7 Strategies For Grabbing A Gorgeous Wedding Gown Under $400.00
One of the most important things about your wedding is your wedding gown. The budget for your big day shouldn't determine how pretty or how sentimental it will be. A good place to start cutting costs is the wedding gown.
Every little girl's dream is to look and feel like a princess when she walks down the aisle. Is that really possible in a cheap wedding gown? Yes. First you must get a few things straight with yourself.
*Do you have a clear picture in your mind of what you really want? Get clear about how you want to look on your wedding day. Think about what styles are most flattering to you. (I.e., empire waists, sleeveless etc.) Look through magazines to help you decide. Tear out a picture of your dream dress and carry it with you at all times. You'll be amazed at how you will find the exact dress your looking for at a great price.
*Do you care if your dress is from a bargain basement? Some stores have close outs on designer wedding gowns and if you keep your eyes peeled you can snag a fabulous deal.
* Would it bother you if your dress was pre-owned? I knew a girl who had two wedding dresses hanging in her closet. Why? She kept getting engaged but never made it down the aisle for one reason or another. If you are not superstitious . . . this could be a great opportunity to save money. Or some people are just not sentimental about keeping their dress after they are married. You can get a great deal for a used dress. With professional cleaning and possibly some alterations your dress will be worthy of a princess.
Once you are clear in your mind about what you are looking for, a great place to find these kind of deals is on eBay.com. They have new and used as well as vintage bridal gowns. You can find some great dresses for very little money here. You do need to check back often, though. You might find a simple dress that you can add to or alter. Or you might find exactly what you're looking for as long as you are willing to be patient and keep checking back. It is worth the effort.
Here are a few things to keep in mind when shopping for your wedding gown on eBay:
* Read their trading tips first. *Don't forget to include the cost of shipping, alterations and dry cleaning in your budget. *Look at the sellers rating and feedback before doing business.
Another great place to find deals is on www.craigslist.com. They have local classified's for everything you can imagine, including wedding gowns.
David's Bridal is a great source for cheap, pretty dresses. They frequently have $99.00 sales. Plus they have contests where you can win a free wedding gown.
Check out the mall department stores. You might find (not in the wedding dress department) the perfect dress for you. There may be some cocktail dresses, formal dresses or prom dresses on sale.
Wearing your mother's or grandmother's wedding dress is a very nice thing to do. It's also very cheap. You'll just need to have it cleaned and you may also want to consider alterations to update the look. You can also change the look with accessories.
You can do-it-yourself . . . or with the help of a friend or family member who is a good seamstress. There are lots of beautiful bridal patterns and fabrics at the cloth store.
If you've picked a simple wedding dress or a short wedding dress, you can make a tulle apron very inexpensively to wear over the skirt. Do this by gathering tulle and sewing ribbon on for a waistband to tie into a bow. A long tulle apron over a short skirt is very pretty. Ask at the fabric store, what amount of material you need. Tulle is very cheap.
Sew a two-piece dress by making a top from your choice of fabric or buying a top. The skirt can be made from about five layers of tulle. Gather, add a waistband and wear a slip underneath.
TIP: You don't even have to hem tulle. You can leave it as is or cut around the bottom with scalloped scissors.
Don't forget wedding dress rentals. Rentals are another alternative in the pursuit of a cheap wedding gown. It's a great option if you're not particularly sentimental and keeping the dress is not that important to you.
Here's a few ideas on wedding dress rentals:
Look in the phone book for a bridal shop that rents gowns. Some dress rentals come from past brides and some are directly bought from manufacturers. If you don't like the idea of wearing another bride's gown, this may not be for you. Ask to be sure if it matters to you. A veil or headpiece, slip, alterations and cleaning should be included in your wedding dress rental.
*Do rent locally in order to try on the dress and check it our before renting. *The gown and veil should be in good repair. *The wedding gown should fit perfectly.
Cheap wedding gowns require some patience and imagination. Savvy brides know it's worth the little extra effort to look gorgeous and save big on their wedding day.
Laura Gawne, Roxie Radford and Susan Bain are the co-owners of the popular wedding website www.cheap-chic-weddings.com. The site helps brides-to-be save money on every aspect of their wedding without sacrificing style. Our mission is for you to have a cheap wedding that looks like a million bucks.
