by: Noel Swanson
A-line / Princess Strapless Chapel Train Satin Luxury Wedding Dress With Beaded Lace Appliques
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Ask any bride-to-be what one of her biggest concerns is and she will probably tell you sticking to a budget. Just about every bride and groom is looking for deals to help them save money on their wedding.
Today's couples have so many reasons to want to save money on the big day. With rising costs for basic necessities such as housing, food and gas it is often hard to make ends meet, even with dual incomes. After the dream wedding the bride and groom may start planning for their dream home and starting a family. Perhaps there are children involved from a previous a marriage. If so then merging these two families will bring additional expenses.
Fortunately, couples can save money on their wedding in many ways. Something that has gained popularity over the years is shopping on internet auctions such as eBay. Anyone familiar with eBay knows that you can find just about anything you are looking for. From wedding favors to wedding gowns, shopping on eBay has become very popular. One man did quite well when he sold his wife's wedding dress after his divorce. His listing brought a lot of attention with a picture of the man actually wearing the gown! This funny listing not only got him a good price but several marriage proposals!
Before bidding on any type of online auction decide exactly how much you are willing to pay for an item. Many times you will be happy to pay much less than you were willing to spend but other times the bidding can get fierce. This might happen if you and several other brides are interested in a particular item that is hard to find. By keeping a budget in mind you wont have any second thoughts about how much money you've spent.
A great challenge of shopping online is that you don't get to touch; feel and see up close the items that you are purchasing. When buying something like a wedding gown - this can become quite challenging. Some sellers will offer a return policy and others don't. Remember to be fair when trying on an online auction gown: don't wear makeup that could smear on the gown. Be gentle with it to avoid tearing. Also note if the gown has any stains or other marks and let the buyer know -- especially so they don't think, somehow that you made these marks yourself. Do all that you can to make the return process easy. Ship the gown back via UPS, Federal Express or some other shipping method that will obtain a signature and has shipping insurance.
Another way brides have been saving money is by shopping at consignment stores. Consignment stores have been around for years. Some actually specialize in wedding gowns; check some of the larger cities near you to see if there are some of these consignment stores available to you.
Consignment shops do lack the variety of bridal shops. If you find the gown of your dreams at a bridal shop you can simply order the size that you need. With consignment shops you wont be so lucky. You may find a beautiful gown but if it is isn't the right size then you will probably have to keep looking unless it can be altered. Many consignment shops wont have anyone available for alterations so try and find a good seamstress before you start shopping and have one less thing to worry about.
Another disadvantage to consignment shopping is that you need to make a decision quickly. The gown you fell in love with yesterday may be gone when you come back for it the next day. Try bringing a family member or friend whose opinion you trust when shopping. Then you will feel confident about your purchase and thrilled with the money you have saved!
But shopping at eBay or at a consignment store can have huge benefits. Your dress can be less than 50% of what you would pay otherwise. If you are willing to be a bit flexible about what type of dress you wear, you'll have plenty of options. This can be a great way for a bride to save money for her wedding.
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