Websites deceiving soon-to-be-brides, expert says

Brides across the country are getting scammed by websites that promise low-priced wedding gowns, according to a local business owner.

Mia Sanchez, owner of Style Bride Boutique & Tuxedo, said websites are advertising dresses at prices that are too good to be true. She said the sites’ creators copy photos from designers’ websites and post them on their own sites. But when the dresses arrive, they don’t look as advertised.

“It’s just bad quality, the fabric is super, super cheap,” she said. “We’ve had brides that have not received their dress at all.”

Sanchez said these websites also sell dresses for other occasions, like prom. The websites look legitimate, but there are some red flags. She said the first is the low prices; another is grammatical errors. And they request measurements that local stores normally don’t require.

“Neck size, your shoulder size, your arm size, your arm width,” she said. “If it’s a legit place, all we need is their bust, waist and hip.”

Shannon Incerto was considering buying a $130 wedding dress off one of these websites when she got married. She went to Style Bride to get the measurements the site requested, and Sanchez warned her of the risk.

“For the one thing that’s supposed to make your entire day, for it to show up and not be what it’s supposed to be would be devastating for anybody,” she said.