Once Wed - designer wedding dresses for less


		Buyer Info

**BEWARE, BEWARE, BEWARE: Scammers are all over the web, so please do your due diligence before buying a dress anyhwere on the internet. NEVER PAY FOR A DRESS ON THE INTERNET WITH CHECK, WIRED MONEY, MONEY ORDER, OR CASHIERS CHECK. Please only use a secure payment service like escrow.com or paypal to buy a wedding dress online. Please be aware and protect yourself***

I created Once Wed to simplify and streamline women's search for the perfect used wedding dress and provide a great resource for ideas in planning your wedding. The advice below is a result of many months searching for my used wedding dress. I hope it brings you as much luck as it brought me with my Monique Lhuillier wedding dress.

Payment options
-Escrow.com works as a traditional escrow service acting as an intermediary
creating a secure transaction for both buyer and seller.
-Paypal is another secure payment option,but remember they only insure goods up to $1000.
-Money Orders/Cashiers Check/Check/WIRING MONEY-NEVER, NEVER, NEVER. There are just to many scammers on the web for this to be a payment option.

Miscellaneous
-If you don't know your measurements(bust,waist,hips), get out a tape measure and measure yourself. This is the best way to determine whether or not a gown will fit.
-If the gown has any defects(tears,stains,etc.), ask for pictures! You want to make sure you know the exact condition of the dress before you buy it.
-Always insure your used wedding dress if the seller is shipping it too you. Paying the extra $50 is worth it,ladies.
-Negotiate, Negotiate, Negotiate!! Don’t be afraid to offer lower than they are asking. The worst they can say is no.

Other Listing services:
-Ebay
-Craigslist
-http://www.preownedweddingdresses.com
-http://www.bridepower.com
-http://www.bridecouture.com

Frequently Asked Questions:

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 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 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 check the buyers of the gowns listed on the website?
Unfortunately, there is no way to 100% verify they are actually selling the wedding dress they listed. I ask all sellers to sign an agreement, but it is on the honor code. That is why it is VERY important as the buyer to ask the right questions and only use secure payment options.