A gown sourced from www.ebay.com that looked like a million dollars but cost just $200!

• Ask bridal stores nicely what 'floor stock' or 'demonstration stock' they are selling off. These are brand new gowns that have only been used to dress store mannequins or perhaps been tried on in the store or used for fashion shows. They tend to get a bit grubby around the hems or may have a make-up rub mark on the inside of the bodice. Most bridal stores discount this stock dramatically – either in a massive sale once a year, or perhaps in dribs and drabs throughout the year. For the cost of having the gown dry-cleaned (call your local dry-cleaner and ask what they charge) you can save anywhere between $200 and $1000 on a designer gown.
  

• Wear Your Mom's Dress. No, I'm not suggesting this if your Mom got married in the era of big hair, too many sequins and puffy sleeves! Not many of us love the look of our mother's wedding gown, but you might be one of the lucky ones. Have a look at your Mom's dress. Is there anything redeeming about it and would your Mom let you mess with it? I know of a bride who had her Mom's dress altered from a slightly puffy long sleeved 1980's gown, to a modern full-skirted strapless dress and looked amazing! I should point out that alterations like this are not for amateurs! Find a qualified seamstress and ask and listen to her opinions about what is possible for the dress. For the cost of alterations and dry-cleaning, you can have a dress with true history.
  
• Is there a Seamstress in the House? Sometimes we get so fixated on the cost of buying everything, we forget that family can offer us a way around many obstacles. If your Aunt Betty or Cousin Sarah or any relation at all is a seamstress or designer, try approaching them and asking for their help with your wedding dress. Many family members would be thrilled to help out and that way you can have a glorious custom made gown for only the price of the fabric!
  
• Consider the trend of being married in a color other than white or ivory. These days, modern brides are choosing to get married in whatever color they like! Popular colors are pale pink, pale gold and ice blue, but go for whatever you love. Not only will this ensure you stand out from the sea of brides in white this season, you'll have a much wider selection of dress and gown stores to shop out – increasing your chances of finding a bargain!

This bride chose a sassy 50's inspired dress in pale blush pink with white vintage lace overlay and cute white lace gloves for church. Too Sweet!

• What about a shorter dress? Maybe not Pamela Anderson short, but there are a range of hemlines that can be sweet and demure or as sexy as you'd like. Like colors, considering different shapes can open up more affordable shopping alternatives.
  
• Do you have a friend or relative that works in a dress shop or department store? Would they allow you to use their staff discount? A discount of 5% or 10% on a dress costing $500 is a saving of between fifty to a hundred dollars.
  
• Buy a simple gown in the shape and fabric that you want. Extra beading and embroidery dramatically increases the cost of gowns. If you like the beaded look, you or a talented friend or relative can add them later. Rebeka bought a simple gown for $200 and spent $50 on beads and pearls to add to her neckline and bodice. After the beading was done, the dress was identical to an $800 gown from the same store!
  
• Buy a gown in less expensive material. Do your homework on fabric prices and how they feel and look.
  
• Shop during the sales, especially the after holiday sales. Last seasons gowns are as fabulous as they were a month ago, but are often reduced as much as 70% when the new season’s stock arrives.
  
• Did you ever think to yourself while shopping in a regular store “Oh, I wish this dress was a wedding dress, it’d be perfect!”? Get that dress and turn it into a wedding dress! Just because that pretty white dress is on the Prom rack, the debutante or bridesmaid rack or any other rack in the store, doesn’t mean it isn’t your perfect dress. A label doesn’t need to read “Certified Expensive Wedding Dress” for you to wear it to your wedding!
  
• If you come across a gown with a fixable flaw, don’t be afraid to ask the store manager if you could have this gown for a discount. After all, many brides wouldn’t buy this gown in its current condition. Never ignore the ‘irregular’ or ‘not quite perfect’ racks! A bride I know found a dress she loved with a torn side seam. She knew her Mom could fix it in less than ten minutes. She asked the store manager and she knocked $85 off the dress just to get it off their rack!
  
• Ask store managers when new shipments of gowns are due to arrive. Getting in early means you could pick out the nicest but most affordable of the lot.
  

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