billysbride: i dont know what you exactly want with that statement, bu I AM a real bride. i have my dress made from dressilyme, but i`m also in other forums and there are some brides, they ordered a complicated ruffle style like this rivini dress and it doesen`t came out so good. Dressilyme is a newer company than landybridal. i was searching the whole internet before i done my first chinadress-order ever, and i was thinking to going with them, and this was my first result:

i couldn`t wear it because it was a little to small on my hips, that was my fault. I bought it to a secondhand wedding boutique and she was very impressed with the quality and style of the dress. i sold it for more money than i paid. also my sister in law and mother in law, their dresses were stunning! in the end my mother decided to do a order for a designer dress and it came out perfect:

so, it was my Advice to go with them, because i made the best experience with them. Dressilyme is good, if you like a simple dress or lace dress, but with ruffles they are not so adeptly. 

Thank you very much Billy!! I am so happy i found you guys!!! It's about 2 months i am looking for my wedding dress and it seems to be very hard. The dresses are so expensive to buy in the store but from the other hand buying them from internet is risky. It is so great to have you guys telling about your experience!!! Now i have more clear ideas what to do. Billy can I ask you about the fabric? So the bodice of Rivini is organza over satin? What about ruffels? Are they pleated organza only? Sorry for asking about this again. I just want my wedding dress to be perfect like all of us wish.  

Bride1986- I only meant just what I posted; that my advice is to base who you order from strictly based on those who have had experience with the company and not hearsay. No more, no less. There are LOTS of people talking on boards and not all of them have direct experience..hence my pointing out how great this forum is because you can talk to ladies who have actually purchased gowns instead of just having to depend on miscellaneous reviews you can't be sure are authentic. If you read my post I think I was pretty clear on what my intent/meaning was.

Kleana- yea, the bodice is organza over satin...I only know that because I recall seeing it on one of the bridal shop descriptions for the original Rivini gown. The ruffles I'd have to assume are organza as well. I'd say nail down a photo of those before you complete your order request or send money. At least thats my plan. They can be a sticking point I'm sure since they are a huge part of what makes the gown so special. The bodice shouldn't be a big deal for any reputable company to duplicate; the LOOK is all about those ruffles which is why I personally have shopped around so much!

I'll keep you posted about my experience. My wedding is still 8 months out so I have more time and can afford a "mistake"...if you've only got 2 months I'd say focus on the sites you've seen the most credible reviews for, get your sample and take a chance. Really thats what we're all doing-no way to be 100% sure unfortunately.

hi everyone, all this info is great! 

BillysBride i was skimming through the dialog, maybe i missed it, but did you say that you have gotten any pictures yet of the progress of your dress? if so could you post it or let us know if you are pleased with it. also do they allow you to put in your order before u pay for it, like will they start working on it? i too found many dresses, designer, that i fell in love with but will not pay the asking price as it is only one day i will be wearing the dress and that money could go for our appt rent for a multiple months!! thank you for your time its evident u want to share your experiences in efforts to help fellow brides 

you all are awesome! 

Jesss,

Nope, you have to pay for your dress prior to it going into production. Thats understandable since I'm sure they would lose a lot of money with brides who changed their minds after a dress/fabric is already cut.

I haven't ordered mine yet; I submitted my info request right before the Chinese New Year and was told they would not be able to begin til after the holiday so I chose to put wedding funds toward my venue and photography first since I'd have to wait for the dress regardless. Happy to say my photographer is now booked and so is our venue (was any one else truly nervous to book their venue? its like it makes everything so REAL! lol).

ANYway, they are back in production as of Monday (tomorrow night due to the time difference), so I'm planning to order this next week or two. I just can't make up my mind about gambling on the ruffles....I'm fairly certain it will be fine since I've seen other brides state they are very honest in saying if they don't have the materials to match a gown. When I submitted my photos, they seemed like it wouldn't be a problem. Anyway, I'll be sure to post pics as I go!

BillysBride,

awesome thanks sooo much! i know this may be a long shot but would you know of any inexpensive photographers in the Ca (LA) area?... and how much is too much in your opinion to spend on photography? i ask because i love that you have the same values on spending on the gown as i do.. but im confused on the photography!

Ps i had the idea of hiring a student photographer (of corse i would do my research on their work) this way i would be helping a student build their portfolio and i wouldn't have to pay full price my cost would be cut probably in 1/2. what do you think?

Jesss, sorry but no...I live in central/southern IL. We're about an hour and a half north of St. Louis which is where we're actually getting married.

Have you tried doing a vendor search here PJ? They also have a great referrals forum on Weddingbee.com and The Knot. Tons of resources out there to point you in the right direction. I have heard of gals who utilize student photographers. Just do your homework and make sure you've seen what they can do already. I also think it's good to look at photographers who are just starting out....alot of times they are cheaper because they are still trying to establish some word of mouth. The biggest money saving tip I know of is just requesting a copy of the cd and no prints. You can always have prints done in whatever size you want, so long as you have the cd and copyright to the images. Couples spend a fortune on a la carte photography prints and albums- that doesn't really make sense to me. I'm buying the cd of all the edited photos and nothing else. I'll make my own albums. LOL

great thanks so much for the advice. let me know about the progress of your dress 8)

I know this probably isnt the right thread for this but you all sound so informative I'd like your opinions! I'm not getting married till july next yr (2012) but im an over achiever and dont wanna freak out and become a bridezilla closer to the date lol so my cousin told me about dressily and im pretty impressed w/ what ive read and seen so far. my problem is I have a dress planned out in my head and cant find anything really like it anywhere. I did email them a description and the images I drew on Paint. That was about 2 hrs ago so they havent gotten back to me yet... would you guys mind giving me your opinions on this dress? im not an artist so be gentle :) thank you so much!