A different way to buy your wedding dress: re-sale.

I would say that 95% of my brides wear a beautiful new wedding gown, purchased just for their wedding. But I recently learned about a fabulous store called Dream Bridal, owned by Britta Barts, which specializes in selling new, sample and gently worn high-end, designer wedding gowns to savvy, sophisticated brides nationwide. Think Monique Lhuillier, Vera Wang, Jim Hjelm, Reem Acra, Amy Michelson, Melissa Sweet, and other wonderful designers. I want this one, it’s by Monique Lhuillier `Cabaret.`

I love how Britta puts it, “The days of old where bridal salons would have you believe in bad mojo or karma are long behind us. No one thinks twice when buying a pre-owned luxury car, and why should buying a designer gown be any different?”

You can check out Dream Bridal online, or go visit the shop if you are in Los Angeles. Their site has some good information about buying sample and gently worn wedding gowns.

Not only is this a fabulous way to get the gown of your dreams at a fraction of the price, but it’s also great for the environment. Not to mention avoiding the problem of storing that gown for so many years.

I’m an incredibly sentimental person and an in-recovery pack rat, so I can totally understand why so many girls want to hold on to their gown. But the truth of the matter is, it’s probably just going to cost a lot to pay someone to store it or just gather dust in your house. I think passing it along to a consignment shop or even a friend is a great option.

I know the word used doesn’t have a lovely ring to it, especially when talking about your wedding gown. But many of the dresses shops like Dream Bridal sell are actually brand new. There are samples, and also never worn dresses from girls who changed their minds. Either on the dress or the guy ☺

I love vintage clothes. So, of course, this sounds wonderful to me. I’ve found some of my favorite clothes in second hand shops. It might not be for everyone, but it does offer a great alternative. I’d love to hear from some brides who have gone this route.