Websites for cheap wedding dress?

[grisandole]

I'm SO happy, dp and I are getting married this fall. It will be a private ceremony and a simple reception/party at our house. I've been able to figure out how to do most things on a budget, but I would like to find a cheap dress. I am scouring the thrift stores but no luch so far. I do look on ebay and etsy, are there any other sites that are good? Thanks!

[Milk8shake]

Congrats!  It's looking likely that I will have a wedding on my hands before too long as well!  I also want to do things pretty low key, and I read a great tip about ordering a bridesmaid's dress in white or ivory as a wedding dress.  

I've been looking at Alfred Angelo dresses, as they available in heaps of colours (inc white) and have found several that I thought would be suitable for what I'm after.  I don't know about the pricing in the states, but here in Oz, the BM dresses range from about $150 - 300.  I daresay they are probably cheaper in the US.  (Actually, just looking on the US site, it says from $99 - 179!)

[nd_deadhead]

I was in a wedding 20+ years ago where the bride rented her wedding dress. It was beautiful - and certainly a lot cheaper than buying.

[crunchy_mommy]

I got mine from David's Bridal -- $99 rack. I don't know if there's a David's near you, they do have a website & if you go to the "Sale" section & sort by price (lowest to highest) there are under $100 options. http://www.davidsbridal.com/Browse_Bridal-Gowns-Sale___lh Their in-person options are better & more plentiful though (or at least they were 7 years ago when I got mine!)

[crunchy_mommy]

Also, don't be afraid to check out prom gowns (at places like JC Penney's), a lot of them won't work but you might find something just right and way cheaper than a designated "wedding" dress.

[Pogo0685]

I wanted a black wedding dress and I ended up with the perfect dress, I think it cost my Mom $80 because it was a discontinued prom dress, I got it at a "formal event" store. I always see a lot of wedding dresses on craigslist for cheap, you have to check often to find your size and one you like, but I have seen them for as little as $30 because a lady was mad because she had just divorced the person she married in it.

 Congratulations!!! 

[EmsMom]

I got my wedding dress from a bridal store but it was a bridesmaid dress and I had it made in ivory.  It was easy because they did all of the alterations and the dress was very pretty.  I don't remember how much I paid, but it was very reasonable and all of the real bride's dresses were way too frou-frou for me to be happy with them anyway.
 

[maryamrose]

I had a Jessica McClintock dress for my wedding. I believe I paid about $250 for it seven years ago but the prices don't seem to have changed. you might also check Craigslist - there are great deals there since people post dresses after they've worn them for their weddings.

congrats, also!

[grisandole]

Thanks so much for all the advice! I do have a David's near me, I didn't know that they had 100 and less gowns, I'll definitely check it out! And I will scour the stores for evening/prom dresses, and I don't want a traditional "puffy" gown. I am fine with ivory or silver, so maybe I'll get lucky! 

[chel]

Originally Posted by maryamrose 

I had a Jessica McClintock dress for my wedding. I believe I paid about $250 for it seven years ago but the prices don't seem to have changed. you might also check Craigslist - there are great deals there since people post dresses after they've worn them for their weddings.

congrats, also!

also did a mcclintock dress for around $200.

maybe try consignment stores

[LemonTwist]

Just another vote for David's! They have some $99 dresses in the store and also a bunch on the website. I got my wedding dress from the website for $99 and I felt so beautiful in it.  One thing I'd recommend is going to a store if you can and trying on some dresses to get an idea of the sizing, especially if you're ordering online.  I found that my bust caused me to have to size up more than I originally thought.  It was worth the trip for me because I knew to size up when I ordered my gown online.

Congratulations!

[Poddi]

If you're looking for a simple white dress there are many options.  Like this one: http://www.jcpenney.com/dotcom//modern-bride/wedding-dresses/lilianna-rosette-waist-chiffon-wedding-dress/prod.jump?ppId=1de4f47&catId=cat100210008&deptId=dept20000013&selectedLotId=2293029&selectedSKUId=22930290075&rootDimName=categories&navState=navState-:catId-cat100210008:subcatId-:subcatZone-false:N-100260287%20:Ns-:Nao-0:ps-24:pn-1:Ntt-:Nf-:action-pagination&topDim=Categories&topDimvalue=bridal&dimCombo=Categories&dimComboVal=bridal&currentDim=Categories&currentDimVal=bridal&searchCount=32&sortType=Featured  Can't say about the quality but it should hold up for one day and it's cheap.

If the quality is not bad, chop it to knee length and hem it after the wedding.  Then you've got a cocktail dress. :)
 

[crunchy_mommy]

Ahh one more thing I thought of, watch out for alterations. For some reason the dress I picked out needed alterations (probably all wedding dresses do) and minor repairs... the alterations were way more expensive than the dress itself! So it would probably be worth it to settle for a second-best that fits well than your absolute favorite that would need a few alterations. Everyone in my family sews but because of the layers of lace and beading and delicate fabrics we wouldn't have been able to hem or fix or alter it ourselves.

[Milk8shake]

Wow!  Stuff is so cheap over there... Jealous.  

[grisandole]

Thanks all! I'm hoping to go shopping next weekend, our local JCPenny is closing and having big sales so maybe I'll get lucky there! And the tip about alterations is helpful, I am going to get one that fits, or at most just needs to be hemmed.

[philomom]

This was found on ebay putting in "Jessica McClintock vintage". Yummy! And cheap.


http://www.ebay.com/itm/VINTAGE1980S-JESSICA-MC-CLINTOCK-CREAM-SILK-WHITE-LACE-TUNIC-BRIDAL-DRESS-M-/221087150604?pt=Vintage_Women_s_Clothing&hash=item3379d2320c

[luckiest]

I bought my wedding dress from J Crew (five years ago) for $200.  It was on sale, down from $300.  Right now they don't have any on their site under $300, but I would keep a look out because they do go on sale!

[lilyka]

Here we have a consignment shop or two for formal and wedding wear.  You might want to check a place like that.

[grisandole]

I wish we had a nice consignment shop here! I'm not in a small town, but the shopping choices here are lacking, which I don't usually mind as it's good for the budget, lol. I am going to the thrift stores again today, and I also found out that Goodwill has an auction website shopgoodwill.com where I have found a few cute and inexpensive dresses; I'm just trying to find one NOT online so I can try it on. 

I went to Davids Bridal and they did have some affordable dresses, however the sales people were so incredibly rude that I will never go back there and am completely turned off to them and all of their products :( I need to write a letter. 

[LilyLiberty]

Try www.preownedweddingdresses.com there are some bargains on there -- including mine! :)