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For the modern bride, the wedding dress plays a starring role in her wedding. Purchasing a new gown, however, can tie up a hefty chunk of the couple’s budget, consuming funds that could go to other areas of the wedding. Renting a wedding dress is an emerging trend that gives brides the option to wear a stunning gown without completely draining their wedding budget. Even brides who aren’t constrained by a budget can gain several attractive benefits by renting a wedding dress.
The Trend
Renting items for your wedding is not a new trend. For years, couples have rented any number of important wedding elements, from tuxedos to folding chairs and tables for the reception. However, recent economic changes have created a bigger rental market for couples who are planning to marry. Couples can even rent a fake wedding cake to display on their cake table while their guests eat from an inexpensive sheet cake. Renting a wedding dress is the latest tool for couples who want to throw a dream wedding without a huge budget.
Why Renting a Wedding Dress Has Become Popular
The recent economic downturn has reduced the size of many couples’ wedding budgets. At the same time, luxurious designer wedding gowns have become incredibly popular with today’s brides. However, unless the bride is independently wealthy, she probably can’t afford to purchase a $12,000 dress and still have enough room in the budget to hire a photographer and caterer. By choosing to rent a dress, a bride can wear the wedding dress of her dreams, regardless of her financial background. (Related Article: Why Does My Wedding Dress Cost So Much?)
Inexpensive Option
Wedding dresses can be a prohibitively expensive portion of each couple’s wedding budget. Many of the most popular styles start at over $1,000, and designer gowns can retail for far more than that, reaching “3 to 4 and even 5 thousand dollars, even though it’s only some 8% of brides that will pay $2500 and above” states, The Wedding Report. For their dress In addition, there are many hidden costs that brides may not consider, including cleaning fees and alteration fees. Wedding dress rentals, however, begin around $75; even expensive designer gowns may rent for less than $500. Many dress shops also include various perks with their rental fees, including cleaning services, alterations and jewelry.
Easy After-Wedding Care
If you buy a wedding dress, you’ll need to do something with it after your wedding. Some brides store their wedding dress for years in the closet, never to wear it again. Other brides may plan to invite their future daughters to wear the dress when they get married. However, twenty years after your wedding, tastes will have probably changed; your once-stylish wedding dress may be an embarrassing reminder of an outdated fashion trend. If you rent a dress, you won’t have to worry about the fate of the dress. After your wedding is over, you can simply return the dress to the shop.
Flexible Fit
Brides who want to walk into a store and find a wedding dress that fits may be in for a surprise. Shelf space in most wedding dress boutiques is limited, and each individual store can only carry a limited supply of dresses. Most brides have to purchase a dress months before the wedding so that a professional tailor can alter the dress to make it fit. Even after the dress is ready, the bride may lose or gain weight, causing the dress to no longer fit. If a bride chooses to rent a gown, however, she will have an easier time finding a dress that fits on the first try. Although most rental stores carry a limited number of dress styles, they typically have those same styles available in many different sizes. If your weight does change before your wedding, you can easily move up or down a size.
Designer Options
Most retail wedding dress boutiques must make hard choices about the stock that they carry. An expensive designer gown may command a high price, but many dress stores choose not to carry these types of dresses because they fear that the dress will sit on their racks for months without selling. However, a dress rental shop is more likely to carry a high-end designer gown; brides can afford a $500 rental fee more often than they can afford to purchase a $3,000 gown. In the era of Pinterest-inspired fantasy weddings, brides are more likely to find the dress of their dreams at a rental shop.
Perfect for Destination Weddings
If you’re planning a destination wedding, you already have plenty to pack with you. Carefully transporting an expensive wedding dress will only add to your stress. However, if you rent a wedding dress in your destination city, you won’t have to worry about bringing your dress with you. Instead, you can simply pick up your dress before your wedding.
Where to Buy and Sell?
You can find many regional pre-used wedding suppliers, online there are also marketplaces, that connects brides to be with past brides. And here are some of them:
Tradesy.com – Past Brides list the dress for sale, when sold it ships from her direct, the site acting as a marketplace collect a commission while most of the revenue goes to the selling party
Preownedweddingdresses.com – This is an easy to use and simple site, their model is also straight forward, they charge a one time, $25 listing fee and the pre-used gown is posted until it sells. There are no commissions or other charges. The site is easy to use and has tons of information related to selling or buying pre-used wedding dresses. We found there designer samples sold at 80% discount.
Nearlynewlywed.com – Nearly Nelwywed is an online destination to buy and sell back new, sample and used dresses at a fraction of the price. With Try Before You Buy option, all dresses are available to try on at home with no commitments, wherever you are.
Bravobride.com – a clean and simple site, Bridal gowns listings are $19.95 no commissions, and items remain on BravoBride and until they sell. The site does not facilitate payment and make shipping arrangements between the buyer and the seller, this is entirely up to the buyer and seller for each transaction. The site recommended using Escrow.com to facilitate the transaction and protect both parties.
Bizrate.com – this is not a wedding dedicated site, but rather a “shopping search engine” a cross different merchants , the site gives a good snapshot of different vendors, but as its not wedding dress focused it has some downsides in usability
Some Caution Tips About Buying Your Wedding Dress Online
Buying locally from these sites (mentioned above) has great advantages, it’s harder to scam somebody that lives down the road
For secure payment of your wedding dress online use payment services such as PayPal or Google Checkout. Don’t accept cashier’s checks or even money orders. Check out Escrow.com, a unique online payment company that tries to protect both parties
If the buyer offers to pay more than the cost (giving a colorful excuse) and expects you to send change , be VERY wary. This is one of the oldest online scammers tricks.
When shipping, ship via a service that provides a mandatory signature by the receiver.
For Additional Information & An Additional Investigative Video About Wedding Dresses – Why Does Your Wedding Dress Cost So Much?

hi I need to find a dress for my wedding but I really do not have the money to afford it so I’ve been searching all kind of websites looking to see if I can rent a dress if you can help me out please let me know thanks
Want to rent a dream wedding dress but not able to afford
I ‘m renting my dress.
Ive got a beautiful blue wedding dress to sell or hire.
HI I would rent mine size 10, mermaid style
I have a beautiful Alfred Angelo gown with a veil and tiara. All preserved. Even have new shoes. I believe the size is18. Shoes are an 8 or 9. I would be happy to send pics for rent or buy options. Let me know. -Andrea
Gorgeous, romantic, a perfect wedding
Hi I am in search of a size 18 wedding dress for a October wedding I don’t have a lot of money and can anybody help me out
I would like to rent yours! I wear size 10
I am looking to rent a plus size wedding dress size 22 can anyone help in st. Louis? Missouri
wheres is your location. u cant rent my elegant gown for 150 dollors eveything is include.. the veil, the 2 pillow for ring berrer and coin berrer garter cord and arras
where is your location u cant rent my very elegant gown for 150 dollors together with 2 veil, cord, garter, arras, 2 heart shape pillow for coin bearer and ring bearer
mine is only 150 dollors if u rent to me and i can guarantee u its ur wedding dream gown…
I’m looking to rent a wedding dress. I live in Tuscaloosa, Alabama. My wedding is Nov.28,2015
My wedding in nov 8, 2015 and I need mermaid dress
I’ve never heard of this. I’m a 14 and an older bride (48). i would like to rent as well for a small wedding.
do you have a picture of the dress?
Hi
M looking for wedding gown just for photo shoot.. can someone give me .. plzz
Thank you
I want to rent modest weeding dress plus size please contact me
Thanks
Could you please send me size and a picture of your dress if it is still available to rent?
Hi I Would like to rent adress
I need to rent a wedding dress for my wedding. I am a size 12 and looking for something very classy, and elegant.
I am looking to rent a dress for my future wife! She is a size medium
Hi! My name is Yvette, iam also acquiring about renting a wedding dress as well. In a mermaid style and size 8-10. My wedding is in July 24, 2016 yes around the corner. Please anybody contact me asap. Im trying to rent a dress because I can’t afford to buy one.
Am looking to rent a wedding dress size 4-6
Hi Aisha, I have a beatufil wedding dress with a tiara, the dress is the exact replica of Kate Middleton’s dress, it fits size 4-6 because I’m size 4. Let mek now if interested
I have a mermaid style wedding dress possibly a size 7/8 for Rent…needs to be dry cleaned.
Hello, I am looking for rental wedding dress..
I have a mermaid style wedding dress feel free to email me. I would love to send pictures. I live in long Beach California.
Email: paolaquieta@gmail.com
I would like to rent an wedding dress for two days how much would that be and i want an princess dress
I would like to rent a wedding dress that is an princess dress and i wanted it for two days how much would it cost me
Looking to rent a wedding for my bridal pics & for my wedding day. I love the mermaid style & im about a size 5/6 or 7/8 … Anyone out there willing to make some extra money on this??
Hi I am looking for a rental wedding dress, I would like the color to be off write my size is 14 to 16
Hi,
I just got married just last month and hoping to rent/hire my just used gown, freshly new just used mermaid ruffles gown from San Patrick – Sandrine. (You can google and see pictures of how stunning the designer is and about my beautiful designer gown). For details, you can contact me on +27722575115.
Hi everybody
I am renting my beautiful lovely wedding dress. It is really affordable dress. I am renting wedding dress for big day
So email me or concat me
My mobile number is 07463647376
Hello where are you located, I’m looking for a wedding dress
COULD SOMEONE HELP ME FIND A VERY INEXPENSIVE RENTAL WEDDING DRESS, WE COULDN’T AFFORD TO HAVE A WEDDING, BUT WE WOULD LIKE TO TAKE WEDDING PICS. I’M A SIZE 12. COULD SOMEONE PLEASE HELP. MERMAID STYLE.
Hi Andrea,
I’m interested.
Everyone knows that a wedding dress is worn just once and then placed in the wardrobe for all years. I wasn’t convinced of this idea. Eventually, I stumbled on this site and was happy to get ideas about renting the wedding dress. It’s really a good saving on the pocket.
Hello, I would like to rent a Monique Lhuillier ‘Winslet’ Plunging V-Neck Organza & Lace Ballgown Dress in size 4. Does anyone have this dress?
As an alternative of renting an expensive wedding dress that might not be the dress of your dream, we at ieie Bridal offer personalized wedding dress that reflects the bride’s personality, taste and vision at affordable price. Many of our clients contact us with inspirational pictures and we put the different elements together to bring out her vision to life.
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Highly insightful… looking onward to visiting again
Gorgeous look in the the wedding style dresses .. nice blog post .
hi, im interested and exchanging vows next week, where are you located? my destination wedding is in February and my dress wont be here until late January but we want to get married legally sooner. can you please email me?
Hi everyone, finace and i are getting married in May and I never anticipated a dress costing so much. We are planning on paying for the wedding ourselves and also take full school loads come the new year. Does anyone have a beautiful A-line dress they want to rent out or resale? I can’t afford much but I’m willing to pay! Thank you in advance
I am getting marry in June and I need a dress to rent .
Hi. I need a dress to rent for my wedding in July 2017. I wear size 8, I have a hour glass body type. I would like a white mermaids cut dress. Anyone?
Hello Ladies I am renting my Allure Couture C363 in a size 5/6. I live in Southern CA, feel free to email me!
Excellent blog post . I definitely love this website. Keep it up!
Looking for beautiful dresses to buy check out my website at http://www.courlissweddingboutique.com
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Hi I’m looking to rent a wedding gown or bridesmaid gown for a photoshoot. But not able to afford since prices are high. Is anybody ready to rent it. Please let me know. My dress size varies with 10,12 or 14