How to Find Wedding Dress Discounts

The process of finding a wedding dress, with the dizzying array of choices, can be one of the most time consuming and frustrating parts of planning your wedding. Since there are so many choices, it is usually necessary to set a reasonable budget. Here are a few ways to save money on your wedding dress.

Wedding dresses are now being sold in some unusual places - your old favorites like J Crew and Banana Republic are entering the bridal market with fine quality fabrics with very simple designs. The bridesmaids' dresses can be easily worn again, as can the wedding dresses with some minor alterations. Sean Puffy Combs sells a line of bridal and formal wear that can be found at the likes of Nordstrom for around $200 to $600. Consider Viktor & Rolf who paired up with H&M to produce a wedding dress that sells for $349 and looks far more expensive.

Discount wedding dresses can be found online at stores such as www.houseofbrides.com. They have David's Bridal discounted, Dessy and Watters & Watters for a few brand names. The good part about this discounter is that it shows the same photo ads you see in the bridal magazines and lists the gown number and lists the discount price. You can try on dresses you see in the bride's magazine in the wedding dress shops and then see if they are available any cheaper at houseofbrides.com.

Check out consignment shops for bridal gowns. Many brides have their dresses cleaned and then have no place to store them, so they go into the shops, often in very good condition. Ebay is also a giant resource for discount wedding dressed ranging from brides looking to get some cash back on dresses they wore, or from weddings that got cancelled or bridal store overstocks. Sometimes people buy a dress and then see one they like better and sell the first one on ebay. I have seen couture gowns, Vera Wang and more for sale on ebay.

You may find the dress of your dreams and there is just no way of getting it for a discount. If so, consider the option of donating your wedding dress to a charity after the wedding and consider the tax deduction as defraying the cost of the dress. A wedding dress in excellent condition can get hundreds of dollars for organizations such as Good Will, the Salvation Army, or a similar resale shop that benefits a worthy cause and you'll get a tax deduction. Bridesmaid gowns can be given to an organization that matches low-income teens with the prom dresses - check your local phone book or search online to find an organization near you.