If you are like me, you absolute LOVE dresses… and when it comes to a wedding dress, some of us only have one opportunity to wear it right! So price should not matter, right?!
Well, I guess it depends on who is paying for it ;)
It is easy to get excited about all the beautiful dresses available in the store, after all it is often said that your wedding day is the most important day of your life. Then ignoring or bumping up the original budget for a wedding gown becomes a common practice among brides.
The truth is that wanting a perfect dress and being able to afford one can be two different things. When planning a wedding, budgets come into play especially as the planning unfolds. So here are some “secrets” that I’ve learned shopping for my perfect wedding gown:
1. Perfectly good wedding dresses can be found on websites such as oncewed.com, bridepower.com, preownedweddingdresses.com, and even eBay.
Yes, they are used. But like I said, there is a good chance that someone wore these gowns only once, which means the dress should be in great condition. And unless you pay a pretty penny for a unique designer dress, someone else will also have your dream gown in a size 10.
So take advantage of these websites and be sure to read about the gown conditions and the return policy in case the dress does not fit you perfectly.
2. Order bridesmaids dresses in ivory or white.
It may take a couple weeks for the dress to be in the store, and another few weeks to make all the necessary alterations. So make sure to give yourself enough time to have your wedding dress perfectly sized for you.
3. Cocktail dresses are also an option.
This was the winner on my big day! nordstrom.com has great cocktail dresses that can be found in white, ivory, and other great colors. Make sure to read customer reviews on the bottom of the page, especially comments about sizes that run small or large.
