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.