6 Tips on How to Buy a Preowned Wedding Gown
At Black Bride's recent Dallas Bridal Brunch, our expert panel was asked for "tips on how to save money" while planning your wedding. One of our tips was to consider buying a preowned wedding dress! Having worn a preowned wedding gown for my own wedding there was SO much more I wanted to say about how to go about this kind of dress shopping wisely. There just wasn't enough time. So I wrote a blog post!It's no secret that wedding gowns can be pricey. Honestly, I had no idea when I began my own wedding dress shopping, how costly even the lower-priced wedding dresses are. I was a little jealous of my husband who invested in a suit purchase (even though it was about the same cost as my wedding gown) that he knew he'd be able to wear time and time again. I knew I would want to keep my gown forever even though I wasn't going to wear it again, but I didn't want the hassle of trying to figure out how to repurpose it. So after all of my research, I was led to purchase a preowned wedding dress. (Gasp) At the time it felt a little taboo to buy a preowned wedding dress since no one talks about this. Mine was a Vera Wang and literally a fraction of the retail cost. It was one of the best decisions I made during my own wedding planning.
There are a lot of unknowns when making a large purchase with a preowned gown you found online, especially when you can't see and try it on in person. Since you may only get one shot with a preowned wedding dress purchase, I want to make sure you equip yourself with the knowledge you need to have for this type of shopping experience. So here are six tips I have to make the most out of your preowned wedding dress shopping.1. Do your research! Keep your bridal salon appointments to try on different styles and fits. You need to know exactly what you want, not just the shape and style, but also what kind of fabric, beading or lace you would like. For example: When I began my online search, I had already said yes to a dress in a bridal boutique. No really, I did. It was way over budget, but I *thought* I could make it work somehow even though my practical side knew that I shouldn't. When I came back down to earth, I ventured online, armed with details that my gown had to have. It had to be mermaid cut with a sweetheart neckline and horsehair tulle on the skirt. I was very specific.Designers name each dress in their collections. For example, my dress was named Lillian by Vera Wang. Once I zeroed in on the exact dress I wanted, it was just a matter of entering the dress name into the search feature on the preowned wedding dress sites and seeing who had one in the best condition that would fit my measurements.2. Keep in mind that most preowned wedding dresses have already been altered to fit someone else's body. Yes, there are some bridal salons selling their unaltered sample dresses, and also a few brides selling the unaltered dresses they purchased and then changed their minds about. But for the most part, the gowns you will come across are used dresses that have been altered.In your salon visits, you will also want to find out what your "wedding dress size" is. Wedding dresses are sized differently than street clothes. Once you are online, you will want to compare wedding dress size, street size, AND the final altered measurements of the dress that you would like to buy. Making sure that those are close to or larger than your own measurements so that the dress can be altered to fit you. Remember, it's rare that you will be able to take a dress out if it's cut smaller than your measurements. The dress I ended up with was actually one inch smaller in the hips than I was. Ms. Debra at White Gown Workroom, my wedding gown magician, was able to take mine out some. That was crazy lucky to have a tiny bit of additional fabric still in the seam so that she could let it out. During the buying process, I communicated the sizing issue with the gown's previous owner, and asked her questions about her "street size." Knowing what size jeans she wore, helped me to put the dress measurements into a perspective that I could better understand.3. Communicate with your seller! Most brides are selling their dresses with no refund policy whatsoever. With just a few messages to my gown's previous owner, I was able to negotiate a return policy - provided I would cover insured shipping both ways if for some reason the dress didn't work out. I was really honest with her about how much I loved that particular dress but thought it might be a tad small based on her measurements. She allowed me five days to get the gown to a tailor and make sure it could be taken out to fit me, and also that it could be cleaned and the repairs made so that it looked brand new again. Ms. Debra did all of that and more, including adjusting the neckline to my personal preferences.4. That brings me to my next point. Find a highly skilled wedding dress tailor. Trust me, its worth it! (It's also worth it if you bought your dress brand new.) Wedding dress alterations, don't come cheap. You are not hemming a pants leg. You are altering lots of delicate fabric to fit your body. And you want to make sure you hire someone who is experienced with gowns and delicate fabric and will take care of your investment. Honestly, my alterations were half the cost of the dress. But when I look at the total price (dress + alterations), it was still a fraction of the retail cost of the gown alone. Good undergarments and well-done alterations can take the fit of your dress a long way. (I could do a whole other blog post on this last sentence.) So yeah, totally worth it. If you are in the Dallas area, I highly recommend Debra Powell at White Gown Workroom.
5. Stay on top of current wedding trends. It's rare that you will find a preowned dress from the current season. It's just too soon, especially for a designer gown, since most brides order their gowns 6-9 months out from their wedding date. If you are someone who has to have the latest, then a preowned gown may not be for you. I didn't mind, because the gown I found felt classic and still on trend with what was going on in current bridal fashion. This is another part of your research. If staying on trend is important to you, then watch more "Say Yes to the Dress" episodes. (Kidding, not kidding.) During your visits to salons, and depending on how you are learning about bridal trends - whether it's from wedding blogs, magazines, or Say Yes to the Dress episodes - you will begin to see what's currently in style and what styles are fading out. Black Bride features real weddings and styled shoot inspiration. It is one of the best resources where you can keep up with current wedding trends.6. And finally, use the website's platform for communication and payment. In doing so, you will ensure that your money is protected and that the communication between you and your seller is recorded - just in case there are any discrepancies in the condition of the dress or the agreed-upon terms. Even though I'd love to believe in the good in everyone out there, you just never know. By following the rules of the website and the recommended payment methods, I was protected in my gown investment and didn't have to worry.I think that about covers it. Do you have any other preowned wedding dress tips to add? Feel free to ask me a question. I love chatting about dress shopping.*Here are some websites where you can find your preowned wedding dress:www.preownedweddingdresses.com - This is the one I purchased mine from.www.nearlynewlywed.com - This site has a risk-free return policy.www.oncewed.comwww.tradesy.com**Also, check your local area to see if there are any wedding gown consignment shops you can visit.***Oh and don't forget to get a bustle added! I did... Whoops.
Bonus tip: I bought my belt on Etsy! The bridal boutiques were selling similar belts for a lot more than the $50 I paid for mine and it was perfect. This is the Etsy shop where I purchased my belt. I wish I could figure out how to incorporate it into my daily wardrobe somehow. Any ideas?
Are you considering a preowned wedding gown? Comment below with your questions and concerns.
Happy wedding gown shopping! xx
Photo credit: Our wedding photos included in this post were captured by Kathryn Krueger Photography
