Assisted Wedding

The Advantage of Used Wedding Dresses

January 6, 2010

Sizes will vary between the individual designers, so before deciding on your dress, make sure to measure yourself as accurately as you can, then you can more correctly determine your specific size for each designer. Each designer has a published size chart that you can easily search for online. If you have questions, most designers have boutiques or they sell gowns in department stores.

You can always call and ask questions regarding your sizing, or you can go into the boutique, if it is close to you, and try gowns on. If you use this technique, be sure not to mention that you are planning on finding the dress cheaper! They don’t like that. Remember that when you receive the gown, it may need an alteration; that is completely normal. Once you have decided on your size, it is time for you to start looking for you used wedding gown!

The first place to look is a local consignment shop. If you have a second hand formal wear shop near you, let the owner know that you are looking for a wedding gown and to get in touch with you if something comes in.

Craigslist.com has become a huge marketplace for all kinds of items; a wedding gown is sure to be on there! You can open a free account, and make an “item wanted” post. Then you can do your own searching by using terms like “wedding gown,” and “wedding dress” within the clothing link on craigslist.

Do some research; try typing “used wedding gown” into your search engine and just start clicking, see what you can find. There are dozens of sites that come up. Just keep in mind how safe the site is that you click on. There are always scams, be sure to choose something safe.

Check an auction site like eBay.com! It is definitely the safest online auction place. You might be able to find a second hand gown or even some sales samples. Looking at floor samples in bridal shops is another way to save. You can easily find last season’s gowns for $99 and up. They may not be used, but a quick dry cleaning, and it will look good as new.

Other ways to save when buying a wedding gown: Get your dream gown recreated! Order your dress based on a picture that you have, and a seamstress, usually internationally, can re-create the designer wedding gown for usually around $100!

Remember that it is an overseas seamstress, so if you are expecting designer quality and material, then you will be disappointed. If you are paying $100 for a look-a-like wedding gown, it will probably look like $100 wedding gown, keep that in mind. Bridesmaids’ gowns are often made in ivory and white, although no one dresses the bridesmaids in either color.

You can often find a simple silhouette for a lot less than a “bridal gown.” Always remember to think outside the box, when searching for a cheaper alternative to the wedding gown.

Posted in: Wedding Dress