A wedding dress is an item on your planning checklist that you’ll have to tackle relatively soon after your engagement. Unfortunately, they don’t come cheap! Depending on the designer and materials, a gown can easily cost over $1,500. And for brides on a budget, walking into the average wedding boutique can trigger some serious anxiety. This is why we’re sharing some of our favorite tips to help you save on your wedding dress and accessories. It is our goal to help you find a gown that you truly love and that doesn’t break the bank!
Rent, Don’t Buy
Thankfully, the industry has begun to realize that a solid percentage of brides aren’t willing to spend big bucks on a dress that they will wear once. In response, some businesses now offer to option to rent wedding dresses. Some come direct from previous brides and others are brand new. In either case, it’s a great way to get a high-quality, designer wedding dress at a reasonable price.
Buy Second-hand
One alternative to renting a wedding dress is to buy second-hand. In doing so you can skip additional fees tacked on by a business. And although it will cost more than renting, it’s still a huge discount in comparison to buying new. So how do you find second-hand wedding dresses? We recommend checking out local listings, like on on Facebook Marketplace, or wedding re-sale groups.
Shop Wedding Dress Sample Sales
If you haven’t heard of sample sales, then let us introduce you! A sample sale is a sale put on by small businesses and boutiques to get rid of outdated or slightly damaged inventory. So note that the gown you will be taking home will be exactly what is on the rack, uncleaned and potentially blemished. Despite this, it’s one of the best ways to save big money on a wedding dress. On a side note, prepare to face crowds of other brides on a budget.
Shop During Sales
A sale on wedding dresses? Some people believe it to be unheard of, but it happens. Less often at big-name boutiques or from couture wedding dress designers. But quite frequently at small locally-owned boutiques. The best time to find sales are at the end of the year or the beginning of spring and fall. Around these times, businesses are more likely to be making room for new inventory. We also recommend checking around large holidays, in case a business owner is feeling festive!
Avoid Alterations
The bottom line is that alterations cost money. Enough that a relatively small alteration can take your total wedding outfit expenses from $500 to $1000. Yikes! To avoid alterations altogether, you have one of two options. First, buy a dress that fits you well off the rack. If the sample size fits like a dream. Second, buy a gown with a lace-up or corset back. This style is made to fit a wide range of sizes, so alterations won’t be necessary.
Ask About Promotions
While we can’t guarantee that you’ll be successful when using this method, the worst-case scenario is a simple no. Simply call, email, or message the business you are interested in purchasing a gown and ask if they are currently running any promotions. If they say no, then you’re out of luck. However, some may or will even offer to provide you with a unique discount code – just because!
Did you try any of these and save money on your wedding dress or accessories? Let us know which one, or several, you have success with! For more help, check out ways to customize your wedding dress.
