping time, which is usually 3-6 days and is free. Some wedding dresses have certain sizes that are in-stock and ready to ship and others that will take days to process. It will be a bit of trial and error for people to figure out which dresses are available in their sizes and how long it will take for them to arrive.

Everything under $700

The cost of wedding dresses at Milanoo ranges from $57.39 to $679.99. Some of the cheaper dresses appear when there is a "flash sale” and things are temporarily marked down for 8 hours or so. A lot of the less expensive dresses are shorter in length with less dress material and frills. Still, even the most expensive dresses with lace, beading, and a longer train don't cost too much, so no matter what you're going for, Milanoo offers a good deal. Maybe even too good? You can get a Cinderella-esque ball gown that looks like it would cost thousands of dollars for just $260. There are so many styles and levels of intricacies on the dresses, but prices don't fluctuate between them here as much as you'd expect.

14-day return policy

Standard size dresses can be returned within 14 days of receiving. You'll first need to contact customer service to initiate the return and you'll then be contacted within 48 hours with instructions. The company gives step-by-step return instructions for creating a return request with photos to guide you through the process. Depending on the item returned, a 15% restocking fee may be deducted from your refund so that the company can reduce environmental waste and keep costs low.

Odd customer reviews

There are reviews on some of the wedding dresses at Milanoo, but they are hard to interpret. It appears that customers can leave up to a 5-star rating on a product, but the comments with it sometimes say something like, "This user has defaulted to praise”, or "This user tacitly rented.” None of the reviews we saw seemed to have actual comments from the buyer, so it ends up being unhelpful to us.

Disgruntled customers

Milanoo does not have a rating from the Better Business Bureau, but there are tens of thousands of people who have big opinions about the company. Some people say that if you want to throw your money away to a scam, shop at Milanoo. Others say it is an amazing company with a great customer service team. A common complaint is that it takes longer than expected for items to arrive and that it is difficult to get refunds. A lot of people also feel like they steal photos from other sites and make cheap, low quality copycats of the shown products. Despite the good things some people have to say, we feel like it would be a major gamble to try and get a wedding dress here.

Not worth the risk

We wish Milanoo wasn't too good to be true. To have 840 wedding dress styles to choose from that are made-to-order perfectly in your size for just a couple hundred dollars sounds like a dream. Unfortunately, the company doesn't seem to be completely reliable or honest, so we would absolutely not recommend buying your wedding dress here. If you want to test out the site with less on the line, you could check out the other clothing Milanoo sells. However, something as important as a wedding dress should be purchased elsewhere.

ChicSew

• Prices from $199 to $389
• Made-to-order dresses
• 40 wedding dresses
• 7-day money back guarantee
• Great customer ratings

ChicSew is a wedding brand that says they are based out of Delaware, but the Better Business Bureau says that this is just an address for the registering agent, not for where the business is based out of. According to their terms and conditions, it seems they are located outside the United States, but it's unclear exactly where. ChicSew was established in 2012 and specializes in creating bridesmaid dresses. The company boasts that they've designed dresses for over 30,000 bridesmaids. You can tell that wedding dresses aren't ChicSew's bread and butter since they only have a selection of 40 options total.

Small selection

It won't take you long to look through all the wedding dresses on ChicSew's website, but if you wanted to use their filter features to cut to the chase, you could sort by neckline, styles, sleeve length, embellishment, back details, and length. All of them are made-to-order, so you will always have options between 0 and 30 available to you or custom sizing instead. The company also says that if you leave a note with your order you can have them make the dress in any color you wish. Kind of seems too good to be true, right?

Prices are too low

You can sort ChicSew's dresses by price and select either $150 to $200 or $200 to $250. The funny thing is, their most expensive dress is $389, so this is inaccurate. Even so, $389 seems too low a cost for a wedding dress. Their most expensive option could go for $1,500 from another store and we wouldn't bat an eye. It's a mermaid style with lace top to bottom, short sleeves, and a v-neck. As much as we'd love to pay only a couple hundred dollars for a wedding dress, we realize that sometimes the price reflects the quality, so that is concerning in this case. The least expensive wedding dress from ChicSew is just $199 and also stunning enough to merit a much higher price tag. This one has pretty lace straps with an open back and a long flowing chiffon skirt. We'll go out on a limb here and say there's no way you're going to get an identical dress like you see in the photo for just $199.

Buy one, get one

At the time of this review, ChicSew was offering a discount code for a Buy 1, Get 1 Dress Free deal. Usually companies that aren't losing much money on a dress would provide an offer like this, but wedding dresses wouldn't fall under this umbrella. We aren't sure why you'd need two wedding dresses, but we are skeptical of this offer and it makes us lose even more trust in the quality of the dresses.

10-15 days for production... maybe

Depending on the style of dress, it seems most production times range from 10-15 days with another 5-10 for shipping. Some customers have reported waiting longer than this, so plan way ahead if you choose to shop here.

Crazy shipping costs

The cost for shipping depends on your order value. For dresses between $100 and $149.99, the cost to ship is a whopping $25.99. For dresses costing between $150 and $199.99, shipping is $37.99. If your dress costs between $200 and $249.99, you'll pay $44.99 for shipping, and if your dress is between $250 and $299.99, shipping is $5 1.99. For the most expensive wedding dresses here, you'll pay $58.99 for shipping, all of these prices being more than we've found at any other wedding dress store.

Picky return policy

There's a slight chance you might get a refund (minus the 10% restocking fee) for your dress if you aren't happy with it. We say slight because it's a 7-day satisfaction guarantee only for standard sizes no bigger than size 14. All custom dresses are final sale. You'll need to contact ChicSew within 7 days of receiving your dress and then have the dress in the mail within 15 days of delivery.

Concerning reviews

The company is not rated by the Better Business Bureau and their reviews are mixed to say the least. Some third-party sites have nothing but glowing reviews from "customers” while others warn buyers that ChicSew is a total scam and has fraudulent business practices. They don't have reviews on any of their individual dresses, so this is no help. We just don't get trustworthy vibes from ChicSew, so we aren't excited about the company.

Look elsewhere

There are fantastic, highly-rated wedding dress stores online that make custom dresses, so there is no reason to risk your money and time with ChicSew. This company has earned a low rating from us, so stay on the safe side and look elsewhere for wedding dresses.

BM Bridal

• From $49 to $999
• Over 1,350 wedding dresses
• Custom-made wedding dresses
• 22- to 28-day production times
• Optional expedited production for $40
• 6 color choices for most dresses

BM Bridal specializes in made-to-order bridesmaid dresses, but they have a host of dresses for prom, wedding guests, and brides as well. The company says they have over 10 years of experience under their belts with a focus on making affordable dresses that will fit any aesthetic. BM Bridal says they are based out of Oregon, but their website gives an address in the United Kingdom, and it also seems like they have a lot of ties to China based on information we gathered from digging deeper into the company.

Custom-made dresses

There are over 1,350 wedding dresses listed on BM Bridal's site. Considering they specialize in bridesmaid dresses, we were shocked to find so many wedding dresses here. All of them are made-to-order, so you'll need to account for production and shipping times when you're shopping at BM Bridal. Depending on the style of dress, production time is usually around 22-28 days and then shipping takes another 5-7. If you want to rush the order and cut production to 10-15 days, the cost is $40 extra.

Color options

When you find a dress you like, you can choose your size (2-26) or input custom sizing if needed. A few of the dresses come in multiple colors like white, ivory, red, blushing pink, champagne, or black. Unfortunately you can't see the dress in the other colors if they are selected. You just have to imagine how it would look and trust that the tiny color swatch you see is accurate.

Odd product listings

We'd like to see more consistency in the dress listings here in order to make us feel like all of these dresses are available and legitimate. Some photos look like they were taken on mannequins in a few different showrooms, some are on models like you'd see on a magazine cover, others are posed in a room, and some look like they were taken on someone's wedding day. It kind of looks like someone did a quick search for "wedding dresses'' and then just started making product listings with the images they found. This doesn't prove that BM Bridal is legitimate, and it is a bit of a red flag for us.

Skeptical of pricing

We love a great deal as much as the next person, but the prices of these BM Bridal dresses just don't feel right. The least expensive wedding dress you can get here is $49, but it is listed for 50% off. Even so, this dress is layered with detailed applique and sheer netting around the neck. At the very least, we'd expect to see a dress like this for around $500. We can't imagine that paying even $100 for it would make the company any money and result in a dress that looks like what we see online. The most expensive dresses at $1,000 are beaded in thousands of crystals with a long train and layers of fabric. They are truly beautiful, but again, these types of dresses would cost thousands of dollars elsewhere.

Returns discrepancies

Standard size dresses are eligible for returns as long as the tags are still attached and nothing has been washed. BM Bridal says you will need to contact them within 2 business days if you are choosing to send anything back and then the item needs to be shipped within 14 days. On top of you paying for shipping to send the dress back, a 10% restocking fee will also be assessed. They also say, "When you ship the dress, please mark the price is 5-10 dollars.” We have no clue what that could mean. They also list their address on the returns page, but then include "This address do not accept packages.” There are some major issues with their returns information, so we aren't confident that you'll be getting any money back if you try and return something here.

Not a fan fave

BM Bridal, also connected to the business name SuZhou, has an "F” rating from the Better Business Bureau. Their customer reviews aren't quite so bad, but they aren't glowing either. Some people report that the wedding dress they bought here fit them perfectly and the custom alterations were perfect. A lot of customers love the design options, comfortable fabric, and high quality craftsmanship. However, woven throughout these good recommendations are people who describe BM Bridal as a scam and say the quality is cheap, customer service is awful to work with, dresses arrive looking completely different than what is listed online, and some people didn't even receive their orders at all. It makes us think that some of the really good reviews are fake, which is disappointing.

Not trustworthy

You don't want to take a gamble with your wedding dress, and BM Bridal isn't a reliable place to shop for one. There are too many issues with customer reviews, incomplete information, odd pricing, and inconsistent product listings. We don't trust this company, so we would never recommend purchasing a wedding dress here.