10 Ways to Get a Wedding Dress, Quick!
Not everyone has time to wait four to six months for the perfect wedding dress. And searching for a wedding dress with a time crunch when you simply want to find “the one” is beyond overwhelming. If you’re in this boat, don’t stress! There are a ton of quick options — from new dresses to pre-owned gowns to rentals — that will help you find whatever your heart (or budget) desires. Pro tip: If you’re new to wedding dress shopping, be sure to check if the site you’re browsing displays dresses in “street” sizes (which means your normal clothing size for day-to-day versus bridal sizing). Now that you’ve got the speedy wedding dress lowdown, scroll on to start your hunt for that *dream* dress.
NEW DRESSES
1. Azazie: Azazie is definitely a bargain play in the wedding dress market — with new dresses starting at $199 and up, and shipping within 4-5 weeks. They also offer plus size options, and the ability to try on samples at home for a nominal fee. You’ll also find options for moms and maids.
2. The Dessy Group: If you are looking for something modern that isn’t super traditional, you may find your dream dress at dessy.com. In-stock wedding dress orders ship 7-10 days from your order date, which gives you plenty of time to make sure your dress is “the one.”
3. Nicole Miller: Sexy, yet classic. If those words strike a cord, Nicole Miller is the place for you. Here you’ll find simple but lovely gowns that are far from OTT. Your dress will arrive between one to 14 days depending on the shipping option you select, and you can return the dress for an exchange or full credit within 14 days of purchase.
4. Weddington Way: At Weddington Way, you have your own complimentary personal stylist as well as an online showroom, which comes in handy when you need the opinion of mom who lives across the globe. Here you’ll find lots of short wedding dresses too — great if your style is more along the lines of a “Little White Dress.” You’ll want to order your dress at least 12 weeks in advance, but there are inexpensive rush options to get your dream dress sooner. Bonus: You can find your bridesmaids dresses here, as well as tuxes or suits for the guys.
Tradesy
Vera Wang? Amsale? At Tradesy you can find pre-owned dresses (being sold by the original wearer) ranging in styles from formal to modern to vintage, as well as ranging in size from 00 to 14. Here you’ll find a variety of ball gowns, mermaids, A-lines, trumpets and more. Sellers typically ship your dress within 3-5 days and you’ll receive the dress 7-10 days after you’ve placed your order. Individual sellers also post dresses on PreOwedWeddingDresses.com, a source of literally thousands of pre-owned dresses.
PRE-OWNED OR SAMPLE DRESSES
6. Nearly Newlywed: Nearly Newlywed is an online bridal boutique carrying made-to-order, new, sample and pre-owned dresses that you can expect to receive within one to two weeks. They offer a risk-free five-day return policy on all items. Check ’em out for the beautiful gowns, sweet deals and incredible designers.
Glamour Closet
Looking for affordable outlet-store prices on designer wedding dresses you can try on in person? Glamour Closet has stores in four cities: Los Angeles, San Francisco, New York City and Chicago. They carry showroom floor and runway sample wedding dresses. Another similar option is Fabulous Frock with boutiques in Charleston, Alexandria, Charlotte, Nashville, Anchorage and Boston. They carry new, pre-owned and sample designer dresses.
8. Rent the Runway: You may know Rent the Runway as your awesome source for renting a dress for a big night out or a friend’s wedding, but if you’re looking for a less traditional wedding dress you can definitely find something here. RTR carries sizes from 0 to 22, and you’re paying a fraction of the price since you’re “renting” your dream dress for four or eight days. Even better, they’ll send you two sizes and/or a backup dress. You can also find jewelry or other accessories and receive your dress as early as the next day if you’re in a real time crunch. They also have studios where you can try on the dresses in person in New York, Las Vegas, Chicago and Washington DC.
RENTAL
9. Borrowing Magnolia: Here’s a fun option for renting wedding dresses that actually offers in-home try-on options. You can browse the modeled dresses online and ship one to your home to try on for a small fee of $35. If you love it, rent it. If not, browse some more. Now if only we could do this for bridesmaids dresses…
10. Gossamer: If a vintage ethereal gown is your dream wedding dress, then look no further than Gossamer. You can rent two weeks before your wedding date to ensure availability, but you should inquire about dates first before placing your order. If you want to rent your dress a little longer to make sure it is a perfect fit, that’s an option too.
