When I first got engaged, I was giddy as a school girl. I was immediately on the search for my dream wedding gown. Before I had done some proper research, I thought I’d have to shell out at least a couple thousand dollars for a single dress I’m only going to wear one time in my life. I guess over the years it’s been ingrained in my head that if you want a wedding dress, you have to pay big bucks for it, right? WRONG! Here’s a list of ten simple ways to save loads off the original retail price of your wedding gown.
- Buy your dress from a reputable site online. Online bridal stores have much lower overhead than your average bridal salon. They can afford to offer lower prices for the same gown. Just be sure to review all their policies.
- Find the gown in a less expensive material. Often times, wedding gowns come in a variety of fabrics. Opt for the more affordable option such as the taffeta rather than the silk.
- Find out if the designer can make your dress with fewer embellishments. Hand-sewn beading is extremely labor intensive and results in high prices. If you can do without some of the decorative pieces, don’t be afraid to ask for it.
- Negotiate! Even if you go to a full service bridal salon, don’t think the price on the tag is the final price. Always negotiate. Ask the retailer if they do price matching. If they won’t budge on the price, ask if they can throw in some accessories such as a veil or a tiara.
Consider a pre-owned wedding dress. These gowns are generally in good condition at about half the cost. Most have only been worn once, just like you will only wear your wedding gown once. These gowns will need to be professionally cleaned and altered but will be good as new at a fraction of the cost. After the wedding, you can resell the dress and hopefully get most of your money back.
- Buy from a sample sale. These dresses are the ones brides try on at bridal salons. When the gowns from the new season arrive, they put the old samples up for sale at a discounted price. Because of the high traffic, they will require professional cleaning and alterations.
- Search for sales and promotions at bridal salons and department stores. Put yourself on mailing lists or sign up for newsletters at your local bridal stores to be notified of upcoming sales.
- Go to a bridal outlet store. You’ll be surprised at the selection.
- Purchase a new or used gown on eBay. See my post on how to find the best prices on eBay.
- Make sure to order as close to your size as possible to avoid unnecessary alterations. If you’re on the shorter side (like me), ask if the dress comes in petite. You can avoid extra hemming costs.
