Would you buy a second hand wedding dress?
Almost half of brides would buy a second hand wedding dress
When over a thousand brides were asked the question “would you buy a second hand wedding dress?” almost half said that they would be willing to consider it. A poll of nearly 2,500 Easy Weddings brides showed that 46% of brides would be willing to consider getting married in a pre-loved gown, while 54% wouldn’t hear of it.
The obvious attraction of a second hand wedding dress is that it should cost less than a brand new gown, which is particularly appealing in the current economic climate. Buying a second hand wedding dress is the perfect way to get that fancy designer gown at less than half the retail price. Most wedding dresses have only been worn for one day, and brides are generally very careful to keep their gowns in perfect condition, so if you shop around you can get a real bargain.
There are certain downsides to second hand wedding gowns, however. If there is a particular dress in the shops that you love, the chances of finding a second hand one for sale in your size are not that high. Most of the dresses for sale will be at least last season’s, and may be a couple of years out of date by the time you get married. Pre-loved gowns may also have been altered to fit the original bride and may need extra alterations to look good on you.
If you are looking for a second hand wedding dress, there are plenty to choose from. While some brides want to keep their gown as a memento of their wedding day, others think it’s a shame to have a beautiful and expensive dress gathering dust in the back of their wardrobe. Plenty of brides justify spending a small fortune on a designer wedding dress by promising they will sell it after the wedding and get some of the value back.
Certain stores specialize in second hand wedding dresses, but the internet now provides a much larger selection. You can narrow down your search by size and style, and you can be sure there will be plenty of gorgeous gowns for you to browse through.
Here are a couple of tips on buying a second hand wedding dress:
- Make sure you discuss whether dry cleaning is included in the price, and if it is get the seller to send you a receipt for the cleaning. Having a wedding dress cleaned can be very expensive and could stop your pre-loved gown being such a bargain.
- Be prepared to have the dress altered a little to fit you properly; very few dresses fit perfectly straight away. Look for dresses that are a little large or long as these are much easier to alter than gowns that are too small or short.
If possible go and collect the dress yourself so you can try it on. Don’t be scared to say you don’t want it, or offer less than the asking price if you don’t think it’s worth what the seller wants for it. Do some checking before you go and find out whether the original price of the dress was really what the seller says it was.