Secondhand Isn’t Always Second-Best

When it comes to sticking to a wedding day budget, you'd probably assume that means giving up on your fantasy of walking down the aisle in a couture or designer gown. After all, the average designer dress starts at $3,000. But with the growing number of brides choosing to put their gowns up for sale instead of preserving them, there are plenty of designer duds just waiting to be snatched up at consignment and vintage shops, thrift stores, and online sites such as Ebay, Craig's List, PreOwnedWeddingDresses.com, SellMyWeddingDress.com and RecycledBride.com. The best part: you can save as much as 50 percent off the original price tag! Here are some tips for shopping secondhand:
Give yourself time. Since you won't be going to the typical bridal salon that has dozens of dresses on display, you'll want to start your gown search as soon as possible. It might take you a bit longer than usual to find the perfect gown-and this isn't a purchase you want to make in a rush.

Read More...