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How do I buy a vintage wedding gown?
We were meant to
be I have found a love so true Fill my soul with you...
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You've fallen in love! |
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... And last night you announced your engagement to
family and friends.
Now comes the planning.
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 In the next days, weeks and months, you'll receive advice from
all sorts of people who want to influence your wedding plans.
Remember that they mean well, but it's your day, not theirs.
What if you
have a dream of a perfectly old-fashioned vintage
styled wedding? How do you describe it to
a wedding planner? Where do you go to find
stylish older vintage wedding items?
If you're like me, you'll google "vintage wedding."
Unfortunately in today's Internet search engines, paid
sponsorship of "vintage wedding" keywords usually leads us
right onto online auction sites. While there are super bargains to be
found, it can be rather difficult for some sellers to
describe an item - and even more difficult for others to
photograph it well. Sometimes we shake our heads at those listings where
the item is described as "mint," and then a description follows with a list
of twenty major defects. How confusing!
Just like all businesses unfortunately, there
are actually people who might try to cheat you by selling items that are
far less than what was described in the auction listing. Mint condition may mean holes, rips,
tears and stench and the auction seller may electronically disappear overnight.
So what do you do?
Do your research and ask questions.
Even if your seller is a legitimate dealer or a retired Mom and Pop, they may
claim that their item is a certain vintage, when it is absolutely not.
Is that fraud? Not if the seller believes it in his or her heart
to be true... So, if you've paid for a "Victorian Wedding Veil"
that's actually nylon, you may have trouble convincing the
seller that nylon hadn't been invented until 1938. Hence the caveat, "Let the Buyer Beware."
So how do you protect yourself when buying online?
Know what you want and buy what you want, but educate
yourself first. Shop around. You can tell
if a Seller is willing to work with you by the way they present their
terms of Sale. Are all sales final? Ask the dealer if they'll stand by their
estimation of Mint condition. If
they become indignant or communication doesn't feel right,
walk away...
If you're absolutely in love with an item and have
questions about its authenticity, insist on a
guarantee from the seller. If you are unable to get one, walk away
from the purchase.
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This truly is a new chapter of your life. |
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But it's also the
most important time to keep a cool head, or your vintage wedding dreams
could turn into a big headache.
Don't panic!
You can really almost have anything you want, providing that you
know how to avoid the pitfalls of "vintage racketeers."
This isn't as scary as it sounds, because luckily, there are far more
vintage wedding companies that are honest and fair (it's actually hard
to find the dishonest ones.) But there are a few rules that you
should follow to make sure you get all of the vintage you're paying for.
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