Have you come to the point where it’s time to go shopping for your wedding dress? Have you no interest in having the same dress everyone else has? Want to make a statement or reflector personality with it?
Not to bash big box stores or designers, but some brides and grooms want something totally different. If you have ever walked into a bridal and groom store and left feeling like you haven’t explored all your options, then try the following:
Make it
Do you know who makes wedding dresses around you? If you have got the time to find it, you can ask to make your own wedding dress. Make sure to ask for help from other seamstresses you might know if you hit a wall or mess up. If you’re more of a novice, we do not recommend this option. It is your wedding, after all.
Try online
Etsy or eBay are great places to start if you have a unique idea in mind. eBay is great if you’re looking to save money with a used dress, even better if you’re looking for vintage. Make sure to do your homework so you know what you are getting is, in fact, vintage. Etsy is great for finding one-of-a-kind designs. You can look for bridge wedding dresses: Ballgown, Mermaid, Trumpet, Sheath, Tea-length, Fit-and-flare, A-line, and more. The groom can choose from a tuxedo including a white bow tie and tails, vest, shirt with striped trousers, coat with shirt and pants, sherwani, and wedding barong.
Borrow one from a friend
If your best friend, sister, or mother has gotten married before you, chances are that they have a wedding dress in a box at home just waiting for someone to wear it again. Before you go shopping in all your girlfriends’ closets, make sure that they aren’t hugely attached to the dress. They may want to keep it unmarred, un-spilled upon, and most importantly, unaltered. Once you found a dress you love and have permission, it can double as something borrowed. Two birds, one stone.
Buy a plain white dress and suit in a regular store
We have known brides and grooms that have purchased their wedding dresses for under $200. In the spring months, white dresses are especially rampant in your favorite stores. Thanks to things like Easter and the Kentucky Derby, white dresses are ridiculously easy to find this time of year. Abuse that! Head to the mall and explore your options. This will work best if you are planning on having a less formal wedding. Some stores do have wedding-specific lines, if you’d like to explore a fancier option, as well.
