Affordable wedding dresses

The perfect wedding dress that makes you look like a goddess does not need to blow your wedding budget. Read on for top tips on where to buy inexpensive and discount designer dresses that will stun your groom.

Affordable wedding dress designers

The below wedding dress designers have a wide range of dresses and gorgeous silhouettes at reasonable prices, which will not blow your budget. Each of the below designers have a significant amount of dresses from £400 - £1,200:

• Alfred Angelo
• Dessy
• Maggie Sottero
• Sincerity bridal
• Stella York
• Sweetheart

Discounted designer wedding dresses

If you have a specific wedding dress designer that you adore, it is worth looking out for trunk sales on their website. Trunk sales are when particular designers showcase their dresses in a shop.

At these sales there are often discounted dresses, a more extensive selection and off-the-rack samples to buy. Local bridal shops will also advertise trunk sales, and it is recommended to book a slot in advance.

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Clearance wedding dresses - sample sales

Quite regularly, bridal boutiques will advertise sample sales when they are clearing out the stock that shoppers try on. Sample sales can offer dramatic reductions of up to 50%.

If opting for a sample dress, it is wise to keep an eye out for any marks, snags or discolouration, particularly on stark white dresses. It is also worth asking if any further discounts and cleaning can be provided if the dress has minor marks.

High street wedding dresses

Lower cost wedding dresses are best found on the high street in shops such as Phase eight, Coast, Macy's, Bertex bridal and David's bridal.

Due to the proliferation of wedding dress seasons, there are often great deals to be had at the end of each dress season. The best seasonal sale to shop in is between October and December. If deciding to buy in the sales, it is recommended to select a mid-week appointment to avoid fighting over dresses.

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Affordable wedding dresses online

Pre-loved and eBay have a wide range of affordable wedding dresses from renowned designers for sale and many have never been worn. Online wedding dresses are a great option if you know your size and the style or name of the dress you want. To avoid being duped, look out for:

• Evidence that the dress has never been worn (labels still attached) or is in good condition.
• The dress is in your size (or one size up) never go smaller as alterations will not be possible.

Custom made wedding dresses

Many brides are now turning to the Internet to find affordable wedding dresses. Market places such as Etsy and Not on the High Street offer reputable suppliers. When looking at suppliers online make sure that they:

• Get consistently good reviews and pictures from real brides
• Use their own photos rather than glossy stock images
• Provide explicit costs including shipping
• Ask for detailed measurements when ordering and give timescales for delivery
• Give a money-back return guarantee

Related articles: wedding dress styles dress colours and fabrics

Affordable wedding dress styles

If you are looking to keep your dress costs down and are flexible on your dress and designer, we recommend making small switches to the fabric, style and detailing:

Dress style: Column and sheath dress designs use much less material and are quicker to create, so they are often much cheaper, dependent on the amount of detail used. If you are focused on the fairytale wedding dress shape, a simple elegant aline with ruching detail can also be cheaper.

Dress fabrics: Lighter weight, flowing fabrics, such as chiffon, tulle and organza, can be much cheaper than intricate laces or heavyweight satins.

Detailing: Rather than expensive beading or crystals, opt for light-reflecting sequins, which give a much better sparkle to the naked eye.