Say Yes to the Inexpensive Dress
by Valerie Stratford
The wedding dress; the pivotal accessory that lands all eyes on you. Anyone who has seen TLC's hit show Say Yes to the Dress knows that the selection of your wedding dress is HUGE, both in importance and financial expenses. Though women on this show easily drop thousands of dollars on their Maggie Sottero and Vera Wang couture, this doesn't mean you have to! In fact, there are various ways to ensure the your whole wedding budget isn't shaken by the dress of your dreams.
Below are 5 tips for getting the right dress at the right price.
1. Purchase pre-owned gowns. Being pre-owned does not imply that these dress are tattered and torn; in fact, it is often quite the opposite. Wedding gowns are durable dresses that are often only worn 2 or 3 times per wedding! In fact, many dresses for sale by private owners, for whatever reason, have not even been used. Whether it be a change in taste, or a broken engagement, there are plenty of dresses on the market that are itching to get out of the closet.
Because wedding dresses are often times a non-refundable purchase, many brides are left with a dress that, for whatever reason, has not been used, and those are the dresses you are looking for! Wedding dresses are like cars in the sense that they decrease in value once they are driven off the lot. It is for this reason that when you buy a used dress, you can often find or barter one for 25-75% off of what it was originally purchased for, even if it is in perfect condition. "I purchased a wedding dress for an engagement that ended up falling through. I did not use that same dress for my future marriage, and even with the original tags and conservation bag, I was still only able to sell it for over half of what I paid for it. It was a steal for the girl who bought this never-worn gown!" stated Laura Evans, a Junior at BYU-Idaho.
Don't fret if you cannot find a gown with the tag still on it. Even used dresses are in great condition, and if the bride has properly cared for it, typically they are clean and ready to go.
2. Keep your eyes open. In order to find a dress for the price you want, you will want to be actively looking in the right places. Craigslist, Ebay, KXLY.com (for Utah), school posting boards, and outlet stores are all excellent places to start. These are where you will find pre-owned, or unused dresses for discounted prices. Search the web for the bridal outlet stores in your area; the dresses you will find there are not
necessarily old and out of date, but rather are simply not being made anymore. Valerie Braun, a bridal consultant for Celestial Selections in Spokane Valley, WA stated "There is often a negative connotation with outlet stores, and though our gowns have been marked down dramatically, most of them are not here due to damage or style, but simply because we needed more space for new inventory."
3. Rent the dress! Just because you need a dress, doesn't mean you have to purchase it. For those women who are thrifty to the core, renting may be the best option. When renting, you may pay anywhere from $100-$300 for a standard week or two of use, without the guilt of of a dress collecting dust in the closet later down the road. College towns like Rexburg, ID or Provo, UT are notorious for their high-number of brides, many of which look towards renting out their dresses post-wedding for a little extra income. Places like these are going to be the hot-spots for renting options. Additionally, many cities also have dress rental stores like, The Glass Slipper in Rexburg, ID.
4. Borrow the dress. You will find that when it comes to your wedding, people want to help in any way that they can. Often times, friends and family will offer their services at a discounted rate, if not for free. This is where having recently married friends the same size as you may come in very handy. Brides love their dresses, and want to share the beauty of their gown with others, so keep in mind those close friends who may be willing to loan you their dress for this special occasion. Just always remember that when borrowing a dress, it is important to have the dress professionally cleaned before returning it to the owner.
5. Make the dress. This is where grandma, talented women in your ward, and a sewing class can come in very handy! Sometimes, making the dress is the best way to get exactly what you want at a reasonable price. This is because, in addition to labor if needed, the sole cost of the dress will be for the fabric itself, not because of the commission a store makes off of the sale. Though this is the best way to have the dress perfectly fitted to you, this is not the simplest of tasks and must the approached with an educated and reasonable mindset.
All tips aside, do what is best for you. When it comes to the dress, frugality is important, however this is not the area in which to settle. Get the dress that you love, in addition to the price you love; not one or the other. If the dress is perfect, everything else will fall into place!
Below are 5 tips for getting the right dress at the right price.
1. Purchase pre-owned gowns. Being pre-owned does not imply that these dress are tattered and torn; in fact, it is often quite the opposite. Wedding gowns are durable dresses that are often only worn 2 or 3 times per wedding! In fact, many dresses for sale by private owners, for whatever reason, have not even been used. Whether it be a change in taste, or a broken engagement, there are plenty of dresses on the market that are itching to get out of the closet.
Because wedding dresses are often times a non-refundable purchase, many brides are left with a dress that, for whatever reason, has not been used, and those are the dresses you are looking for! Wedding dresses are like cars in the sense that they decrease in value once they are driven off the lot. It is for this reason that when you buy a used dress, you can often find or barter one for 25-75% off of what it was originally purchased for, even if it is in perfect condition. "I purchased a wedding dress for an engagement that ended up falling through. I did not use that same dress for my future marriage, and even with the original tags and conservation bag, I was still only able to sell it for over half of what I paid for it. It was a steal for the girl who bought this never-worn gown!" stated Laura Evans, a Junior at BYU-Idaho.
Don't fret if you cannot find a gown with the tag still on it. Even used dresses are in great condition, and if the bride has properly cared for it, typically they are clean and ready to go.
2. Keep your eyes open. In order to find a dress for the price you want, you will want to be actively looking in the right places. Craigslist, Ebay, KXLY.com (for Utah), school posting boards, and outlet stores are all excellent places to start. These are where you will find pre-owned, or unused dresses for discounted prices. Search the web for the bridal outlet stores in your area; the dresses you will find there are not
necessarily old and out of date, but rather are simply not being made anymore. Valerie Braun, a bridal consultant for Celestial Selections in Spokane Valley, WA stated "There is often a negative connotation with outlet stores, and though our gowns have been marked down dramatically, most of them are not here due to damage or style, but simply because we needed more space for new inventory."
3. Rent the dress! Just because you need a dress, doesn't mean you have to purchase it. For those women who are thrifty to the core, renting may be the best option. When renting, you may pay anywhere from $100-$300 for a standard week or two of use, without the guilt of of a dress collecting dust in the closet later down the road. College towns like Rexburg, ID or Provo, UT are notorious for their high-number of brides, many of which look towards renting out their dresses post-wedding for a little extra income. Places like these are going to be the hot-spots for renting options. Additionally, many cities also have dress rental stores like, The Glass Slipper in Rexburg, ID.
4. Borrow the dress. You will find that when it comes to your wedding, people want to help in any way that they can. Often times, friends and family will offer their services at a discounted rate, if not for free. This is where having recently married friends the same size as you may come in very handy. Brides love their dresses, and want to share the beauty of their gown with others, so keep in mind those close friends who may be willing to loan you their dress for this special occasion. Just always remember that when borrowing a dress, it is important to have the dress professionally cleaned before returning it to the owner.
5. Make the dress. This is where grandma, talented women in your ward, and a sewing class can come in very handy! Sometimes, making the dress is the best way to get exactly what you want at a reasonable price. This is because, in addition to labor if needed, the sole cost of the dress will be for the fabric itself, not because of the commission a store makes off of the sale. Though this is the best way to have the dress perfectly fitted to you, this is not the simplest of tasks and must the approached with an educated and reasonable mindset.
All tips aside, do what is best for you. When it comes to the dress, frugality is important, however this is not the area in which to settle. Get the dress that you love, in addition to the price you love; not one or the other. If the dress is perfect, everything else will fall into place!