Your wedding is a year away but you are already seeking the best wedding dress. The challenge is not paying too much for the dress while not sacrificing your personal style. One idea is to visit bridal outlet stores, where you can get a decent and affordable wedding gown, but it is advisable to try on different dresses because some outlet stores do not allow returns. Another idea is to rent a wedding dress from a company that offers this option, which is good for those who are not interested in keeping their wedding dresses after the wedding.
Used wedding dresses
Another way to save money on your wedding dress is to buy a used one. It is best to purchase a used dress from a shop near an affluent area of the city because you are more likely to see designer brands there. Before you buy the dress, examine it to determine if there are stains, holes or missing embellishments. Know your budget when shopping for a used dress and bring a friend for assistance.
Buy a regular formal gown
Regular white formal gowns look just as good as a traditional white wedding dress and those gowns might cost you less. The key is to find high quality accessories to complement the white formal gown. You can also save money by excluding some of the traditional wedding fixings such as the veil. In place of the veil you can wear a floral hairpiece.
Alter a relative's old wedding dress
Another idea is to have alterations made to a relative's old wedding dress so that it will look fashionable yet still timeless. The benefit of this choice is that you get to wear a piece of family history down the aisle and if the relative is deceased, you are exhibiting a part of her life to the wedding guests.
Check out sample sales
Bridal boutiques often have sample sales during the year (to make room for new inventory). At the sample sales some dresses are marked down at huge discounts and this means you save plenty on your dream dress. The boutiques' social media pages sometimes announce the sample sales.
Shop for the dress in the fall and winter
Another thing you can do is buy the wedding dress during the fall and winter months. This is because those seasons are the times when you will see the most sales at bridal boutiques. It gets more expensive if you buy the dress during the spring and summer months.
Buy online
Although you will not be able to try on the wedding gown with this option, you can save money on the dress this way. Before you make a purchase online, try on a dress at the boutique and once you know what size fits best for you, order a dress online in this size.
These options ensure that you will have the wedding dress you want at an affordable price.