Getting a Fabulous Deal on a Wedding Gown or Wedding Dress

So, you have just gotten engaged. You are so excited, sitting with your feet up, paging through the bridal magazines you just spent $30 on. The gowns sure are lovely; they sure are beautiful; and they sure are expensive. Well, you do have options and you can have a great wedding dress without breaking the bank. Here's how.

Especially if you and your fiancé are footing the wedding bill, you should consider the cost of your gown in the overall wedding scheme. There will be rings, flowers, music, catering, cake, a reception hall, a celebrant, and usually a honeymoon (maybe Fiji?). Make a reasonable budget and work backwards and then see if you can splurge just a little for the style you really want.

Sometimes, you will find new wedding dresses available for purchase at great discounts and/or show specials by attending a Wedding or Bridal Show in your area. These are often gowns that are worn by show models or are from a prior year's collection.

You can look for designer dresses at your local bridal shops that are from last year's collection. These would be considered discount or discontinued wedding dresses. The shops need to make room for new styles, yet these gowns are often new/never worn dresses. You may also find a dress that was altered for a bride that didn't get married after all. If this dress is your style and it fits, the shop will be happy to sell it to you at a very good price. See if a dress in a less expensive style can be inexpensively altered to your taste.

And lastly, try the internet. There are shops that sell wedding dresses at a fraction of the cost of a "brick-and-mortar" store. Keep in mind that you will not get the fittings and alterations as in a traditional bridal shop, yet the styles offered are varied and there are sizes to fit all women. As long as the gown fits, you can plan on using a local tailor for any necessary alterations.