This is a must see Public Service Announcement for anyone planning a wedding. It features Jim Verraros, Vice President of Bridal Expo Chicago + Milwaukee luxury bridal shows speaking truthfully about brides who are tricked into buying counterfeit wedding gowns from unauthorized websites. Loudbyte Cinematography shot and edited the PSA on location at our company headquarters in Elgin, IL. It is also a must see for all bridal and prom retailers across the U.S. If you are getting married and considering buying a discounted wedding dress online, please watch this PSA first. Footage from the Bridal Expo Chicago provided by Loudbyte. Runway clips from Ines Di Santo and Lazaro as shot by Loudbyte. Shot/Edited by Loudbyte Films. Special thanks to Tamara Makeup + Hair Artistry.

Currently, there are approximately 4,000+ counterfeit wedding gown sites and the number is rising every day. We strongly encourage every bride-to-be to know where and what source they are purchasing their wedding gown. More and more brides are struggling just weeks before their wedding to find an emergency replacement gown for the designer knock-offs they purchased online from unauthorized Chinese manufacturers. While the low price may be tempting, you could wind up spending more to buy a second dress to replace the original.

In this short film, Vice President, Jim Verraros of Bridal Expo Chicago + Milwaukee Luxury events talks about the risks associated with purchasing a wedding gown online from an unauthorized website.

For many brides, “the gown” that you choose is an incredibly important facet of the wedding. After all…. all eyes will be on you when you walk down the aisle to say your “I Do!”

But, lately, we’ve been hearing a lot of horror stories about brides getting ripped off from the Internet when searching for the perfect gown at the perfect price. Look, weddings can be expensive, but buying a designer gown from unauthorized online websites is a huge mistake, and not a good way to save money because you will be receiving counterfeit goods. It’s nearly always a bait and switch scam and here is how it works:

Counterfeit wedding gown internet sites pay Google and other search engines to follow your online shopping behavior. Ads pop up promising you 20-50% off the original price of the gown you were just viewing online. You click on the ad and “think” you landed on a trustworthy site. Next, you see that the gown of your dreams is being offered at a deep discount. You fall for the trap, buy your gown and they promise to ship it to you directly.

What you get in the mail, however, is a gown rolled up in a ball of paper and plastic. When you unwrap the package, you realize that your gown is not the same gown you ordered on line. When you try to get your money back, you find out that the website has either been shut down by court order or you discover that they have a no return policy.

Here is the truth about wedding gown shopping and buying; the only way to ensure you are buying an original designer gown is through a bridal salon. Designers such as Ines Di Santo, Lazaro, Hayley Paige, Sophia Tolli and others only authorize their designer gowns to be sold through authorized bridal salon retailers across the country.

So shop local and visit a bridal salon near you. Book your appointment, be treated like a princess, and find the perfect gown that matches your ideal budget. Remember, if something sounds too good to be true, it ALWAYS is.

“Counterfeit wedding gowns from online websites often claiming to be designer original gowns are illegally sold to unknowing consumers every day. Counterfeit websites misrepresent their dresses by “copying and pasting” true designer’s imagery, descriptions, and style numbers. Before purchasing your dress, do your homework. Ensure that you purchase an authentic designer wedding gown from an authorized local bridal shop, not an online counterfeiter. If you are unsure, visit the designer’s website and you will see that they only sell their merchandise to “brick and mortar” bridal salons and boutiques.” –Bill Brennan