Get Your Dream Dress Without Breaking the Budget

 We all have things we are stubborn about for our wedding.  For some girls, it's the photographer, or the venue, or the flowers; For me, it was the dress.  I wanted it a certain cut, with a certain amount of poof, and I wanted my own.  I refused to have a rented or secondhand dress, and I would not budge... It ended up costing me about 1/3 of my wedding budget, forcing me to forego a veil, but boy, oh boy, do I love that dress!

When I was planning my big day, I thought my only options were renting some smelly dress, borrowing an out-of-style gown, or buying my own.  Now, I realize that if I would have been a little less stubborn about my dress and explored the options better, I could have had a very beautiful dress for less than 1/3 of the cost of the dress I bought.  To save all you lovely ladies from making that same mistake I did, I have compiled a list of some helpful links to very affordable & beautiful wedding gown options

You can actually order some very beautiful wedding gowns from China, and they are some of the most inexpensive ones I have found.  Helene Bridal has free shipping within 24 hours + free custom size on all dresses, and the majority of their gowns are under $300.  You can also find some equally gorgeous China-made dresses sold on eBay for less than $200. (My favorite sellers can be found here and here.)  The only con to these dresses is that you can't try them on or see them in person before purchase, but even with the cost of any possible alterations, you are still saving a considerable amount on the gown.

I was excited to learn that one of the most beautiful dresses from one of my all-time favorite weddings was a used dress purchased on KSL.  In fact, that is the dress that changed my opinion that all secondhand dresses are out of style.  Odds are, Craigslist or your local classifieds has plenty of beautiful dresses that have only been worn once or twice for very affordable prices.

Gowns by Pamela in Provo, UT is a wedding gown rental company with excellent reviews.  Gowns by Pamela offers a gown, petticoat, corset, cleaning & steaming fees, standard alterations, choice of headpiece and veil, and use of the dress for up to five consecutive days for as low as $299. That, my friends, is a brilliant deal!  I had to get my dress cleaned three times & each one was $50.  That's half the cost of the complete rental!  Not to mention I've been on their website for a good thirty minutes drooling over all the pretty dresses.  (If you don't live in Utah, I'm sure with a little searching you can find similar shops in your area.)

Ask around at local bridal shops to see if they have any dresses with small defects (i.e. broken zippers & tears from brides trying them on).  Many small shops will offer a hefty discount for damaged dresses to avoid having to pay to fix them, but even with the cost of fixing them, you are getting a pretty good discount on an otherwise perfect dress!

Attending bridal fairs is the perfect way to be able to compare prices of vendors in your area and try on different styles to get a feel of what you are looking for.  A lot of vendors at the fair will offer you a pretty good discount if you put down a payment the day of the fair, which is an excellent way to save some money on your dream dress!  If you are in Utah, be sure to check out The Bridal Extravaganza.  They host multiple fairs throughout the year and it's a great way to get the planning started, grab some discounts on dresses & scope out potential vendors.  I went last year and won a free mini-vacation!

Of course, the most budget-friendly option is to borrow a dress from a friend or relative.  Just be sure to clean it before you return it and make sure they approve any alterations you may need to make to the dress.

I hope this list helped you in your search & if you have any other budget-friendly wedding dress options, I would love to hear them so they can be added to the list!