Buying a wedding dress online used to feel like a gamble. Now it is how some of the best-dressed brides we feature find their gown, often without setting foot in a salon. The catch is knowing where to look, because the difference between a site you can trust with the most photographed outfit of your life and one you cannot is not always obvious from the homepage.
So we did the narrowing for you. We vetted price ranges, shipping windows, return policies, and the actual design point of view behind each one, then cut the list to the 21 online wedding dress sites we would genuinely send a friend to. Budget minis to made-to-order gowns to preowned designer steals, organized by the kind of bride you are, not by who has the biggest ad spend.
Let’s find your dress.
How to Shop for a Wedding Dress Online (Without the Anxiety)
A few things that make the whole process easier, learned from years of watching brides do this well and watching a few do it the hard way.
Order earlier than you think you need to. Six months out is the floor, nine or more is the goal. Made-to-order gowns need that runway for production plus alterations, and the brides who panic are almost always the ones who waited.
Know your measurements before you browse. Wedding dresses do not size like your weekday clothes. Get measured by a tailor if you can, or measure your bust, waist, hips, and shoulder-to-floor length yourself, then check each site’s size chart individually. International labels especially run their own way.
Order up if you are between sizes. A gown taken in two sizes still keeps its design integrity. Letting one out rarely goes as well. When in doubt, size up and budget for a seamstress.
Read the return policy before you fall in love. Made-to-order and preowned gowns are often final sale, which is completely fine as long as you know going in. The sites with generous return windows are the ones to lean on when you want to order a few and decide at home.
GWS Pro Tip
Only buy from sites you can actually vet, like the 21 below. A dreamy dress at a too-good price from a site with no reviews and no return policy is the oldest trap in online bridal.
Best Budget-Friendly Online Wedding Dresses
The proof that a great wedding dress does not require a five-figure budget. These three do affordable without doing cheap.
1: Lulus
dress: Everglow Off-the-Shoulder Basque Waist Maxi Dress
Don’t sleep on Lulus! The selection is genuinely good, the prices are almost suspiciously low, and real customers post fit photos right in the reviews, so you know what you are actually getting before you add to cart. With so many options under $100, the move is to grab a ceremony dress and a reception look and still come in under what one salon gown would cost. Free shipping and returns if it doesn’t work out, plus a bridal concierge to chat with.
Price Range: $40-$498
Shipping: Standard to 1-day
Returns: Returns within 21 days.
2: ASOS
ASOS is where fast and affordable meet without the quality drop you’d expect. The bridal edit leans chic, minimalist, and clean, exactly the look that photographs as expensive. Detailed measurements on every dress, a steady rotation of size inclusive styles and jumpsuits, and free returns. Our recommendation: order your top three, try them together at home, keep the one.
Price Range: $70-$560
Shipping: Next day to 7 business days.
Returns: Free within 28 days.
3: Show Me Your Mumu
dress: Dalia Maxi Dress
For the effortlessly stylish bride who wants nothing fussy. Show Me Your Mumu does romantic and a little boho without the price tag you’d expect, flowy silhouettes, soft fabrics, and a whole bridal edit built for the bride who would rather feel like herself than like a cake topper. Most styles land under $300, and it is one of the best budget sites for a rehearsal or second look on top of the main event. The kind of dress you can actually move in.
Price Range: $88-$298
Shipping: Standard to expedited
Returns: Within 30 days
Best Designer & Luxury Online Wedding Dresses
For the bride who knows exactly the caliber of gown she wants and wants it shipped to her door. Lead with the dream, the rest of the list will still be here.
4: Danielle Frankel
dress: Anika Gown
If your saved folder is all impeccable tailoring and quiet drama, this is your jackpot. Danielle Frankel honed her craft at Vera Wang and Marchesa before launching her own New York-made line, and it shows in every seam. The gowns are modern and nostalgic at once, and the party-ready mini dresses are worth the scroll on their own. We still think about a real bride of ours in the Ruby gown.
Price Range: $990-$19,990
Shipping: Same-day (NYC area) to standard shipping.
Returns: Within 28 days
5: NET-A-PORTER
dress: Clio Peppiatt
NET-A-PORTER carries the world’s most coveted designers, and its bridal edit is no exception, always fresh, always fashion-forward. You’ll find luxury gowns, floral-appliquéd jumpsuits, capes, and jackets from names you know and designers you are about to (think Vivienne Westwood, Clio Peppiatt, Oscar de la Renta, Danielle Frankel and more). The 24/7 personal shopping team makes the high price point feel like a service, not a gamble.
Price Range: $205-$14,990
Shipping: Same-day to standard
Returns: Within 28 days.
6: Neiman Marcus
wedding dress: Valentino
We all know and love Neiman Marcus. The name alone tells you the caliber. Oscar de la Renta gowns, Jimmy Choo pearl pumps, a whole runway’s worth of designer bridal under one trusted roof. The standout is the Style Soulmate service, which pairs you with a stylist to build your look virtually or in-store, the closest thing to a personal bridal concierge on this list.
Price Range: $275-$18,250
Shipping: Same day to 3-5 business days.
Returns: Within 30 days.
Looking online for wedding dresses with a pop of color? These are the ones we’re currently obsessing over!
7: KYHA
dress: Preston Gown
A GWS forever-favorite. We featured Kyha’s sister’s wedding and still think about her pink bespoke dress. KYHA is the made-to-size, ready-to-wear range, available globally, and the silhouettes are bold in the best way, for the bride who would take an unexpected line over tulle and a ballgown any day. Free express global shipping on ready-to-ship gowns.
Price Range: $1995-$8995
Shipping: 3–10 business days (ready-to-ship); 4–6 months (made-to-order)
Returns: Within 5 days (ready-to-ship); non-refundable (made-to-order)
8: Mytheresa
dress: Vivienne Westwood
The most fashion-forward name in this section, and the one your most directional friend would send you. Mytheresa‘s bridal edit skews younger and cooler than the traditional luxury houses, think of-the-moment designers, sculptural minis, and gowns that read runway before they read bridal. The site is impeccably curated, so you are browsing a tight selection of the best rather than wading through everything. For the bride who wants luxury without a hint of expected.
Price Range: $390-$12,500
Shipping: Express 2–4 business days
Returns: Free returns within 30 days.
Best Independent & Etsy Wedding Dresses
The case for going small. Etsy is one of the most underrated places to buy a wedding dress online, a direct line to independent designers making gowns you will not see on anyone else. We narrowed the field to vetted shops with real reviews and real GWS history, several of which offer made-to-order and custom work. Note: many run regular sales, some up to 50% off
9: Rouvell Wedding
bridal dress: Rouvell Wedding
Equal parts trendy and timeless. Rouvell makes the most of corset bodices, elegant fabrics, and vintage silhouettes, and the result looks like it stepped out of a storybook. You can also design a custom gown with them, just add three to four months for production. The corset ball gown is one of our favorite silhouettes of the year, and the sleeves on the romantic satin dress are everything.
Price Range: $245-$2650
Shipping: 2–5 weeks
Returns: Within 7 days, $100 return fee
10: Flora and Lane
Some of the most beautiful bohemian gowns you can find online, lacy, flowy, and unapologetically free-spirited. Flora and Lane builds for the bride who wants to look like herself, only more so. One thing to know: their production runs long, up to five or six months, so order early. The glittering celestial gown, which also comes in a dreamy black, is worth the wait.
Price Range: $850-$2650
Shipping: Next day to 2 weeks.
Returns: Made-to-order, non-refundable.
Free-spirited dresses are our fave! Take a look at some of the most stunning bohemian wedding gowns we’ve fallen head-over-heels for.
11: Sumarokova Atelier on Etsy
dress: Sumarokova Atelier
For the bride who wants color and whimsy, this is the one. Sumarokova works in delicate, gorgeous hues and is happy to customize, a different neckline, a brighter shade, a leg slit, whatever brings your dress to life. The dusty copper gown and the “something blue” tulle dress are pure magic. Made to order, so build in their 8–10 week production time.
Price Range: $890-$3690
Shipping: 1-2 weeks plus production time.
Returns: Made-to-order, non-refundable
Best Modern & Trendy Online Wedding Dresses
For the bride who is too cool for tulle and wants a dress that feels like fashion first, wedding second.
12: Cult Gaia
wedding dress: Hansel Gown
Contemporary, sculptural, and quietly cool. The LA label is known for its signature cut-outs and architectural lines, and its bridal pieces are understated in the most fashion-forward way, built from materials made to last. Perfect if you want something more modern than a traditional gown. You can chat live with their stylists to find your fit.
Price Range: $398-$2998
Shipping: From next day to 5-7 business days.
Returns: Refundable within 14 days.
13: Staud Bride
dress: Staud Calluna Dress
Modern, distinct, and high-fashion without the high price tag. Staud’s gowns bring clean lines and elevated silhouettes, and it is one of the best sites for color, many styles come in patterns and shades beyond traditional white. The bridal accessories are worth a look too. For the bride who wants to stand out without shouting.
Price Range: $390-$1595
Shipping: Next day to free ground
Returns: Returns within 14 days.
14: MESHKI
bridal gown: Elizabeth Wedding Dress
The sleeper pick of this list, and the answer for the bride who wants sexy, modern, and genuinely affordable. MESHKI’s bridal collection has gone deep on clean, sculptural minis and slip gowns, and it merchandises by moment, bridal shower, bachelorette, ceremony, second look, so you can dress the entire weekend from one site. The satin corset mini and the strapless pleated Atelier gown are the standouts.
Price Range: $325–$1,295
Shipping: Next-day to free ground
Returns: Within 14 days
15: Revolve
dress: Retrofete Margot Dress
Revolve is the fashion-girl shortcut, modern, contemporary, and stocked with designers like Bronx and Banco, and Retrofete. The gowns are made for minimalist city rooftops and art-museum ceremonies, and the It-girl accessories (pearl earrings, bow heels) are right there to complete the look. Free two-day shipping on US orders seals it.
Price Range: $80-$920
Shipping: Free 2-day shipping for US orders.
Returns: Full refund within 30 days; exchange within 60 days.
Calling all minimalists! Don’t miss our round-up of the best simple wedding dresses.
16: For Love & Lemons
dress: Esme Bridal Gown
The whole wedding weekend in one brand. For Love & Lemons is where the romantic bride dresses every moment, the rehearsal dinner, the after-party mini, the ethereal ceremony gown, all in the label’s signature heirloom lace, billowing sleeves, and hidden-heart details. Where most names on this list dress the ceremony, FLL dresses the bachelorette, the welcome party, and the second look too. If your aesthetic is feminine, a little vintage, and unapologetically romantic, this is the brand to lose an afternoon in.
Price Range: $398-$1298
Shipping: Standard to expedited
Returns: Within 30 days
17: Reformation
bridal gown: Ronda Silk Dress
The coolest little white dresses online, and the eco-conscious choice. Reformation‘s bridal runs from slip dresses to ivory silk gowns to a few cottagecore pieces we are obsessed with, all sustainably made in Los Angeles, with your carbon footprint tracked right in the product details. If your ceremony is casual or you are simply too cool for tulle, start here.
Price Range: $248-$998 (plus a strong sale section)
Shipping: Next day to 5-8 business days.
Returns: Refundable within 30 days.
Best for the Anthropologie Bride
18: Anthropologie Weddings
dress: BHLDN Valerie Bridal Gown
Ask us if we will ever get over Anthropologie’s bridal store. We will not. Anthropologie Weddings is a curated closet of designer favorites alongside in-house pieces, and it is where BHLDN now lives too, so the dreamy, whimsical gowns brides came to BHLDN for are all under this roof. Everything from ethereal ballgowns to fun mini-length dresses, plus accessories and separates from small businesses. You can shop by style, wedding type, and dress feature, and the virtual appointments are genuinely good. Consider this your one-stop shop for the entire wedding wardrobe.
Price Range: $218-$750 separates; $298-$4370 dresses (plus a killer sale section)
Shipping: Next day to standard (5-8 business days).
Returns: Free returns within 30 days.
Best Try-Before-You-Buy Online Wedding Dresses
The closest thing to a salon experience from your own living room. Here is the real difference between the three, because they are not the same.
19: Dreamers and Lovers
Made-to-order gowns from a small California atelier, with the most generous try-on math on this list. Choose up to three handcrafted gowns, they ship to your door with prepaid round-trip shipping and two days to decide, and the $65-per-dress fee applies as credit toward your gown if you buy within 30 days. Try three, find your one, and that’s $195 off the final dress. Soft, movable fabrics and hands-on service throughout.
Price Range: $1130-$2930
Shipping: Varies by date; limited ready-to-ship in 1–2 weeks
Returns: Made-to-order, non-refundable
Try-on: $65/dress, credited to purchase
Get the pretty in pink look with these swoon-worthy blush wedding gowns. Perfect for the blushing bride!
20: Azazie
dress: Mari Dress
The widest try-before-you-buy net, and the most affordable. Browse over 200 gowns in every style, order up to three at just $10–$15 each, and they ship free with a week to try them on at home, ideal for a try-on party with your people. Once you’ve found it, return the rest and order your gown. There is even a Spotify playlist for the occasion.
Price Range: $109-$1229
Shipping: Shipping takes up to 7 business days, and production time can take an additional 1-18 days.
Returns: Within 30 days.
Try-on: $10–$15/dress, up to three
21: AW Bridal
dress: Lucine Wedding Dress
Bespoke on a budget. AW Bridal offers free customization on every gown, choose your style, input your measurements, and it arrives made to fit straight out of the box. The at-home try-before-you-buy service lets you see your favorites in person first, and you can order up to five free fabric swatches to nail the design. Couture feel, accessible price.
am design!
Price Range: $100-$700
Shipping: Standard 15-25 days; express 5 days.
Returns: Within 30 days.
Try-on: At-home service plus free swatches
Best Place for Preowned Wedding Dresses
22: ThredUp
dress currently listed on ThredUp
The treasure hunt, and the deepest discounts on this list. ThredUp is a giant resale marketplace, not a bridal boutique, which is exactly the point: the wedding edit runs from premium to designer at up to 90% off retail, and the trade for less curation is sheer volume and the lowest prices anywhere here. Filter by designer or premium to skip straight to the good stuff. For the bride who loves the thrill of the find and the sustainability of giving a gown a second life, this is the one to bookmark and check often, inventory turns over constantly.
Price Range: Varies widely; up to 90% off retail
Shipping: US ground shipping
Returns: Varies by item, check listing
How Much Do Wedding Dresses Cost Online?
One of the best parts of shopping online is the range. Budget-friendly gowns run roughly $100–$600 at sites like Lulus and ASOS, and you will still look like a million bucks. The sweet spot for most brides lands around $1,000–$2,000. Luxury and designer gowns from the names at the top of this list start around $2,500 and climb well past $10,000. The factors that move the price are always the same three: fabric (silk versus synthetics), the level of detail like beading or embroidery, and the designer behind it.
Frequently Asked Questions
Shopping for a wedding dress online can feel like a big decision. Here’s what to know before you click “add to cart.”
At least six months before your wedding, ideally nine or more. That gives you time to try it on, decide, and alter. For made-to-order or custom gowns, add another two to three months for production, since your dress is being made from scratch.
Yes, as long as you stick to vetted sites like the ones on this list. Read the product descriptions for fabric and construction details, check real customer reviews and fit photos, and confirm the return policy before you buy. The risk lives almost entirely on unvetted sites with no reviews and no returns.
Get professionally measured if you can, or measure your bust, waist, hips, and shoulder-to-floor length yourself. Then check each site’s individual size chart, since designers and international brands size differently. If you are between sizes, order up, a gown is far easier to take in than to let out.
It depends on the site. Many retailers offer 14 to 30-day return windows, which is exactly when ordering a few options to try at home pays off. Made-to-order and preowned gowns are often final sale, so always confirm before you commit.
Azazie, Dreamers and Lovers, and AW Bridal all offer try-before-you-buy programs, each a little different. Azazie is the most affordable at $10–$15 per dress, Dreamers and Lovers credits its $65 fee toward your purchase, and AW Bridal sends free fabric swatches alongside its at-home service.
Now That You’ve Found Your Dress
Once you’ve said yes to the dress, it’s time to complete the look with the best wedding shoes! We’ve compiled a huge list of our favorite shoe brands that are perfect to pair with that dream dress!
But the shopping doesn’t end there. Your next step is choosing the ‘fits for your ride or dies! Don’t miss our list of the best places to buy bridesmaid gowns online, plus the best bridesmaid gifts to show them your love.
And last but not least: the bling! Choose your forever sparkler with the help of these dazzling wedding bands for women. And be sure to check out this round-up of stylish wedding bands for men, too!
