If you’re a bride, you might think that buying your wedding dress online is not possible–but it absolutely is. In fact, it’s actually the best way to do it. Just think about it–if you buy your wedding dress online, you don’t have to be hassled by pushy store salespeople or feel pressured to buy a dress that you don’t want or can’t really afford. Buying your wedding dress online versus in a stuffy bridal boutique means that you can shop from the comfort of your own home, compare prices from different wedding dress retailers and make the purchase when you want. You can even shop in your pajamas or at odd times of day (we know that brides are very busy and have many other things to buy and plan for their big day!).

And since our favorite online retailers like Shopbop, Nordstrom and Net-A-Porter have created special wedding shops, you can find almost any kind of wedding dress online—from inexpensive, budget-friendly wedding dresses under $200 to gorgeous designer ones from high-end bridal brands like Marchesa, Monique Lhuillier, Reem Acra, THEIA, Alexander McQueen and more.

The trick to buying your wedding dress online is to know your measurements (have them taken at your local tailor—they will usually do this for free) and to also know what necklines, hemlines and dress silhouettes are most flattering on your body type. If you don’t know, you can make an appointment at a bridal boutique near you and try dresses on—and then go home and buy the exact dress or something similar online.

Another tip is that you shouldn’t simply type “wedding dresses online” into Google, or you will find tons of fake wedding dress sites—many of which sell knock-offs and should be avoided at all cost. To avoid buying a fake wedding dress online, only shop verified U.S. sites that you are familiar with. Our favorite online retailers for wedding dresses are: Shopbop wedding boutique, Anthropologie, Edressme, Nordstrom, Net-A-Porter, Neiman Marcus, Etsy, BHLDN, Ann Taylor, BCBG and J.Crew.

Another reason that buying your wedding dress online is the best, is that you can also buy your shoes, jewelry, veil, accessories and more in one transaction! Just load up your shopping cart and you’ll have everything you need for your big day with one click of the mouse. Voila! Who doesn’t love the ease and convenience of that?

[Photo: KT Merry]