SmartBride Boutique’s Top 5 Tips to Buying a Used Wedding Dress

Many brides-to-be ask us to give them advice about how they can find the wedding dress of their dreams for less. If you want to pay less than retail cost for your wedding dress, but don’t want to sacrifice style on your wedding day, you will benefit from our Top 5 Tips to Buying a Used Wedding Dress. With these tips you can have your cake and eat it too!

Tip #1: A Clean Dress is Best

Look for dresses that have already been cleaned, so that you know if there are any permanent stains and whether or not they will be visible on your wedding day. This way you won’t have to pay a potentially costly dry cleaning bill.

Tip#2: Shop Local

By shopping locally you can inspect the dress closely for stains and damage from insects or improper care. Be sure to treat going to an individual seller’s home the way you would if you were visiting a bridal boutique. Bring a friend or your mom with you so you can get an honest opinion from someone who wants to make sure you feel fabulous on your wedding day.

Tip#3: Ask About Alterations

Keep in mind that alterations can completely change the fit of a gown and some alterations are reversible while others are not. Be sure to get the name and number of the seamstress who did the initial alterations because she will know the dress inside and out. You may wish to call her with questions before you buy the dress.

Tip#4: Do Your Research

If you’re buying a designer or brand name gown, ask the seller to provide you with a style number so you can reference the manufacturer’s website. Visit bridal boutiques to find out the average cost of the designer dresses you’re searching for online. Generally, if you’re buying a dress that is one year old or newer, has not been damaged, and has only been worn once, then you should pay no more than 50% of the original retail cost for the dress.

Tip#5: Be Ready to Negotiate

Are you willing to pay the seller’s original asking price if the dress is exactly as the seller described and it’s the perfect dress for you? Or do you have a lower price in mind based on your research and budget? Be prepared to negotiate, but remain fair with the seller so both of you can be happy with the sale.

About SmartBride Boutique:

SmartBride Boutique is a premium wedding classifieds website, helping today's savvy brides create the wedding day of their dreams on a realistic budget without sacrificing designer names or fabulous style. Past and present brides connect online to buy, sell and save on everything wedding. Smart Brides can have their cake and eat it too!