If you don’t want to shell out a lot of money for your wedding dress, you are not alone. I saved a lot of money on my dress by buying something that was deeply discounted because it was a year off-season. If you can’t find something you like this way, then you might want to consider looking at used wedding dresses. Before you dismiss the idea, remember that many women do this when they use their mother’s or their grandmother’s wedding dress for their wedding day. I know getting a stranger’s dress is not the same thing, but the principle is the same.

The great thing about used wedding dresses is that they have in most cases only been used once. Most people wear them for their wedding day and they are then cleaned and put away, or sold. Some used wedding dresses are sometimes brand new. Sometimes weddings are cancelled, as we all know, and the bride usually wants to get rid of the dress. This happens not only to get some of her money back, but also to get rid of the memory of the day that never happened.

You can find used wedding dresses everywhere. If you look online, you can find hundreds if not thousands of them from which to choose. Don’t forget to check auction sites like eBay, and classifieds for your area. You have to consider what size you want, and perhaps what style, and this will make your search for used wedding dresses a little easier by helping you weed out what won’t fit or what you don’t like early. If you are looking for a dress for Halloween, you can find them very cheaply in your local thrift store.

One extra expense you may find that you have with used wedding dresses is cleaning. No matter what you do, you want to have the dress cleaned, even if the previous owner claims to have had it done. You will also still have to pay for alterations, but these shouldn’t be too bad. It still beats paying a thousand for a dress you can get for 200. If you are really lucky, you will find a dress that fits perfectly, but this is a rarity. Most bridal stores will do alterations for you if you make an appointment, even if you didn’t get your dress through them. Make sure you call ahead to find out though. If they can’t, they may be able to refer you to someone who can.