Clever Ways to Save on Your Wedding Dress
Guest Post by Kacey Bradley
Getting engaged is one of the most exciting times in life! You get to finally start the rest of your life with the person you love the most, and everyone will come together to celebrate that love. The day of you wedding will be one that’s filled with all the best emotions, and leading up that is the most intensive planning session you’ll probably ever experience. You might be feeling overwhelmed with having to think about all the little details, and then there comes your wedding dress.
Choosing which dress to wear for your wedding is a major decision that has a lot of weight on it, whether you consider yourself a fashionista or not. You know it’ll be what’s looked back on through pictures for the rest of your life, and you may even pass it down one day. It’s a representation of you through a dress, so you want to make sure you find the right one.
An entire business has been built up around the idea of finding your perfect wedding gown, so there are many places that will charge you more than you may be able to afford. If you’re finding yourself struggling with finding extra money for your dress, don’t worry about it anymore! Instead, read on for some clever ways you can save on your wedding dress. You’ll be able to find it and let go of that anxiety, leaving behind only good things to enjoy about getting married.
Pay Only for Alterations
There’s an old tradition that many families follow where the mom saves her wedding dress to pass it down to her daughter to wear for her own wedding. Not all moms do this, but it’s worth asking your mom about. If she happened to save her gown, you may be able to just pay for alterations. It might mean the world to her to see her daughter walk down the aisle in a dress that meant so much to her, and it could save you a ton of money that you can put towards something else.
Shop for Prom
What you need in a dress is something that sparkles, looks fabulous and was obviously made for a special occasion. None of that means that you have to pay for a designer price tag! Women are now starting to buy their wedding dresses at prom stores because they’re so much cheaper but still have that celebratory feel. When it comes down to it, no one is going to be able to tell where you got your dress, so the only thing that really matters is finding the right one for both you and your wallet.
Go Casual
Not every bride wants the puffy ball gown covered in jewels, which shouldn’t come as a surprise. No woman is exactly alike, which is why there are so many wedding dresses to choose from. A new fad that’s recently started is the casual bride, so you might want to look into how to wear a casual wedding dress. Something simple can be just as gorgeous as something that’s over the top. Plus, you might be able to re-wear your dress instead of only having it for your big day.
Check Out a Trunk Show
If you consider yourself an avid bargain hunter, you’ve probably spent your fair share of time in places like thrift stores. The thrill is that you walk in knowing that you’ll probably find some name brand item for prices cheaper than you could find in any mall. There’s something like that for brides too!
Take a minute to introduce yourself to bridal trunk shows. They pop up at stores all around the country, and in bigger cities they’re open year round. They’re essentially a thrift store for brides, but you’ll only ever find designer dresses. Everything you see will be offered at a much lower price than they were set at originally, so it’s worth it to spend a Saturday or two looking around at a trunk show. You might find that dress of your dreams and be able to take it home.
Price Check Online
A good way to start off your dress hunting strategy is to get fitted by a professional. Then when you find yourself scrolling through endless online wedding inspiration boards, open a new tab and find the dresses you like online. Don’t get freaked out by the idea of not being able to see the dresses in person.
Any dress you try on will have to be altered to your measurements, so that’s a given. That also means that you can easily buy a dress online and just head to the tailor store.
One thing that people almost never hear a bride talk about are the ways she cut corners to save on her wedding. It’s never talked about, but it’s something that nearly every couple does. Your wedding dress is one of the most expensive things you can pay for to make your wedding day complete, but don’t feel like you have to spend more than you have to. Ultimately, you need to do what’s right for you. Your wedding is only one day, and what you wear won’t make or break your relationship with your fiancé. You can still start your happily ever after in a dress you can afford. Shop around online to check prices or go to trunk shows to see what’s offered. If you keep your mind open, you can find the dress of your dreams and put the money you saved towards something fun, like making memories on your honeymoon.
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