A new niche has popped up in the bridal gown market … secondhand gowns from sites including OnceWed.com, PreOwnedWeddingDresses.com, ProjectWedding.com’s classifieds, and BravoBride.com. The idea is simple and logical for many brides: I loved my dress, but I wore it for only a few hours, and now it’s going to hang in my closet – why not make some of my money back on the gown and let another bride enjoy it, too?

It’s a wonderful trend that I embrace wholeheartedly! Wedding gowns are beautiful, stunning even, but styles change rapidly, and the chances of a future daughter or granddaughter wearing your gown are quite slim. Storing and preserving gowns is costly and takes up a lot of precious closet space. And truly, most wedding gowns emerge from their Big Day in virtually perfect condition, so why not pass the joy along to another bride on a budget?

 Want to try to find your dream gown secondhand? Here’s what to know:

 * Ask for real photos! Many sellers will post photos of the gown on the model in the designer’s ads. You want to see what the dress looks like on a real person, not someone who’s a size 0 (unless you’re a size 0!). Ask the bride to model the dress in a few photos from different angles and send them to you.

* Ask about shipping, cleaning, tears, dirty hems, etc. Dresses do get dirty during weddings. Hems get dirty and frayed, zippers and sashes get torn, wine gets spilled. Be sure you know whether the dress needs any cleaning or repairs before you buy it. Those extras can cost hundreds of dollars on top of the price of the gown. Some sellers will have done these things for you, before you buy, as well.

* Anything can be altered. Just like a gown from a bridal salon, any dress can be altered. A size 10 can become a size 4. Hate the bow? Have it removed. Want a sweetheart neckline? Have it taken lower. A tear near the hem? An easy fix. The only thing that a seamstress can’t really change is lengthening the dress. Dresses can become shorter, but not really longer, unless you want to add a different hem.

* Visit a bridal salon to try on your favorites before you shop secondhand. Make a few appointments with bridal salons and go armed with the gowns you’re looking for, including designer and gown name or style number. Try on your beloved gowns and see which ones end up in your top 3. Then check back daily or sign up for email alerts on your top designers and you’ll know right when your perfect gown becomes available secondhand. The beauty is, you know what the actual dress will look like, and you can eliminate any styles that you don’t love in person or won’t work for the type of wedding you’re planning.

* Try it on in person if you can. Sellers don’t accept returns if something doesn’t fit or isn’t as you imagined it. To be safe, try to find a seller in your area or a short drive away so you can try the gown on in person.

* Consider your height. I’m almost 5’8”, which means almost 6 feet tall in heels. Finding a gown that hasn’t been altered in the length is tough! For instance, I found a beautiful gown I loved, less than an hour away, but the bride is 5’3” and 5’7” in heels. Meaning I’m taller than the dress itself, in bare feet. Sigh. So, if you’re tall, your best bet may be to shop for a sample gown, meaning it was purchased off the rack and hasn’t been worn or altered. Sample gowns usually come in sizes 8 or 10 and are quite long – perfect for us taller girls.

* Find a Two-Dress Bride! Yes, it does happen, and more often than you think. A bride will buy a dress, often from a sample sale, have second thoughts, and buy a second dress. We call these ladies Two-Dress Brides, and they will have beautiful, brand-new wedding gowns that they need to offload, and quickly, to recoup some of their money. Their indecision is your gain!

* Trust your gut. If a sale sounds too good to be true, it probably is. Sites like OnceWed.com and PreOwnedWeddingDresses.com police their sellers quite well, but you can avoid scams by trusting your instincts. A Vera Wang organza gown that retails for $6,000, selling for $1,000? Probably not. It could be a lookalike, but not the real deal. Sellers typically price their gowns from 50 to 75% of what they paid originally. Some will drop their prices if a gown isn’t selling, but you won’t find a couture dress for a tiny percentage of its value. That’s just common sense.

* Always pay with a credit card. This should be a no-brainer, but never send someone a check or cash for a gown. That way, if by some chance the sale is a fake, you can call your credit card company and reverse the payment. But a check or cash is lost forever.

So peaceful and private, just the intimate moment you want after the ceremony.

{shot by Jeff and Lisa Photography}

(via steviellen)

Sheer, sweet polka dots & your something blue! FromKate Spade …

Sparkles for weddings and holidays! From Kate Spade…

What a great shot.

I. Am. Obsessed. With this Santorini wedding. The olive branch bouquet! The ring! The gown! Ahhh, the view …

{shot by the amazing Punam Bean, via SMP}

My wedding flowers will incorporate fiddlehead ferns. I just adore them.

{via Green Wedding Shoes}

Beautiful … the belt just makes it perfection.

(via onceuponadress)

Circular ceremony seating? I LOVE THIS IDEA!! Feels so close and personal.

{shot by luna photo}

 

Kiss & Makeup is delighted to be doing the makeup for this special event. We will be doing smoky eyes, and nude shimmery lips. We will be applying the finest fake eyelashes with a clear band for the most natural look. 

 Our artists are licensed professionals with years of experience in the beauty industry. We offer onsite services for both hair and makeup. We specialize in bridal, fashion, print and television. We help beautify you for your special day with both Traditional and Airbrush Makeup.

Visit us on WedSpace.com! 

With 5 years of previous balloon decorating experience, Stars Above Balloon Décor is excited to be part of Emily’s Fabulous “Sweet 16”! Stars Above Balloon Décor has a unique sense of style, personality and love for all things balloons. Balloons By: Stars Above Balloon Decor

Creativity and imagination is what you can see in any event decorated by the balloon staff. As a family owned business it consists of support from family, friends and a team of Balloon specialists in order to make every event spectacular! Stars Above Balloon Décor’s balloons can be found in many banquet halls, private estates, charity events, or on the road offering personal consultations.

 

Visit us on WedSpace.com!

Visit our website!

NOW FLiP THIS is a Mobile Flip Book Studio serving cities nationwide and is excited to be part of Emily’s “Sweet 16” bash!

We have been in business since 2007 and offer our clients a unique, one-a-kind event experience that is one part event entertainment and one part take home party favor. At your event, in our flip book video booth, guests shoot a fun 7 second video (We even provide props to enhance the experience). The stills from that video are then printed, bound right in front of you and ready for viewing all within minutes! It truly is an unforgettable experience and will have your guests talking about your event for a long time to come. The NOW FLiP THIS staff is a professional, fun loving and innovative group that will engage your guests and help them enjoy every moment of making their very own flip book.

We are So Cal’s Premier BBQ Caterers and are excited to be part of Emily’s “Sweet 16” party serving an amazing taco bar with pork, chicken and carne asada! 

We serve the BEST Tritip, Chicken, Ribs, Pork, Fish and many sides. We arrive on location and cook up BBQ fit for a king and queen; Customer service is our #1 priority. We can handle any size wedding from 30 to 1,000 + people. Contact us today for a free tasting.

If you would like us to design your cake contact us at 858-232-5093 or susan@ashleyclaires.com for a free cake consultation!

From the bride: I bought 30 pinwheels at the 99 cents store -– the glittery kind with Disney characters all over them -– and Eric spray painted them ivory. They fluttered in the light breeze, lining the perimeter of the olive tree under which we got married.

{See the whole lovely, sweet wedding, here}

Walking a log over a stream to your wedding site? Incredible …

{Love this Portland-forest wedding, via 100LayerCake}

Amazing! A handmade bouquet of rickrack and ribbons by the bride’s mom …

{via RuffledBlog}