Please do your own due diligence before buying a dress anywhere on the internet including Once Wed. Unfortunately, there are people who prey on women looking to buy a wedding dress online. NEVER PAY FOR A DRESS ONLINE WITH A CHECK, WIRED MONEY, MONEY ORDER, CASHIERS CHECK, OR PAYPAL. Always be aware and protect yourself by using escrow.com!

I am looking for a Vera Wang Emily/Claire Pettibone Laurel/J Crew Rebecca/Etc. Do you have it in stock?
All the dresses in our database our uploaded by individuals. Once Wed only provides the listing service which means we don’t own or warehouse any of the gowns. Because of this, we don’t have any control what gowns we do or don’t have in our listing service at any give time. We receive new listings daily though, so our suggestion is to continue to check back everyday for your dream dress. Chances are your gown just might be listed.

What if I find a used wedding dress that is too big for me, can I alter it?
It all depends on the dress. Take a picture of the dress to a seamstress you trust and ask her opinion. I bought my Monique Lhuillier wedding dress in a size 10 and altered it to a size 2, so it is definitely possible.

What is the difference between street size and dress size?
Wedding dress designers typically use a different measurement system than typical street clothes designers like J Crew or The Gap. Unless you know your size in a specific designer  you are looking to purchase, it is probably best to go by bust, waist, and hip measurements.

What questions should I ask of a used wedding dress seller?
One should review the used wedding dress listings and additional information provided by the seller. The most critical factors to judge a dress with are condition, size, measurements, cleaning method and location. I’ve designed forms on www.oncewed.com that require sellers to post the most critical information about their used wedding dresses allowing buyers to make sound decisions.

What is the difference between dry cleaning and preservation?
Dry cleaning provides a basic cleaning of obvious dirt and stains. However, it does not protect against the long term yellowing, fabric deterioration, or invisible stains that can surface over time and ruin your precious gown”(Affordable Preservation Co.) Double check to make sure your seller is using the right terminology.

Do you do any type of background check the buyers of the gowns listed on the website?
Unfortunately, there is no way to 100% verify a seller is actually selling the wedding dress they listed. I ask all sellers to sign an agreement stating they are, but it is on the honor code. It always VERY important as a buyer to ask the right questions and only use secure payment options like escrow.com

What form of payment do you suggest buyer’s use?
Escrow.com is the onlys payment service I reccomend to buyer’s. Paypal, money orders, cashier’s check, and personal checks are not reliable forms of payment to buy a wedding dress online.

Disclaimer: Once Wed is NOT responsible for any transaction between a buyer and seller gone wrong. It is up to the buyer to do their own due diligence before purchasing a dress to verify the seller is reputable and honest.