Sandalwood Rose hand-fans sounded luxurious to bride-to-be Linh Melton, but when they arrived, they didn’t live up to her expectations, and, she recalls, “I could have gotten them a lot cheaper . . . if I’d bought them in Chinatown.” Scrolling through expertly arranged pages of favor photos or choosing between flower bouquets floating in cyberspace can be risky—you can’t make sure that baby blue ring pillow is exactly what you’ve always dreamed of. Nevertheless, more brides are shopping, and saving money, online.

The only thing you might not want to buy online is the dress (though, with a good tape measure and some patience, you can). Still, shop for dresses, reception-ware, and more on these wedding shopping sites.

First Things First: Invitations

Invitations have to be sent out anyway, so you may as well buy them online. Order samples first, advises Renee Maleski, consumer market manager with MagnetStreetWeddings.com, to get a feel for the paper and colors. Not all computer screens display quite the same shade of mauve. MagnetStreetWeddings.com, Weddingpaperdivas.com, and Theamericanwedding.com have invitations, Save the Dates, direction cards, and more.

All The Small Things

Wherebridesgo.com sells lots of, “the little stuff,” says owner Sandy Waggett, cake servers, favors, place card holders. For favors, there are better deals, and more selection online, says Waggett. It’s easy to get overwhelmed with pages upon pages of coasters, bottle toppers, and candles at Myweddingfavors.com, Americanbridal.com, Littlethingsfavors.com, Weddingfavorsemporium.com, and Beau-coup.com, but unique items do stand out. Fizzy wedding soaps at Littlethingsfavors.com, mini cocktail shakers at Beau-coup.com, and “Olive You” olive oil bottles from Americanbridal.com. Think about it: what would you want to take home from a wedding?

Shopping Style

You can shop by item, and drown in choice, or you can shop by who you are—bargain hunter, luxury seeker, or one-stop shopper—and find sites tailored exactly to your needs, be it saving money, having a chic wedding, or building one, ultimate online shopping cart.

The Bargain Hunter

Keepmeinstitches.com and Fairytaleendeavorsbridals.com have dresses on the cheap. Take your colors to Fiftyflowers.com or Budget-bride.com for DIY flowers. Partypro.com has everything for your reception at red-marked prices. As with any bargain hunting, shop with plenty of time, just in case.

The Luxury Seeker

Couture wedding dresses are at Scarlettscloset.com. Vogueschocolate.com is the place for luxurious, edible favors like mini wedding cakes or exotic truffles. If you must top your cake with something uber-fancy, Cake-Jewelry.com has silvery flowers, metal bows outlined in rhinestones, or glittering letters.

One-Stop Shopper

Wherebridesgo.com has 4,000 items, everything except shoes, slips, and undergarments. Weddingthings.com lives up to their name with ‘essentials’ like Jordan almonds and bubbles, alongside cake servers and invitations. Kathy Clouter, owner of The Wedding Decorator in Palm Beach, FL, recommends Jessicaswedding.com or Shindigz.com for everything you need for the reception, including arches, lights, and miles of tulle.

Here’s How

Do your research: shop in-store before going online, check wedding planning message boards, and ask around. “If your friend or fellow bride is happy,” says Maleski, “it’s a good indication of what [a] company will be like.”

While shopping, search with specifics: instead of ‘cake topper,’ type in ‘silver monogrammed cake topper.’ “It’s not a bad idea to shop around,” says Waggett, “because a lot of sites sell the same thing.” Once you find that low price, look at the company’s shipping and return policies to get the whole picture, low prices don’t always mean the best deal. To save even more, before she buys, Waggett opens another browser window and searches for ‘coupon code’ and the site name to find company coupons. After all, you never know what you’ll find online.