Ways to Go Green when Buying a Wedding Dress

Lots of material and man hours go into a wedding dress. While the "green" bride can find lots of ways to be environmentally conscious in her wedding, the bridal gown remains a difficult are to "go green". Before visions of wearing a hemp bridal gown dance in your head, consider ways that you can save money and still have the dress of your choice by choosing to go green with your wedding dress.

Buying a dress online can save you some money. Buying online also works if the dress is a style that is loose and flowing and you don't need to try it on or the style allows for some tailoring. If this is the case, you can get some great wedding dress deals online. Be prepared to have a good tailor or seamstress that works with wedding dresses if you purchase off of eBay or other online venues. Some examples:

BUY A WEDDING DRESS FROM A CHARITY: Check in the phonebook or online for for the term "donate wedding gowns" - some charities accept new or used bridal gowns and sell them for charity - a great way to recycle a gown and benefit a cause. This is also a good option if there is no way to go green with your dress before the wedding, you can still donate the dress to a charity so someone else can re-use it. A great charity for this is Brides Against Breast Cancer that accepts bridal gowns from 1995 on and re-sells them. Proceeds go to grant wishes to terminally ill cancer patients. It is also a tax deduction.

ONLINE AUCTIONS: Ebay has deep discounts on new and sometimes pre-worn dresses, including couture and expensive designers like Vera Wang and other top designers that would likely otherwise be out of your price range can appear on eBay at a fraction of the cost. There are generally no returns and it is difficult to see the true color of the gown. If it does not fit or you do not like it, your only resource is probably to re sell it on ebay or put it in a consignment shop, so bid accordingly. If the dress is pre-worn, ask the seller about if it comes from a non-smoking home, any stains, look for photos that show the train to check for dirt and the armpits to check for deodorant marks, look at the seams for any bad tailoring mistakes and check the photos for missing beading. It is important to ask the brides height - if she is taller than you than you will need to remove some of the length - which may get rid of any hem stains or it may alter the details you love on the hem. There are also sellers on eBay that will copy the styles of dresses you have seen in bridal magazines and make them overseas in the color and fabric of your choice for a very modest price. You need to take lots of measurements and allow several weeks for the dress to be made and shipped to you. They allow returns for adjusting tailoring only - so allow extra time for that if needed. EBay is also a good resource for discounted flower girl gowns.

BORROW A DRESS: Does a friend or family member have a wedding gown that could be altered with a sash, or altering the style? Even an 80's style gown with alterations such as removing the puffy shoulders and lace can be adapted for cheaper than buying a new gown.

SIMPLE DRESSES THAT CAN BE RE-USED. Consider a wedding dress that it simple and does not use excessive fabric and can be altered to be re-used. J Crew has a line of bridal dresses that are simple lines that look good on almost everybody and can be easily altered to become a special occasion knee length or shorter dress. Sign up for their online newsletter to get updates about their sales. A little known tip is that if you have a J Crew credit card, then all your tailoring on your purchases is free, which is a great perk for tailoring your wedding attire before and after the wedding.

Consignment shops and even Salvation Armies can be a source of used wedding gowns at super low prices.

Like tuxedo rentals, there are now also wedding gown rentals. Make sure to check terms that your gown will be available for the date you want it and what condition you will receive it and have to return it.

Find bridal overstocks and overruns.

Bridaltown is a discount bridal gown house which is in Pennsylvania and has been advertised in bridal magazines for years. They now have a website which has bridal dresses discounted up to 50% off. They have layaway and free catalog you can send away for to see their dresses.

Some other online wedding dress resources:

Thebridalonlinestore.com - dresses start here at $179 and some come with a purse and wrap or a free tiara. Some of the wedding dresses at this shop have been featured on recent soap opera weddings. They are generally simple dresses with one notable detail.

DiscountBridal - many of the brands you see in the bridal catalogs for bridal gowns and bridesmaid dresses such as Alfred Angelo, Bonny, Jordan and Mori Lee.

Brides Power is a high-end designer bridal outlet store in Massachusetts that specializes in high-end designer wedding gowns like Vera Wang, Yumi Eto, Richard Tyler, Lazaro, Bagley Mischka and other at a discount. You can search their inventory online by name and style at bridepower.com