Affordable Options for the Budget Savvy Brides

There is no hiding the fact that wedding dresses can sometimes take up quite a chunk of the wedding budget. The average cost of a brand new wedding dress in Australia sits at around $2,500 to $3,500. Thinking about spending THOUSANDS of dollars on a dress that you will more than likely only wear once is a lot to come to terms with and a lot of the general population (especially in current times) either are not able to spend that kind of money or don't want to and would rather spend that money elsewhere. All of this is so understandable and there is absolutely nothing wrong with either!

Luckily, there are some really great options for anyone watching what they spend without having to compromise looking and feeling every bit a bride on your big day.

BOUTIQUE SAMPLES

A lot of bridal stores will carry a range of gowns to suit a lot of budgets but are usually around $2,500+. However, if you are wanting to have the whole experience of being doted on by a consultant, getting that champagne and feeling like the beautiful bride you deserve to be then head to bridal stores and see what samples they have available to by off the rack. Some bridal stores will have an area with just sale gowns, some will sell you the store samples even if not discontinued and some will have big sample sale events.

 The downside to this is that obviously the gowns will mostly only come in one size (I would suggest calling the store beforehand to see what sizes they carry) and that they would have more than likely have been tried on a bunch of times so may need a little TLC. But for what you save on the dress. there might be a bit extra in the budget for alterations and cleaning. Check out the stores website as I have found that a lot of the time they will have a section for designer clearance and a lot do put the prices there!

ONLINE (Not WISH I swear!)

Buying a wedding dress sounds f*****g terrifying if you ask me. We have all seen those horrible (but funny) videos of internet vs reality. However, there are actually quite a few reputable and more trustworthy sites to check out if you are wanting to have a go online. Places like House of CB and ASOS have a killer wedding dress section varying from a few hundred dollars to about $1,500. They both also have a great return policy with full refunds if you don't like the dress. This gives you a little freedom to buy a few different styles and try them out - have your friends over for a little fashion show and make a day of it! Just be sure to have a look at the materials listed, reviews and return policy.

PRE-LOVED

The market for pre-loved/second hand wedding dresses is huge! There are hundreds and hundreds of people selling their wedding dresses on places such as MarketPlace or sites like StillWhite. You may even be lucky enough with the bride simply just changing their mind and never actually wearing the dress they brought. A small downside (could also be an upside) could be that they may have already had the dress altered to fit their body. Sites like StillWhite is great because you could basically find any dress you could think of and someone would be selling it at a cheaper rate. Amazing! Even check out op-shops/thrift stores because sometimes they will have absolute GEMS in there! There are also a few boutiques around that specialise in pre-loved gowns so definitely have a look in your local area for those. And so what if they dress has been worn?! No one at your wedding is going to know or ask - promise!

HIRE IT

There aren't heaps around but there are definitely stores that will hire wedding dresses which is a really great option! Especially as you won't ever need to try and store your wedding dress and it taking up precious room in the closet. The only downside to this is that you arent able to alter the dress and you would need to be extra careful of damages and stains. Make sure to read their terms and conditions and definitely read over your contract.

At the end of the day, your partner fell in love with you as you are. A fancy, expensive dress is not going to make them love you any more or any less than a $50 dress from the opshop. This choice is an important one and if there are other things you care about more then never feel bad about any of these options. As long as you are comfortable and not going bankrupt for a dress then you are doing great!