How to Spend Under $1000 on a Wedding Dress

If ever there was one single purchase that could define a bride's wedding, it would be the wedding dress. Not only is it the outfit that will live on forever in photographs of her special day, but it may even be passed down from mother to daughter at some point. It also is usually the most expensive outfit that any person ever purchases for herself. Yet, because it is only worn on the wedding day, the idea of spending thousands of dollars suddenly becomes unappealing. If you do your research, however, you can find a great dress that will proudly live forever for hundreds instead of thousands.

Instructions

1. Go to your local consignment shop. Consignment shops have used clothing that tends to be of higher quality than the finds at a your local thrift shop. Because they don't take just any old thing, the clothing the store will have is hand picked and in excellent condition. Be patient and bring a friend for moral support. Together, you will eventually strike gold.

2. Look at the "bridesmaid" dresses. Some very well respected designers make dresses that are intended for bridesmaids, but these could definitely serve as a wedding dress as well. This depends completely on what kind of wedding you want to have, style wise. If you are looking to have a very modern wedding, this idea will work perfectly for you.

3. Shop for a dress at the end of the wedding season. The traditional wedding season ends in early September. This is when all of the big dress stores and the pricey boutiques sell off this year's designs to make room for next year's. Some of the dresses you will find at these sales will be left behind for a reason, but there are an equal amount of beautiful treasures to be had as well.

4. Keep looking for sample sales. All of the major bridal stores have warehouses and showrooms throughout the country. Once or twice a year, these places have a quick, cheap sale to get rid of the samples they use. These sample sales used to be the bridal industry's best kept secret, but now they are beginning to be open to the public. There are designer dresses that have either never been worn or worn only once. They are usually marked down between 50 to 75 percent.

5. Have the dress made for you by a family member. If you have a relative that is talented behind the sewing machine, this is a great option. It will likely thrill your family member who gets the honor of such a task. Take her window shopping with you so she can get an idea of what you want. Try on dresses in front of her. This will make it easier for her to build you a dress that you will remember for the rest of your life.

Tips & Warnings

• Have several fittings if you can. Many brides try to lose weight before the wedding. It is always a good idea to make sure that you get in a fitting or two closer to the big day. That's just to make sure the dress isn't too loose or too tight.

• Do not be swayed by the opinion of the salespeople. You know what you want.