Etsy

I got my dress off Etsy! Olivia Bottega.
I was hesitant at first also, since it’s an extremely important decision and purchase without actually trying it on. But I did it anyway.
I measured myself multiple times during different times and on different days for about 2 weeks to get my most accurate measurements. You may be able to go to a seamstress and get professionally measured (I’d recommend this). My measurements were nearly perfect! (Thank god!) and only had minor alterations to being in shoulder and sleeves to fit my petite frame. Honestly as nerve wrecking as the process was and the waiting and anticipation, it was totally worth it! I messaged the seller back and forth for a good month before making my final decision. In fact, I never tried on a single wedding dress before ordering.. I just saw it, loved it, and got it haha.Be sure to read every single review, and communicate with the seller many times before actually purchasing!Etsy dresses are one of a kind and usually very affordable (from what I’ve seen and my own experience!) and are very good quality!Here’s my dress!

View Quoted Comment That’s exactly who I was talking about too! I LOVE Olivia Bottega’s dresses!! I fell in love with a few on Pinterest before I went and checked her out on Etsy. I’m so glad it worked out for you. I’ve been looking around at different places and haven’t found anything that really speaks to me. But I can’t stop thinking about one of her dresses that I’ve been obsessing over. I might actually consider going that route now! Thank you for the info. Your dress is BEAUTIFUL!!

View Quoted Comment Yes! The second I saw her dresses I was like SOLD! Haha. They are a great small company. Anastasia is an amazing designer! Feel free to send me a private message, I’d be happy to help guide you and answer any questions you may have. I’d love to see the dress you decide on!!

That’s awesome! I’m gonna look around on Etsy some more. Will def message you with my million questions lol. Thanks so much!

I’m buying my dress from Bibiluxe on Etsy, she has an option where she send you the sample size dress to try on at home before you decide to move forward with the purchase. I’m sending my measurements next week for my actual dress so I haven’t received it yet but the quality from the sample alone was super impressive. Barbara is clearly super skilled and has the reviews to back it up too!

View Quoted Comment Ooooo, I’ll have to check them out. I like that they send a sample dress. Thanks!

If you do decide to buy on Etsy, avoid Anna's Clothing. I had a terrible experience with this shop for a dress for my bridal shower. Be sure to read ALL reviews carefully before committing. I'd also check to see where the shop is located in case you end up needing to return it. I didn't realize that Anna's Clothing was located in the Ukraine when I bought my dress, which made for a much more expensive return when I had to return the see-through dress I received.

I'm sure there are great sellers out there, but make sure to do your research carefully!

If you do decide to buy on Etsy, avoid Anna's Clothing. I had a terrible experience with this shop for a dress for my bridal shower. Be sure to read ALL reviews carefully before committing. I'd also check to see where the shop is located in case you end up needing to return it. I didn't realize that Anna's Clothing was located in the Ukraine when I bought my dress, which made for a much more expensive return when I had to return the see-through dress I received.

I'm sure there are great sellers out there, but make sure to do your research carefully!

I know this post is a couple months old, but I also ordered my dress from Olivia Bottega and I LOVE it!

It is completely custom and one of a kind. I combined the top of the Enn long sleeve dress with the bottom of the Airis dress in soft pink (which is very subtle). I also lined the top, raised the neckline, and added more lace to the back.

My measurements are almost exact. I will just have to take in the sleeves (I added a few cm because I have broad shoulders and would rather have it too big than too small)

I am also going to take a layer of hard mesh out of the bottom to make it a little less poofy.

I'm in the US and it took about 2 months to arrive. Communication was EXCELLENT! I also ordered a matching veil and it's perfect.

I'm very picky and conservative and would have had to change so many things on dresses at local boutiques, so I chose to customize and don't regret it one bit.

View Quoted Comment That’s so beautiful! I’m glad you had a good experience. I won’t be formally dress shopping until October but I’ve been casually looking around and haven’t found anything I’m totally thrilled about. I LOVE Olivia Bottega’s dresses though! I’ve fallen in love with a few already. I’m still gonna do the whole trying on dresses bit first, but if I still am not thrilled about anything, I’m gonna seriously consider buying an Olivia Bottega.

View Quoted Comment That’s awesome! Yes, I would definitely try on dresses first. It made it easier for me to know what silhouette looked good on me and what I wasn’t too crazy about.

I've ordered my dress from LuckyDressAtelier on Etsy. They're based in Poland, so the shipping is not complicated and reliable, since it's a EU country... And they usually cater to US brides. I haven't received my dress yet, but the reviews are very good and the communication has been AMAZING. They ended up designing me a completely new dress which has exactly everything I wanted, with so many sweet little details (like hidden pockets or the date of the wedding stitched inside a sleeve - both their ideas!) - and it will cost me EUR 1,500... They've also sent me fabric swatches before I've made a decision. I'm really excited about the dress.