March, 2008
Brides should be aware of the disadvantages and inconveniences of buying on the Internet by Erin Janovitz
Thanks to the Internet, everything from the latest wedding dresses to free wedding planning services are now only a mouse click away. Today's young bride is very Internet savvy, and advertising on the Web is becoming increasingly popular for many bridal boutiques. Therefore, brides are being tempted by many bridal Web sites with money-saving offers on the purchase of their wedding gown.	Rani Totman is the owner of the Saint Pucchi Sposa solans in Los Angeles and Dallas and the designer of three different bridal gown lines: Sposa by St. Pucchi, Avine Perucci and St. Pucchi. Totman advises brides to use the Internet as a resource. "The Internet should be used on a reference basis only. The majority of the sites are not genuine retailers. I have heard too many horror stories of girls receiving dirty dresses or sample gowns in the mail," Totman said.         Oftentimes, it is the unsuccessful retail stores that start up Internet companies.
When the bride decides to order her dress online, she is required to pay in full for the dress, even before shipping it. In addition, she will most likely receive her dress through a delivery service unpressed and in a small box.         Many brides are hungry for a discount, but don't realize that they are rarely saving money and may end up spending more. Brides do not know that her gown must be fitted, steamed and pressed before wearing, and these tasks require expertise and should be done by a professional. A full-service salon actually would have saved the bride money by taking complete care of these tasks, puttng the bride's mind at ease. In addition, a full-service salon does not require final payment until the bride picks up her dress and is satisfied. The salon offer will offer brides savings on other aspects of planning their wedding that far outweight the "discount" she will be saving on her gown.	Although many full-service bridal salons are being hurt by Internet sales, discount bridal dealers and trans-shipping, they are doing everything they can to ensure that a bride shopping in their store leaves with the perfect dress. "I educate all the girls that come into my store on the benefits of full-service bridal salons. I explain that this type of shopping is very reisky for such a special occasion," said Joan Branton, owner of Bells and Bows, a full-servie salon in Atlanta.         Allen agrees and focues on awing the girls with Bridals By Lori. "We have a highly service-oriented salon and try to have products you cannot buy online. Once they find a dress, we encourage them to customize it, change it to make it one-of-a-kind."         Every bride wants to look beautiful on her wedding day and full-service salons aim to give brides the highest quality in gowns and service. Buyers beware of discounts, it is too risky to take a chance. You deserve peace of mind on your wedding day.
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