Second Hand Wedding Dresses – Why It’s the Better Choice

Spending thousands and thousands of dollars on an expensive, new wedding dress when you can have a beautiful dress for a fraction of the cost seems silly.  Most brides-to-be don’t realize that second hand wedding dresses are an attractive solution.

Want a million dollar wedding dress but don’t want to pay a million dollars? Today, smart brides are choosing to shop the second hand wedding dress market to maximize their budget and still have a million wedding.

When you stop to think of the savings potential from this decision, it’s truly an eye-opener.  A new, designer, wedding gown can cost anywhere from  $4,500 to  $10,000 or more.  Second hand wedding dresses are a fraction of the cost and there are many to choose from these days.  You just need to do some research and keep an open mind.  Go to bridal stores and try on various style dresses and see what looks good on you.  Remember, a dress on a hanger looks completely different than one on a body.  If at all possible, try the dress on before purchasing or if ordering online, check the return policy.  Make sure you can get your money back if the dress is NOT as described, etc.

Look at old family photogrpahs, maybe you can alter one of your mother’s, aunt’s or grandmother’s wedding gowns?  Just imagine the amount of money you could save by getting a free wedding dress.  You can use the savings as part of a downpayment on a home for your new family or an extra special honeymoon.   Sandra Bullock, in the movie, ‘The Proposal”, walks down in the aisle in a stunning, simple silk gown that was worn by the groom’s grandmother.  When she first puts on the dress, it looks like a shinny potato sack.  But once fitted to her body, the dress was transformed into a perfect dress for her.  The family heirloom was once again brought to life. 

Don’t worry about the alternations.  Take the dress and head over toa local bridal boutique such as  La Sposa Bridal Shoppe, on 957 Route 6 in Mahopac and let their expert tailors custom fit the gown for you.  A good tailor will alter and fit the dress perfectly to your body and it will feel like brand new. 

Finding a Pre-Owned or Sample Wedding Dress:

Family:  As mentioned above, your mother, grandmother, or other female relatives are an excellent source when searching for second hand wedding dresses.

Antique Stores:  Such a place is worth a few minutes of browsing, however unlikely it may seem to you. If you do find a gown here, not only will it be cheap, it’ll be traditional too.

Consigment Stores:  Don’t discard this option – many brides use local consigment stores to try- and sell their dresses.  What’s great about this option is that you can try the dress on first.  On the East Side of Putnam, check out “Karen’s Kloset”, a unique consignment boutique featuring quality, gently worn designer women’s clothing, shoes and accessories located at 988 South Lake Blvd. in Mahopac.  Their number is 845-803-8695.  On the West Side of Putnam, head over to “On Second Thought” another ladies fine quality consignment boutique located at 140 Main Street in downtown Cold Spring.  Their number is 845-809-5650.

The Internet:

I discovered several websites reaching this article that allow a bride to be browse pre-owed and sample wedding dresses and accessories, which every bride knows is an necessity and an additional expense.  The site I liked the most was www.preownedweddingdresses.com.  POWD acts as a listing service connecting buyers and sellers of new, sample, and used wedding dresses since 2004.  They have more than 5000 wedding dresses listed for sale and they are easily searchable by key criteria like designer, size, price, and location.  

Sample or pre-owned dress come in thousands of styles and can be new, from last season or from several years ago, it all depends on when the bride decides that she no longer needs or wants the dress.  When shopping for a pre-owned dress, think about getting one size bigger than usual so it can be tailored to fit your body.  It is much easier to make a dress smaller than it is to make it bigger.

Just think of all the money you will save by choosing a pre-owned or sample gown and then hiring a good seamstress to make the necessary changes.  Remember, with the right changes and modifications, a two hundred dollar dress can easily be transformed into the look and feel of a dress retailing for thousands of dollars.

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