Buying a wedding dress is one of the most important purchases a woman will ever make, but with increasing costs of weddings it's not always possible to get that dream dress. Nobody wants to start married life in debt, but this is an increasingly common situation that lots of people are finding themselves in.

The Bridal Association Of America cite that in 2009, the average cost of a wedding dress is $1,505. The overall cost of a wedding is currently on average $30,860, up from $28,850 in 2007. That's a lot of money to get married.

If you're looking to cut costs on your wedding dress, but still want a dress with the wow factor, ebay is definitely worth looking at.

The reason why new wedding dresses are so cheap on ebay is because lots of the top rated sellers own their own factories and make the dresses themselves. There's no third party involved, you're getting a brand new wedding dress direct from the manufacturer, and by cutting out a bridal store you will be saving a substantial amount of money.

There are of course guidelines that should be followed when buying a wedding dress from ebay:

• Choose a top rated seller and look at customer feedback. If you don't like what others are saying, look for another seller.
• Write down your exact measurements. Most, if not all top rated sellers will have measuring charts on their product pages to help you with this.
• You won't be able to try the dress on until it is delivered, so it's best to go to a bridal shop try plenty of styles on and know exactly what it is you're looking for. Sometimes the dress style we dream about isn't the one we end up with. A dress will look totally different in a photo, or even on a hanger, you must try dresses on to find your perfect style.

No matter what style you are looking for, you'll be sure to find it on ebay. Having tried dresses on and knowing which style you want will save you lots of time searching through countless wedding dresses on ebay. Simply type your style into the search box and look for a top rated seller.

Many top rated sellers on ebay make custom made wedding dresses, you can choose your fabric, and embellishments to create a unique wedding dress for a fraction of the cost that it would be if you went to a regular bridal store.

Communication is key here. If you see a dress you want, I would recommend contacting the seller to see what their customer service is like. If you're happy with the response you get, then I would place an order. There are some really stunning dresses on ebay for less than $200, the same dresses in a bridal store would possible have an extra zero on the price tag.

One of the great things about buying a wedding dress on ebay is that you can have a copy of a designer dress. Lots of the dresses listed are copied from designer collections and this is a great way to get a really stunning wedding dress that's also a bit of a bargain.

Being a bride on a budget doesn't have to mean that you compromise on the dress. So long as you've done your research about your ideal dress and about the seller, I see no reason why ebay shouldn't be the ideal way to get a beautiful wedding dress for a fraction of the cost that it would be in a bridal store.