5 Tips to Score a Budget-Friendly Wedding Gown
Finding a stunning wedding dress will lead you to many different places – bridal salons, consignment shops, department stores, and even to independent designers and mass-market retailers. Some even take the risk and search wedding gowns online, even if it’s impossible to physically fit them, just to find an excellent catch for a much affordable price.
Whether or not your standards are as high for a budget-friendly wedding gown, you’d still want to don a dress from the best bridal studio in Singapore that will make you look and feel beautiful on your special day. So if you’re a budget-conscious bride looking for that perfect yet inexpensive dress, here are some tips we want to share with you.
1. Opt to have a less formal event. Is your wedding more of a casual theme—or are you open to the possibility of having a less formal wedding theme? If so, then you’re a step closer to scoring a pocket-friendly-worth wedding dress. Set your wedding in an outdoor Singapore wedding venue, and match the laidback ambiance with a more casual wedding dress. A lightweight and less dramatic wedding dress is far easier on the pocket than a ceremonial, cathedral-length wedding gown.
2. Search for ‘the one’ at sample sales. Many Singapore bridal shops offer great discounts on wedding gowns several times a year to clear their racks of sample dresses. Although scenes of brides-to-be lunging on piles of marked-down gowns look like a horrendous battlefield, things are actually pretty civilized in these places, not to mention the good savings you’ll get if you join the wagon. To save time and effort in checking out salons, call them and ask for upcoming sale display before heading to their store, or sign up for newsletters to get the latest buzz about upcoming sales.
3. Don’t ignore department stores. With their lovely and elegant styles and reasonable prices, mass-retailers Ann Taylor and J. Crew have been among the go-to sources of brides on budget. But mass-retailers aren’t the only sources to check out when looking for wedding gowns, since more and more Singapore department stores have embracing the bridal business. Instead of visiting just bridal salons, take a stroll at nearby malls and you might just find the most gorgeous gown for a fraction of a price. Also, try checking the malls’ website to check whether they display bridal gowns in their inventory.
4. Give second-hands a chance. Buying a wedding gown on consignment shops or from classified websites might not be your first choice, but these places often have the cheapest dresses in town. Yes, the gowns are second hand, but most of them were worn just once. If you want some real savings, this is probably your best choice. Simply buy the gown that’s flattering to your body type, have it dry-cleaned, and – voila! – you now have a stunning wedding dress, but at a much cheaper price.
5. Buy early and buy simple. Buying early will actually help you save money. If you’re planning to have your gown done from scratch, then its best that you place your orders around eight to 12 months in advance to avoid rush fees, which usually cost a third of the dress’ actual cost. Keep in mind that the more handwork your gown has – beading, embroidery, etc. – the pricier it will be.
Wedding gowns are among those classic garments that look sophisticated even with the simplest embroideries. Keep in mind that simple is elegant, and it will never be daunting to look for that real steal wedding dress.
