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Monday, May 13, 2013

Why a Used Wedding Dress Gets You More for Your Money



The budget-savvy bride should have a price point in mind before she sets out to buy a dress. Mine was $300. I wrote that on my original, "wedding budget" Word document, and that's actually what I ended up spending – but I got two dresses for my money.

The first dress, I purchased at a bridal shop. It was a beautiful, designer gown that any bride would be proud to wear. I got it for a bargain due to a tiny flaw – someone's bracelet had caught in the folds of the skirt. I ended up changing my mind about the dress, because practicality won out in the end. Our son was two years old at the time, and the first dress was way more "bridal," as my dressmaker described it. Long, flowing skirt and train, sweetheart neckline with spaghetti straps or strapless. Just a lot of dress for a little mommy.

So: I went on Ebay to see what else I might find, and lo and behold there was this vintage dress, simple, more coverage over my "chubby" shoulders, and just to the floor which I knew would be easier to move around in, bend over, pick up my son and so forth. So I bought that one. When it arrived, I noticed that the rhinestone-bedecked top portion of the dress could use some cleaning. So with help from my handy mother-in-law, we got the dress to a wearable condition, and I had it altered to fit me.

I still have both dresses. But I plan to sell the one that I didn't wear, which is going to mean I will be well under my "budget" for a bridal gown!

Hopefully, you can have a similarly successful, "frugal bride" experience. Have fun in your hunt for the perfect wedding gown, and don't be afraid to explore some alternate options (like used), that you might not have originally considered.

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