I admit I was terrified at first of ordering a wedding dress online, because I didn't want it ending up like one of those "What you got vs. what you ordered" horror pictures you see that happen to many women... I ended up ordering this dress as a Size 6, b/c the sizing chart indicated the dress would fit smaller than a standard dress size. I was too afraid to order custom sizing because I wasn't certain I would get the measurements right and it's non-refundable with the custom sizing. Before ordering, I asked for swatch samples so that I could be sure of the colors. I ended up going with white and royal blue, as I felt the ivory and navy were too dull and dark. I asked that straps be added, and they were nice enough to not charge me extra for them. Their communication was excellent! I wear a standard dress size four, and I'm only 5 ft 4 in tall. It swallowed me. Luckily I am very good friends with the seamstress who did my fitting for me at no charge (my wedding gift from her). She had to separate the two pieces, and essentially re-make the dress skirt and corset to fit me. When she was done, it was as if my Fairy Godmother made my dreams come true. The dress looked absolutely stunning! All in all, this is a very well-made quality dress for the price, but my recommendation would either be to try your standard dress size, or know someone very well that can work their magic to make it a custom fit. I also had my friend add buttons/loops in order to "bustle"/lift the train in order to walk around for pictures. I'm extremely happy with this dress, and couldn't have asked for a better experience!