What Is a Mail Order Bride? All the Secrets About Mail Bride Online Industry Revealed
The statistics show that 10%-12% of American men marry foreign women, among whom are many mail order brides.
But who are mail order brides? Some don’t know what it is, others are skeptical about being a mail order bride, without knowing the core of this concept. But today, you will find the essentials about mail wives, their motivations, methods to meet them, average pricing, and legality issues.
SofiaDate
Over 150K users
22% men
|
78% women
SakuraDate
Over 98K users
58% men
|
42% women
LatiDate
Over 87K users
48% men
|
52% women
General Info about Mail Order Brides
Mail order brides are women who create profiles on foreign dating & marriage sites to find a foreign husband. It’s about real love. They do it virtually and willingly for different reasons, although in the past, the mail order bride industry looked like advertising yourself in magazines for men who came to British colonies and needed spouses in foreign lands.
A typical mail order bride is in her 20s-40s and often comes from Eastern European, Asian, and Latin countries. Nevertheless, anyone can become a mail order bride because love has no borders.
Reasons for Women to Become Mail-Order Brides and Seek Love Across Borders
Visa and money are the first stereotypes that pop up in the minds of many people who don’t know a thing about mail order brides from foreign countries. However, the ladies go beyond such “motivations.
A Mail Order Bride Online Wants to Explore the World
As simple as it is, some mail order wives just want to try new things, immerse themselves in cultures, and assimilate into them later. A lot of mail order brides are open-minded and flexible, which increases their drive for international marriage and thus the ability to integrate.
Women from Dating Sites Are Dissatisfied with the Local Dating Pool
When you grow up with a different mindset than other people in your circle have, it becomes hard to find a partner. For example, a mail order bride may come from a society with a machismo culture, like in Latin countries. It can make her reconsider her choice in men and opt for dating males from another culture/nation.
Women for International Dating Have Economic Aspirations
Some women become mail order brides as a consequence of their job and life dreams. For instance, a woman from a developing country decides to move to a more progressive one because she wants to have better opportunities for growth. But she also wants to build a family, which makes her look for a partner from the country where she’s going to build her new life.
Popular Regions to Get a Mail Order Bride
A mail order bride can come from any country, but, as we said earlier, the top destinations are Asia, Eastern Europe, and Latin America.
- Eastern Europe
Eastern European women are leaders in the mail order bride market. These ladies are often family-oriented and have great homemaking skills. Besides, foreign men are often attracted to Slavic women because of their beauty – they can invest resources into preserving their appearance.
Top choices: Ukraine, Belarus, Poland
- Asia
Asian women are popular among Western men because of their humble demeanor and dedication to their partners. Many of these ladies are also hardworking and ready to support their husbands in times of hardship.
Top countries: Japan, the Philippines, Thailand
- Latin America
Latin women are known for their passion and optimistic attitude to life, which makes them desirable partners. Besides, these ladies know how to handle tough situations and raise a family.
Top destinations: Brazil, Colombia, Mexico
Where Do You Meet Mail Order Brides?
In a nutshell, Western men usually find their overseas spouses through international marriage agencies or top dating sites. International agencies are much more expensive than dating sites, thus the latter are a more popular choice. The process of finding a mail wife looks like this:
- You select niche dating websites with the desired audience (Latin, Slavic, or Asian), communication tools you need, and, of course, average pricing that your wallet can handle. When selecting the site, you also pay attention to its reputation and user feedback to avoid a scam.
- Your next move is creating a profile on a chosen platform. Dating experts often emphasize the importance of good-quality photos and a well-written bio with structured dating goals and the best qualities of yours – these are the basics of gaining women’s attention.
- Now, go to the search filters. Mail order bride websites often have advanced matchmaking algorithms offering a lot of filter options, so it’s better to apply them all to get the most suitable matches.
- And, lastly, contact those ladies whose profiles you liked. What tactic is better – chatting with one woman or several to get a backup plan? Well, in mail order bride dating, it’s crucial to build strong bonds online, and if you are interested in further marriage, it’s better to devote your time to one person.
Is Finding a Mail Order Bride Offline Possible?
Chances are never low! You may even simply come across a mail order bride in your country, without knowing she’s a mail wife.
In other cases, it will be an average meeting with foreign ladies in places like gyms, parks, co-working places, and tourist attractions. Besides, you can meet an overseas partner when visiting cultural events where a lot of foreigners gather.
Cost of a Mail Order Bride Marriage
The first thing to clarify – you don’t buy a mail order bride, although the part “order” may sound misleading.
Nevertheless, you invest in instruments and methods that can help you meet a foreign bride.
Online Dating Cost to Buy a Bride
Since international dating sites are the most popular way to find someone from abroad, your first investment is in virtual platforms.
Usually, you pay $300-$500 per month for them, depending on how actively you use the services. Usually, such platforms have a credit payment system, which is convenient when you want to keep an eye on your spending.
Here, you can see the examples of pricing for credit packages and popular services on Latin, Asian, and Eastern European mail order bride sites.
SofiaDate
Popular packages:
- 35 credits – $12.99
- 50 credits – $19
- 100 credits – $33
- 250 credits – $75
Pricing for popular tools:
- live chat – 20 credits for 10 minutes
- winks in a chat – 2 credits/each
- stickers in a live chat – 5 credits/each
SakuraDate
Popular packages:
- Special offer for the first payment: 35 credits – $2.99
- 35 credits – $12.99
- 50 credits – $19
- 100 credits – $33
- 250 credits – $75
Pricing for popular tools:
- live chatting – 20 credits/10 minutes
- sending a letter – 20 credits/each
- photo exchange – 10 credits/each
- video exchange – 25 credits/each
UkraineBrides4you
Popular packages:
- Special offer for the first payment: $3.99 – 2 credits
- $15.99 – 2 credits
- $96 – 16 credits
- $399 – 100 credits
Pricing for popular tools:
- one email – 1 credit
- live chatting – 0.5 credits/5 minutes
- camshare – 0.6 credits/minute
- audio calls – 1 credit/minute
Offline Bride Cost
If your plan is to marry your online bride, you will need to meet her at least once in real life (it’s required for fiancée visas).
How much does a two-week trip to your bride cost? Many things depend on the country destination, your budget limitations and freedoms, and the season you travel in. Yet, the average cost often looks like this:
- Plane tickets – around $1000
- Accommodation – $60-$200/night
- Food – from $3 for street food to $30 for a meal in a fancy restaurant
- Transportation – up to $4 for public transport to $40 for a daily car rental
Besides, you may invest in gifts for your lady and prepare money for unexpected expenses.
Don’t Forget About Visas and Weddings for Mail Order Marriages
Bringing your foreign wife to your home country will include not only the price of the tickets. It’s about a whole K-1 visa process, which can take up to 1 year and around $5000 for all the documents.
Then, when you pass the immigration process successfully, you need to plan a wedding. In the USA, the average wedding price is around $40000, while in countries from Eastern Europe, the pricing can be much lower.
Common Myths About Mail Order Bride Industry
Some people are skeptical about mail-order marriages because they believe in the stereotypes surrounding this concept. Although the myths are sometimes applicable, they are not a universal truth.
- Chasing a green card. It’s true that women who decide to marry internationally often want to find a better life, and moving to a more developed country can help reach this goal. Nevertheless, the green card is not the primary goal for many women. Mail wives want to find a good person and stability, first, and a green card is just another aspect to deal with when marrying.
- All mail order wives are for traditional gender roles. Mail order brides come from countries like Ukraine, Brazil, or Thailand, and are often with a traditional mindset, but many of these ladies also want to build careers and invest in their hobbies besides being housewives and moms.
- Mail order brides are all young and model-like. When you visit mail order bride sites, you notice that foreign brides often have high-quality photos. It’s a little old trick to attract someone, but when you look closer, you also see they are of different ages, backgrounds, and appearances. They are different and unique.
Challenges and Complexities of International Marriages
Dating and marrying someone from your country has its obstacles, let alone finding a wife from another country. If you think about mail order marriages, you need to consider the potential challenges that arise along the way.
Firstly, finding a mail order bride and marrying can take more time than you expect. Some people meet each other within several weeks of using dating services and have a quite easy K-1 application process, while others may be using services for months without building any strong connections, or get their visa application rejected after half a year of waiting for the approval.
Secondly, it’s a long-distance dating that some international couples don’t make. Maintaining a spark of love over distance is a bit harder than in real life because of the lack of physical contact and intimacy.
In some cases, language barriers come into play. Ladies from Eastern Europe and Latin America may have English-speaking skills, but with Asian countries, it can be troubling. Also, bride online dating is about the clash of cultures, and not all people get used to the differences in their international relationships. It requires both sides to be open-minded and learn to find compromises.
Lastly, scams on mail order bride services. Some men stop chasing their mail order bride online dreams because they come across scammers who break their hearts (and bank accounts). It doesn’t mean this scam is common, but it takes place if you don’t know the …
…the Basis of Avoiding Scams on Mail Order Bride Websites
We are sorry if you have already been trapped in a dating scam, and want to reassure you that real and legit mail order brides do exist. But to find one, you need to learn how to detect fake brides:
- A too-perfect profile. If her photos look overly professional or model-like, and her profile is filled with ideal traits and vague details, it may be fabricated to lure attention.
- Quick declarations of love. A common tactic is rushing emotional intimacy. If she starts calling you “my love” or talks about marriage within days or weeks, be cautious.
- Avoidance of video calls. Real people are usually open to face-to-face video conversations. Repeated excuses to avoid video calls are a major red flag.
- Money requests. This is the biggest warning sign. Whether it’s for a visa, sick relatives, or a broken phone, any early request for money is a strong indicator of a scam.
- Reluctance to move Conversations off the site. Many scammers prefer to keep the conversation within the platform where they operate multiple identities. Real people usually want to transition to more personal contact (email, WhatsApp, etc.).
- Suspicious behavior patterns. Look out for repeated or generic responses, delays that seem timed or unnatural, or profiles that disappear and reappear under different names. Besides, a fake order bride is “forgetful” to the extent that each time, she says a different birth date.
Conclusion
Finding love abroad is no longer a problem because you can order a bride online! Hopefully, we managed to explain the concept of mail order brides to you, covering the best bride countries for marrying a foreign woman and reviewing the brides and international dating sites to browse catalogs and exchange messages with overseas women.
Foreign partners are in reach if you approach mail order bride dating wisely and with dedication!
