Reduce the cost of your bridal dress

Reduce your the cost of your bridal dress

So,it's the one thing that everybody talks about and probably the most important thing for any bride-to-be (apart from the groom to be obviously!)....its the dress! Whether you want graceful elegance to a big merengue, every bride wants one thing, and that's for everybody to be 'wowed' when she walks towards the aisle. Just one problem is that sometimes getting that 'wow' factor comes with at a pretty expensive price. However, if you really follow my wedding money saving tips, that is the way you can obtain the 'wow' factor for a lower price:

Sample sales

Found the right wedding dress, though not the ideal price. Well, most bridal shops get rid of their sample wedding dresses at the end of the season in order to make find space for new styles. A sample is the wedding dress that bridal shops use for dress fittings. It will likely be the bridal gown you tried on when you went into the store. Usually the dress would have been used for this purpose only or possibly in a catwalk or designer show. Typically they will be produced in a size 12-14 and by purchasing a sample dress you'll save yourself 50% or higher.

Considerations

Most sample dresses are size 12-14 so you will have to take into consideration alterations and except if you measure a size 12-14 the price may well be around £150-200.

Make sure you inspect the dress for any damage or marks before ordering it, considering the fact that shops operate a 'sold as seen' policy.

Overall though acquiring a sample dress is a nice method to save money and achieve the bridal gown you want.

Designer days

Should you wish to have a brand new dress, then one way of saving money, would be to find out when the designer of this dress is throwing a designer day. This is when they visit a specific bridal shop and showcase nearly all of their dresses. They also offer between 10-20% off the wedding dress retail price if you decide on the wedding gown on the day, which is great if you already know which dress you need. Also if you have seen a dress on a website but you can't locate a stockist, the designer will in most cases showcase most, or maybe even all of her collection at the designer day. This tends to save you money, as the shop usually charge for getting the dress brought it especially for you to try on.

Ways to find a designer day:

Ask the shop in which you tried the bridal gown on if they're going to have any events coming up

Google your designer and you'll locate a link for their website where any events probably will be listed. If not, why not contact them by way of the site. Go to the contact page and you will usually find everything you need there.

Pointers

Book up early as appointments tend to go quite quick

Find out the actual location where dress is manufactured

When my best friend got married a short time ago she dreamed about a dress that she had found in a local shop, however it was way over her budget at £1395. As I knew she really wanted it, I started googling and attempting to find it cheaper. I found an internet website in America (from where the dress was manufactured) that sold the identical dress for under half the price! She telephone the store and emailed them to ask many of the questions she needed to (shipping costs and timing, sizes, alterations etc) and ended up buying her dream dress. Including shipping and alterations the wedding gown cost her under £600 an enormous money saving of almost £800, a whopping 57% off!!

Considerations

Call the store and ask them all the questions you need to e.g. is the wedding dress a designer dress or a copy, shipping costs and sizing guides (as different countries can operate different sizing guidelines)

Ensure that you budget enough time for the dress to be made, shipped coupled with alterations

Preowned wedding dresses

In the event that your wedding budget doesn't allow you the dress you've always wanted, it doesn't necessarily mean you can't have it. One method to save money relating to your bridal dress may be to order a preowned dress. Many brides sell their dress after their wedding day. Why not investigate sites like: http://www.preloved.co.uk and http://www.stillwhite.co.uk/

Charity boutiques

Some charity shops have wedding dresses donated to them by generous brides who do not have a need for their dress, or by designer bridal shops who ve used them as samples in catwalk shows. With eleven bridal departments round the UK, Oxfam is a very good spot to get started. Dresses start from as cheap as £100 and include wedding designers Jenny Packham and Maggie Sottero. You are able to buy dresses online at http://www.oxfam.org.uk/shop/content/weddings/default.html or why don't you visit one of their bridal departments.

So, dress done, check...now for some more wedding money saving ideas on wedding photography, wedding favours, or wedding entertainment.

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And finally, if you are interested in more wedding money saving ideas please check out the Money Saving Bride website at http://www.moneysavingbride.com