While most brides get caught up in the excitement of planning a wedding and doing everything “by the book” you may realize that you are starting to spend more than what your budget allows. You may find an unexpected and very disappointing outcome where you will have to compromise and take away from other things. There is a way around this though. If you are willing to be open minded and think outside the box you can find creative ways to save money on your wedding without compromising the aesthetics of your wedding day.

There are many ways to find inexpensive or cheap wedding dresses without taking away from your wedding day and giving up on your dreams. You may even find a more unique looking wedding dress,that far exceeds what you had in mind originally.This will bring everything together for you, putting the perfect finishing touches on your wedding day. Here are some places to look to save money on your wedding dress.

Auctions

Local auctions and online auctions such as eBay are great places to look for unique, amazingly stunning wedding dresses. You can find them at reasonable prices and you may even find something that you had never considered, and you will look amazing. Since many brides spend quite a bit of money on their wedding dresses they are often trying to recover some of what they paid, once the big day has passed. Since a wedding gown is usually only worn for one day, you won’t have to worry about excessive damage, (if any at all),to a used wedding gown. It will usually still be in “as new” condition. You may need to spend a little bit of money on dry cleaning services but you will have a “brand new” dress at a fraction of the retail price of the dress.

Second-hand or Never-used

There are many second-hand and consignment stores or even stores that take donations, which serve as a goldmine for brides looking for cheap accessories and wedding dresses. Take a day to hit the consignment shops and thrift stores and let the owner of the shop know exactly what you are looking for, so if anything comes in later,they can call you. You may be able to find a wedding dress that you can have altered for maybe $100 or so with the help of a tailor or seamstress who can create an amazing unique look that is tailored specifically for you.

Get a hold of some of your older relatives, your friends’ older relatives and your soon-to-be husband’s older relatives. They may be hiding a gorgeous stunning wedding dress that they may be willing to give you or sell to you for a small fee that you can alter and tailor, to make it unique and individualized. Put the word out and see what is hiding in the back of those closets and attics around your neighborhood. Often times the owner of the wedding dress will be absolutely thrilled to see that someone can use their wedding dress and share in their memories while creating new ones for you and your soon-to-be husband.

Sample Sales

Many wedding boutiques will sell their sample gowns or floor models at significantly reduced prices. They usually have several of these sales every year and offer brides-to-be an opportunity to get a designer wedding gown at an extremely inexpensive price. Make sure you get there way before the doors open and be ready to get aggressive and wrestle other brides for the wedding gown of your dreams.

Damaged, Discontinued or Returned Dresses

Let your local bridal shops know that you are on the hunt for a cheap wedding dress. Tell them what you’re looking for and do them a favor by letting them know you are willing to buy a damaged or returned dress. These dresses haven’t been used and are brand new essentially. You will be able to get an amazing dress at a cheap price if you know how to play your cards right, and if you’re persistent.

Other Resources

There are many stores that carry dresses that look like a wedding dress. Even though these dresses may not have a ton of embellishments or unique aesthetics you may just find the perfect dress that fits the theme of your wedding. These dresses are going to be much more affordable since it is not considered a bridal shop. Stores that focus on evening gowns and prom dresses may just be the perfect place to at least start your search for an amazing wedding dress. You will find more of a variety of dresses in both white and off-white/cream making them perfect for your wedding. Adding a veil or a tiara may just make this average prom dress a stunningly gorgeous wedding dress.

If you are on the hunt for a cheap wedding dress and are working with a budget, try these methods to find your wedding dress and you may be pleasantly surprised. Not only will you save a ton of money but you will save time and reduce the stress level that you normally deal with when going to a bridal salon. Have fun with your wedding dress shopping experiences and remember that while it’s not about the dress to your soon-to-be husband, it is all about the dress to YOU!