Finding the Perfect Wedding Dress without Breaking the Bank
Finding an Affordable Wedding Dress can be Easier than you Think!
 A Wedding Dresses should Fit Your Theme---Not your Mood. You know the old saying about grocery shopping, “Never grocery shop on an empty stomach. You’ll buy more than you need.”
The same is also very true when searching for the wedding dress.
Believe it or not, your current mood when shopping for a wedding dress may or may not match your mood on your wedding day. In other words, don’t go shopping for a wedding dress if you’re not in the best of moods. Then, buying a wedding dress becomes a chore instead of being exciting and fun.
Go to lunch with friends, pour over bridal magazines and get ideas about what type of wedding dress you would like. “Cut and paste” pictures from bridal gown magazines on index cards. Get your “fill” of wedding dresses and bridal gowns and then, when the time is right, with the least amount of pressure----go bridal gown shopping and have fun!
Your Wedding Dress is Out There---You Just Need to Know Where to Look!
Your wedding gown should tie in with your theme---and you hopefully have one by the time you go “wedding dress shopping.” A sleek, sexy 1940’s wedding dress would look completely out of place in a Victorian-themed wedding.
Your wedding dress should be a reflection of who you are and complement the theme of the wedding: not distract or take away from it. Contrary to some opinion, your wedding dress should not be the focal point of your wedding; your entire wedding and reception are the focal points to create memories for your family and guests.
Finding ‘the one’ wedding dress that fits your style, the wedding theme, and budget can take you to places outside of the traditional bridal shop.
Some of the best places that brides-to-be have found their wedding gowns have been through contests at bridal shows, consignment shops, boutiques that are going out of business and, believe it or not, costume shops.
Your Wedding Dress can be won at a Bridal Show
If you are doing your wedding planning far enough in advance, take advantage of going to bridal shows and conventions. Often these events hold drawings from various wedding dress manufacturers and designers and you will want to register at each and every table.
Most of the time, winners of drawings get to choose the wedding dress of their choice.
For the purposes of trying to win your wedding dress, do use an alternate email address! Many registrations require that “all blanks are filled in” and will get a ton of advertising and other wedding-related offers.
Your Wedding Dress can be found at Boutique Shops that are going Out of Business
One plus for a bride-to-be is that a struggling economy means more shops and stores are going out of business.
Reading through newspapers for “going out of business” sales and you’ll probably run into several higher-end bridal shops and boutiques that have slashed prices much further than at a standard “bridal gown sale.”
Many newspapers also publish their classifieds on the internet so you could check there as well.
Consignment shops are also struggling with a slowed economy and often you can find the wedding dress of your dreams at one of them; some may be going out of business as well.
Could Your Wedding Dress on a Rack at a Costume Shop?
As with many boutiques and consignment shops, costume shops close down business and many have warehouses with stored ‘period’ pieces of clothing.
Use a phone book or yellow page website to call costume shops in your area to inquire if they might have wedding gowns.
Turn-of-the-Century and other historical and vintage clothing just might be available for sale---and the shop may not have advertised a sale.
Be creative in searching, especially, for a wedding dress that complements your wedding them. Post a “Wanted” ad on Craigslist for free with the style and size you are looking for. Bridal shops, boutiques, and consignment shops often peruse those ads in case they can make a match---to the wedding dress you want, can afford, and can save you hours of travel time from store to bridal store.
Additional Resources for Finding a Wedding Dress:
WeddingChannel
DressFinder
FindWeddingDress
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