The bride wore budget: Where to find discount dresses

You flip through magazines, dog-earring dresses for what you've been told is the biggest day of your life.

Naturally, you want to look beautiful, even feel like a princess. But realistically, you can't spend half the wedding budget on something you'll wear once. Even if it is your dream dress.

Good news. Instead of hitting a bridal salon and paying $5,000 for a designer gown, there are places you can buy gorgeous designer and even couture gowns, at half their original prices. From consignment shops and eBay to J.Crew and department stores, there is hope.

"A lot of brides are on really tight budgets, so we want to help them," says Suki Kim, owner of Cherished, a Walnut Creek, Calif., boutique that specializes in wedding gowns by consignment.

Kim, who's worked with brides for 20 years, carries sample and overstock gowns from bridal salons, including Marina Morrison in San Francisco. She once received a shipment of 60 high-end designer gowns — yes, never-been-worn Vera Wangs, Reem Acras and Ulla-Maijas — from a shop in Alabama that was going out of business.

She also receives dresses from brides, but most of her stock is brand-new.

"I found this for $50," says Nicole Murcia, holding a simple, strapless number she snatched off the small sale rack in the back of the store. "I'll wear it at the reception."

Gown alternatives


So you don't feel like dropping a few months' salary on a dress you'll wear for one day?

There are a whole lot of "bridesmaid" and other formal gowns that come in white and ivory, often for much less than a gown categorized as "bridal." Also, keep in mind that secondhand wedding gowns are a buyer's market. Lots of brides are willing to ditch gowns once the honeymoon's over ... but many brides want their own, brand-new gowns.

By buying a dress secondhand, you can really clean up.

If the idea of a "used" gown turns you off, you may change your tune after checking out the bargains to be had. They're often advertised in the newspaper, but you should also check out sources like these:

eBay: Gowns that cost $600 or more in a fancy salon go for as little as $50. Browse the thousands of items under "wedding dresses," or narrow your search with a designer name.

Thrift stores: If you happen across a dress you like at Goodwill, you're in the clover. These gowns are dirt cheap. Keep in mind the power of alterations: By removing sleeves, restyling a skirt or adding embellishments, you could turn a gown around.

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She found her wedding gown, a $4,100 mermaid Reem Acra, for $1,200.

Consignment shops are the way to go if designer names are of the utmost importance. But if, like many brides, you're just looking for a simple yet elegant white dress for your special day, look no further than your local chain clothing store.

"What women like in evening wear, they'll like in wedding dresses," says Monica Cotto, fashion editor at Elegant Bride magazine. "You're more likely to get a dress that you like the cut of and you'd actually wear again."

That said, some of your favorite shops have bridal sections, including J.Crew — where an online sale can land you a $70 dress. White House Black Market recently launched a bridal collection, too, with nothing more than $200.

And don't forget department stores. Macy's and Nordstrom and even discounted stores such as Loehmann's sell quality dresses that can be gussied up with the right veil, sash, shoes and headgear.

Just tell them you're looking for a white ball gown — nobody's business what it's for, right?