Destination Wedding Dresses at Discount Prices

Few things cause brides as much anxiety as the dress. It has to be perfect. Some girls just know when they find “the one,” but others stress and labor over the decision.

I predict that 2010 will be the year of couture and homemade dresses. Why have a mass market dress when you can have something one of a kind?

Sure, there are ways to get couture designer dresses at less than couture prices. There’s the inevitable recommendation to hit up sample sales or trunk shows (ever tried to find one of these?). Of course, there’s the insanity of the Filene’s Basement “Running of the Brides” – then again, you’re shopping at Filene’s Basement and you have to go to Boston.

Then, there’s the recommendation (typically from your grandmother) that you should go to thrift shops or the modern version – Craig’s List. The idea of either of these just seems too much like being on welfare for my taste.

There are two other reasonable alternatives. The website Oncewed.com has a page where brides sell their gowns after the wedding. This is like the thrift shop or Craigslist without making you feel cheap. And if you are more socially conscious, why not buy your dress and help a good cause? Brides Against Breast Cancer has sales across the country of great dresses at reasonable prices with the proceeds going to a good cause.

Finally, there’s one more great way to get a custom wedding dress without the hassle – Etsy. The crafty website Etsy and many of its artisan vendors sell couture wedding dresses. If Etsy isn’t your style, you can try custom dress shops in your area. In this way, you can get a handmade dress designed especially for you. What can make a girl feel more special than something one of a kind?

Happy dress hunting!

The Dress

Ah, the dress. For most brides, the dress is the most important part of the wedding. It sets the tone for the festivities, and, let's be honest, the dress gives every woman the opportunity to be a princess for a day. However, dresses for destination weddings can be more complicated than dresses for traditional weddings because of two particular factors—traveling with the dress and dealing with the weather and location at the destination.

The actual act of getting the dress from point to point is not as difficult as one might imagine. Most airlines are very willing to help brides transport their gowns safely, and flight attendants will often do their best to make room in the first class closet. It can help to approach the gate attendant before the flight boards and/or to speak to the flight attendant as soon as you step on the plane. (And it should go without saying that you catch more flies with honey than with vinegar.) Our experience - and we ultimately flew with the dress four times - was seamless, even on Bahamas Air, which didn't even have overhead compartments large enough for standard sized carry-ons. Some people find it useful to take a steamer with them or utilize hotel services once they arrive at the destination to take care of any wrinkles. Laura had a somewhat "poufy dress," so we didn't encounter any wrinkle issues.

The weather and physical location of the wedding can also be significant factors in deciding on the dress. If your destination is often very warm or humid, you're probably better off with a gown made of lightweight fabric that doesn't have a lot of underskirts or netting. Brides getting married directly on the beach may want to avoid long trains simply because of the messiness of sand getting caught in the dress. All these considerations are important, but the decision is completely individual. If a bride has had her heart set on a "big dress" with a train for years and that's what makes her feel like a beautiful bride, a little sand getting in the way won't particularly matter.

Popular dress brands include: Amsale, Alfred Angelo, Vera Wang, Jim Hjelm, Maggie Sottero, Watters & Watters, Melissa Sweet, Priscilla of Boston, Reem Acra and Monique Lhullier. Two very popular discount bridal stores with very positive reviews: Pearl's Place and House of Brides.

Disney Launches Wedding Gowns

Disney has launched a line of wedding gowns, which I have discussed in Fairy-Tale Wedding Dress? Disney Does Weddings back on February 22. Since I wrote on the topic, Reuters covered the story and has provided a photo (see picture below).

The "news" is that the gowns were debuted on Sunday in New York. The gowns will range in price from $1,500-$3,000.

According to the Reuters story:

The company was encouraged to delve into the high-end wedding business by the 2,000 weddings it hosts each year at its U.S. resorts — Walt Disney World and Disneyland — and its cruise line, according to McFann [Korri McFann, marketing manager for Disney Fairy Tale Weddings and Honeymoons].

Disney hopes to capitalize on soaring demand for destination weddings, in which couples and their guests turn their nuptials into wedding-vacations that often take place at resorts in tropical locations.

Fairy-Tale Wedding Dress? Disney Does Weddings

Strange but true, the Walt Disney Company is now offering wedding dresses, as reported by the Wall Street Journal (2/22/2007). For between $1,100 and $3,000 you can have a Kirstie Kelly-designed Disney dress for your destination wedding. No word on what they actually look like or if the Little Mermaid dress will have flippers.

Fairy-Tale Wedding? Disney Can Supply the Gown
By Merissa Marr

Walt Disney Co. has made a fortune out of turning little girls into princesses. Now it plans to turn big girls into princesses, too.

In a move to expand the reach of one of its most popular franchises, Cinderella and her regal friends are moving into the bridal business with a line of wedding dresses and accessories. Disney has teamed up with couture bridal designer Kirstie Kelly to transform blushing brides into their favorite princesses, complete with billowing gowns and crystal tiaras. At a cost of $1,100 to $3,000 for each gown, brides will be able to walk down the...