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Bridal shops are aplenty out there in the real world. The challenge you will face is trying to find one that is not going to try to take you for a ride!
You can count on there being four important ways to locate local bridal shops:
Bridal magazines - pick up any major bridal magazine at your local store and you'll literally see them plastered with ads from apparel manufacturers.
You can often find a list of shops that carries the designer close by. You might find, however, that the listings could be incomplete. Some of your local stores may actually carry the dress but are not listed in the ad.
Friends - ask your friends, coworkers, relatives and anyone else you can think of (hey what about your florist, or photographer, caterer, etc.) if they know anyone who was recently married and can recommend any shops.
Also ask if there are any shops that you should avoid and listen carefully to any advice they can give.
The Internet - you can surf the web to find local shops. Or you can actually shop for your dress online.
Some of the sites that I would recommend are found at Wedding Dress Suppliers. You can also check out TJ Formal. TJ Formal offers dresses up to 75% off with free shipping. They also ship to Canada and around the world and have a great selection of other items related to your wedding experience.
They have great information with regard to measuring and proper fitting of your bridal gown. You will find that all listings have style numbers and prices (believe me, that information is hard to find on other popular wedding sites).
They even have a currency exchange calculator so that you can see approximately how much your wedding dress will cost in your own currency.
You can also search by designers and price ranges, so even if you spot a dress at a local bridal shop you can make a note of the designer and style number (if you can pry the information out of them!)
The Better Business Bureau - check with your Better Business Bureau to see if any of the bridal shops. You've heard about have a record of complaints.
I would recommend that you stay away from any company with a complaint. Even if it was resolved.
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