So what do you do? Is there any way you can find an incredible dress without breaking the bank? Actually, yes. There are several options. Yes, each option is filled with its own challenges but if you approach the opportunity with your eyes wide open you should be able to find a wedding gown that you will be proud to wear on your big day.
Charity sales and / or auctions: Just as charities have turned to accepting donated cars and selling them to raise funds, some also do the same with wedding dresses. As a result you have the opportunity to buy dresses that are usually either new or worn once for a fraction of their original price. Think about it. Some bride goes out and buys a gown that costs two thousand dollars or more and then the wedding gets called off. What is she going to do with it? She donates it to a charity that accepts bridal gowns who sells it to you for a few hundred dollars. You get a gorgeous wedding gown, she gets a tax write off, and the charity makes money it needs to keep it's doors open another day.
EBay and similar sites: Just before I started writing this I checked EBay's listings and there were more than sixteen thousand listings for wedding dresses posted. Sure, EBay's listings are not perfect, so there's probably a couple hundred or so other items scattered about amidst the bridal gowns, but that still leaves a lot of gowns - gowns that could be perfect for someone's wedding.
Sample sales: Bridal shops need a way to clear out their stock of each year's wedding dresses and sample sales are the industry standard (though not a hard and fast rule). To find a sample sale in your area simply look in the yellow pages of your local telephone directory under bridal shops and call each one on the list to find out IF they are having a sample sale and the date the sale is scheduled. This option can require some patience and a lot of planning ahead, but it's possible to walk away with a great gown at a price you'll be proud of.
Remember, the most expensive wedding dresses are usually the least ornate. The reason for this is the fact that it takes more craftsmanship and better quality material that is totally smooth than it does to do more ornate designs. As a matter of fact, dress makers use the bead work, lace work, and embroidery to cover the flaws in less than perfect materials.
Finally, don't forget that while a bridal gown can always be taken in it is very difficult to let a wedding dress out - and the higher the quality, generally the more impossible it is to let the dress out. So the moral to the story is to use care when you buy your dress. You won't be saving any money if you buy a wedding dress that's too small for you to fit into.
A good tip for saving money on your next trip to South America is to consider travelling by coach or bus. Unlike in the UK or US, luxury coach tickets in South America are cheap as chips, and you can get all the legroom and comfort you'd expect from a first class rail ticket for next to nothing, and you get a much better look at the changing landscape than you would in a plane. The fact that you're reading this right now is proof in itself that you're a web-savvy customer, so it hardly needs saying that the best deals are to be had online. Nonetheless, smart people can be lazy procrastinators too, so let this be a reminder to you to book online in advance for any journeys that you know you will be going on if you want to avoid paying through the nose for on-the-day travel. Even if you reckon you might have left it too late, tickets for travel can often be purchased at the last minute online that are far cheaper than you'll be offered at the station. Think about it ? if you're already at the station, they know that you've already made up your mind that you're going to travel that day, and that's the gun they put to your head when they hit you with the bill. You can often travel very cheaply on night trains if you book seats rather than berths. These carriages are usually just about empty, so there's plenty space to stretch out and have a nap. If you're not travelling at a busy time, the train staff will often offer you a berth upgrade for nothing anyway, just to save on the heating bill for the empty seated carriages. If you're travelling around anyway, use sleeper trains, as although these are usually a little more expensive than daytime trains, you get a night's free accommodation, and you waste less of your precious days abroad this way. If you plan making more than a few journeys around a city on public transport, get a multi-journey ticket or travelcard, as these can save you a lot of money in the right circumstances. Try to make friends everywhere you go, as their local knowledge can often turn out to be priceless, and you might be able to stay with them for free if you play your cards right! If you're getting around town during the day, skip the expensive cabs and take the bus. Not only does this work out a lot cheaper, but it also gives you a much wider appreciation of the culture of the place you are visiting. Ask some locals about the typical taxi fares that they pay, and always agree taxi fares in advance with the driver armed with this knowledge, or you could end up getting charged ?tourist rates? that are far higher than anyone else is paying. If you're looking to do a bit of sightseeing, get together with some fellow travellers and chip in for a hire car. Not only does this afford you more freedom of movement, it also usually works out a lot cheaper than using cabs or public transport.
Both Jeanette Shinn & Derek Lakess are contributors for EditorialToday. The above articles have been edited for relevancy and timeliness. All write-ups, reviews, tips and guides published by EditorialToday.com and its partners or affiliates are for informational purposes only. They should not be used for any legal or any other type of advice. We do not endorse any author, contributor, writer or article posted by our team.
Jeanette Shinn has sinced written about articles on various topics from Wedding Bells, Modelling and Wedding Gowns. Jeanette Shinn is a wedding professional with over a dozen years experience making dreams come alive. Find tips and accessories from