According to our 2014 wedding report, 45% of our brides only spent up to £500 on their wedding dress last year. This is a considerable amount less than the cost of the average wedding dress, which is around £1,400. This is a clear indication that brides are becoming more financially savvy when it comes to choosing the dress of their dreams.
There are many ways to save money on your wedding dress including sample sales and buying second hand dresses, but more recently the trend for renting has become increasingly popular. We take a look at the pros and cons of renting a wedding dress to help you decide if it’s right for you!
Pros of Renting a Wedding Dress
- A designer dress for less – Renting a wedding dress costs a fraction of the price of buying it brand new, making it more affordable to wear a designer gown on your big day.
- No long order times – If you purchase a bridal gown you usually need to order it six months in advance, so if you are having a last minute wedding, renting a wedding dress solves this problem.
- No need to worry about storing the dress afterwards – If you want to keep your wedding dress it is recommended that you store it wrapped in acid free paper in a dress box. Not everyone has space for this. It is also great for second marriages with brides who already have one dress in storage and don’t want another!
Cons of Renting a Wedding Dress
- Your options are usually limited – Most businesses that rent bridal gowns rely on past brides to either lend or sell their gowns to them, which means they have limited control as to which designs and sizes they have available.
- You can’t have alterations – If you purchase a bridal gown you can do what you like to it and can have it altered to make it fit perfectly.
- The dress will have been worn before – This may not bother some people, but for others this can be off putting that ‘their’ dress has been worn by other brides.
- You won’t have your dress as a keepsake – The thought of parting with such a special dress that holds such sentimental value is disheartening for some. Other may argue, what’s the point in keeping something you’ll never wear again? You may never wear it again, but that doesn’t mean it won’t get used. You could use it to make you children’s christening dresses or hand it down to your daughter!
- It will not be in the same condition as a new dress – Having most likely been worn before, the dress may not be in as pristine condition as a brand new one would be.
Even if you decided to buy your dress you can still take advantage of this growing trend by lending your dress to be rented. This allows you to make a return on your investment without having to sell it, and think of all the brides who will get just as much enjoyment out of it as you did!
