Where To Buy Your Wedding Dress
By Leah Steenstra
On a small budget? There are many other places where you can get a wedding dress besides ordering
from expensive bridal salons. Below are a few ideas for the discriminating, yet frugal, bride.
• Bridal Warehouses. These facilities offer dresses that you can purchase off-the-rack for prices
often much cheaper than bridal salons. Many of these places carry designer gowns that were either
bridal shop samples or overstocks.
The advantage to these stores is that there is no ordering, no waiting and no worrying about
whether your dress will come in on time. David’s Bridal has been servicing brides since 1950 and has
over 100 locations nationwide.
• Mail Order Discounters. You can save 20-30% off the retail price of most major designer gowns.
All you need is the name of the designer, the style number of the dress and your measurements. The
dress is then mailed to your home. Then, alternations and pressing are usually required. Examples
include: America's Discount Bridal.
• Consignment Shops. Although selection is limited, it is possible to find a deal of a lifetime here.
• Sample Sales. Many salons have annual or semi-annual events where they sell their samples that
have recently been expired. While probably not as cheap as the preceding two choices, you can still
save a ton of money.
• Seamstress or Tailor. He or she will be able to create a dress completely designed for you. While
this isn’t always a cheaper option, it is definitely something to look into, especially if your gown will
come from a fairly simple pattern. Before deciding on your seamstress, check references!
• Borrow or Rent. If you don’t mind not owning your own dress, you can always borrow it from
someone or rent. Before doing this however, check and see what their policy is on making alterations
to fit your body frame. Before grabbing a dress that is two sizes too big just because it’s a good
bargain, don’t forget to figure in the cost of alterations. These can be very expensive so purchase
wisely! Always check your dress for stains, rips or missing beadwork and bring someone with you so
they can carefully examine the back of your dress for you. They might notice an imperfection that you
are missing. Follow these same rules when purchasing from a consignment shop.
By Leah Steenstra
On a small budget? There are many other places where you can get a wedding dress besides ordering
from expensive bridal salons. Below are a few ideas for the discriminating, yet frugal, bride.
• Bridal Warehouses. These facilities offer dresses that you can purchase off-the-rack for prices
often much cheaper than bridal salons. Many of these places carry designer gowns that were either
bridal shop samples or overstocks.
The advantage to these stores is that there is no ordering, no waiting and no worrying about
whether your dress will come in on time. David’s Bridal has been servicing brides since 1950 and has
over 100 locations nationwide.
• Mail Order Discounters. You can save 20-30% off the retail price of most major designer gowns.
All you need is the name of the designer, the style number of the dress and your measurements. The
dress is then mailed to your home. Then, alternations and pressing are usually required. Examples
include: America's Discount Bridal.
• Consignment Shops. Although selection is limited, it is possible to find a deal of a lifetime here.
• Sample Sales. Many salons have annual or semi-annual events where they sell their samples that
have recently been expired. While probably not as cheap as the preceding two choices, you can still
save a ton of money.
• Seamstress or Tailor. He or she will be able to create a dress completely designed for you. While
this isn’t always a cheaper option, it is definitely something to look into, especially if your gown will
come from a fairly simple pattern. Before deciding on your seamstress, check references!
• Borrow or Rent. If you don’t mind not owning your own dress, you can always borrow it from
someone or rent. Before doing this however, check and see what their policy is on making alterations
to fit your body frame. Before grabbing a dress that is two sizes too big just because it’s a good
bargain, don’t forget to figure in the cost of alterations. These can be very expensive so purchase
wisely! Always check your dress for stains, rips or missing beadwork and bring someone with you so
they can carefully examine the back of your dress for you. They might notice an imperfection that you
are missing. Follow these same rules when purchasing from a consignment shop.
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