Craigslist Wedding Dress?

I say go for it, as long as you still feel good in the dress. It's not about wearing the most expensive dress you can afford. Try The Knot's forums, a lot of times brides who have recently gotten married are selling things that they don't need anymore.

I am all for going cheap on my wedding day! I don't think that it cheapens the sentiment at all. But it just goes to show that you're more concerned about saving for your future together than being showy on that one day. My idea for my wedding is an outdoor picnic of sorts, in a local park. If they have a pavilion you can still have the dancing and everything. There are a TOOON of websites about different ideas for DIY wedding decor. It's all so cute. My dream wedding is all DIY.

PS. I'm so for the frugal wedding that I told my boyfriend that I don't even want an engagement ring, I think it's an antiquated custom and spending all of that money on a ring is irresponsible. I'd rather he put that money towards something useful like a down payment on a place for us to live together.

I bought my dress and the thing didnt even get cleaned after......and it is still shoved in a bag in the back of the closet....LOL....it is YOUR day....dont add more stress by conforming....do what YOU want. Congrats!!!:)

I sell Wedding gowns and I think it is a great idea to buy a gown that was previously worn. As long as it fits, it's in great shape and the price is right, I'd say go for it. But, I wouldn't buy it sight unseen. I would try it on before you purchase it with the right undergarments on (long line strapless bra and a petticoat if needed. Loving a gown and loving that same gown on you are two totally different things.

Do you have copy of the link so I can see the gown and tell you what it is worth?

PM me and I can give you some hints and some feedback.

Christine

i purchased my dress preowned as well; spending so much on a dress you will only wear for a few hours is crazy (in my opinion)

I think it is very smart that you would rather save your money for something a little more lasting.
Are there any consignment stores in your area? I have never been married, but I have seen some gorgeous wedding dresses at consignment stores very reasonably priced. Craigslist is just a little scary to me. You would have to be in someone's home, undressed, to try the dress on. YIKES!
My friend got married in the spring. She used the church gym for the reception - free and she got the tables and chairs for free. They also had white table cloths. We purchased massive amounts of red roses at the local warehouse club (Sam's) and made our own bouquets and flower arrangements. It was very simple, but looked very elegant, and didn't cost a lot.

I truly believe in recycling of all forms. We have freecycle here and I get a lot of stuff that way. We also go to goodwill and salvation army. My daughter is all excited to get these name brand jeans etc. and wants to brag about how cheap she gets them and i have to tell her not to tell her friends etc. She's like "why mom? it's just recycling" Love that girl!

I love watching Say Yes To The Dress, but I would never pay that much for a dress that usually, not always, is only going to be worn once. Most say but it is a day all about you and you should look your best. Whether you have a previously worn dress or a new one the day is going to be about you. No one needs to know that the dress was previously worn. All they will see is a beautiful bride.

Friends and family can help with food. (We did that for ours and it was better food then any other wedding I've been to).
Family friend took pictures
Friend of a friend did the cake.
We got married in the same place as the reception.
I made the flowers and arrangements. Mother made my dress. (Not what I wanted, but I can't have everything)
Total cost was around 2,000

Been married for 12 years now.

Good Luck to you!

Nothing wrong with it at all. Lots of people do it. It will still probably have to be altered to fit you perfectly. If you LOVE the dress who cares where it came from.

For a more cost effective wedding, look into places that do everything in one place. For example, when I got married in 2009, we did a small family & friends (about 100 people) at a local winery/restaurant. They had a beautiful outdoor setting and the officiant came to the place. Then everyone just stayed for dinner/reception catered by them too.

I don't see anything wrong with that.. If I wasn't so picky on exactly what I wanted i would buy a previously owned gown too. I am going the cheaper side of things and am only spending just over 600 on my dress. I would never spend thousands on a dress though like some women do.. There are losts of ways to save money on a wedding by doing a lot of things yourself.

Jasmine's Bridal Shop!

http://www.jasminesbridalshop.com/

You can buy new, great quality, for a quarter of the price!

I am looking to buy a custom short dress.

Also, I am doing a destination wedding in Mexico. You could do the whole wedding for under 5K, and have some truly goregous pictures.

I had my wedding dress made. And I loved it. That may be a more economical way to go as well, especially if you do NOT want intricate beading or stuff.

Def do it that way! I bought my dress at a bridal shop and it was SO expensive... but that was the onyl big expense we had! And I have loaned my dress, veil, and tiara to 3 different friends for their wedding, so I've definitely gotten good use out of it for sure!

As far as a "cheap" wedding, it's absolutely doable! Aside from my expensive dress (my grandma bought it, she wouldn't NOT buy it, she actually picked it out too, it was amazing, grandma has awesome taste, LOL!) our wedding was very inexpensive and it was beautiful! I did all of the decorating myself with things I bought on clearance at Hobby Lobby and/or borrowed from friends. I actually used the beads my grandma uses on her Christmas tree as garland to decorate my archway (they are pearl pink and white, not Christmas-y LOL). It was a little time consuming I suppose, but it was well worth it for the money we saved! My dad and uncles barbecued, and my grandmothers and aunts all made a covered dish or dessert, and my sisters best friend made my cake and it was AMAZING! Total, not including my dress, we spent about $2100. Thats renting the hall, paying the preacher, DJ, and photographer, decorations, and food!

How I got my photographer so cheap... she's an awesome photographer, but she was just getting started and needed to build her portfolio. I agreed to let her use any of our photos she wanted for her website, ads, whatever... and she did our wedding (the entire day) for $250, and gave me a disk with a copywrite release so I was able to print all the photos myself.

Our "DJ" was just a guy with a laptop and thousands of songs, who happened to have some big speakers and a nifty light bar in his garage that he wasn't using. He wsan't busy that day so he did it for $50 and beer, LOL! He was actually really good and the light bar added so much fun to the reception!

I am so glad to see that many people agree with a "budget wedding and dress" I will be doing the same for my wedding.

Oh, as far a budget-friendly wedding, here's what we did:

A relative made our bouquets and pew decorations with silk flowers and clearance ribbon and accessories
We made our own programs with faux parchment -- everything was printed in a vintage font and the programs were rolled like scrolls and tied with ribbon that matched our colors.
My mom made the bridesmaids' dresses and my veil
We made our own favors (votive holders with potpourri wrapped in tulle) and table decorations (mirror tiles framed with fabric, with an oil lamp and silk petals on the mirror)
We hired a semi-pro photographer who gave us the CD and negatives so we could get prints at our leisure
We did not serve alcohol, and instead we had an "after-party" at a local pub where people could buy their own drinks
We had a DJ make us a mix CD beforehand, which was cheaper than paying him to be there in-person

Hope this helps!