My fiancé and I are getting married in August and are currently planning a wedding.  It is an exciting time for us (and our mothers), and naturally, friends and strangers alike are curious about the details.  Some of the frequently asked questions during this process have revolved around “The Dress”.  What does it look like?  Where was it purchased, etc.?

In my humble opinion (which is more strongly influenced by my wallet than I would like to admit at the moment), spending thousands of dollars on a single-use wedding gown is unnecessary.  In general (and especially in the current economic climate), spending a small fortune on a dress is not in the realm of possibility for most brides-to-be.  That being said, my personal style relegated purchasing a bargain gown off the sale rack of a mass-producer down to a last resort.  Designers, I reluctantly admitted, were my best bet in fulfilling my dress criteria - with stratospheric price tags to match.   So my mission became: Where can a future bride source “The Dress” for a fraction of the designer price?

The obvious first choice is to buy a used gown, so I immediately fired up the MacBook and visited TradeMe and eBay.  My goal was to familiarise myself with designers that fit my personal style and to check availability.  (Hint: When searching “wedding dress” on either of these sites, it becomes quickly apparent why including a designer name in your search is much more efficient!) Had I found a pre-owned dress I liked in my size, I would have hit the jackpot; however, I saw many listings for beautiful dresses with tattered or dirty trains and hems - deal-breakers for me. Overall, these initial searches taught me three things:

1. I wanted a new dress.

2. I liked a designer called Pronovias.

3. There was no way in H-E-double-hockey sticks I could afford a new Pronovias.

Since dress sizes can be atypical, it can require a serious leap of faith purchasing “The Dress” on the internet with neither seeing it in person nor trying it on.  To combat both of these dilemmas (clearly not discouraged by my lack of funds), I scheduled a consultation at a local Pronovias boutique, Robyn Cliffe, to sample a few.  I tried on twelve gowns, and it cost me a $50 fee in exchange for proper fitting and styling.  Did you know that wedding gowns have “model years”, like cars?  They do; and, like cars, they are most expensive during the current model year.   Luckily for me and thrifty brides everywhere, unless the model year is in the 90’s or earlier, it is unlikely that dresses preceding the current model year will seem too dated.

Armed with the knowledge of my Pronovias gown size and a few that I liked, I returned to the internet.  Within a matter of days, I honed in on a new gown on eBay that met all of my criteria. It was listed by a supplier in Los Angeles that specialises in selling new, previous model-year Pronovias dresses.   A quick feedback check reassured me the seller was legit.  After a nail-biting auction (which saved another US$150 off the “Buy It Now” price) during which I was the sole bidder, I purchased “The Dress”, my wedding dress, 80% off its original price!  The dress arrived less than week later in ready-to-wear condition; no steaming required.  It fits perfectly, it looks beautiful, I am proud of it - and it was within the price range of mere mortals.

Mission: Accomplished!