Ok he asked you to marry him, and you said yes. You have told all your family, friends, and anyone you know. The excitement has worn down and you are knee deep into the wedding planning. Your wedding dress is probably the biggest detail of the day. Whether you are the princess or the free spirit beach bride, you want the dress of your dreams. Unfortunately our dreams and bank accounts don't usually match up. So you like me, you are probably not the daughter of a rich oil tycoon and are trying to find a way to make your happily ever after come true with out costing a kings ransom.

Well I have found that you can find a dream dress on a shoe string budget. First you need to decide how much you can spend. Remember don't forget those costs, like alterations, ect that add to the price of the dress. They can be pricey. I recommend that before you start looking for a dress that if you don't have a family member who is a wiz with a sewing machine you check out seamstress prices. Ask about pricing on bustling, taking the dress in, letting it out, adding a corset back, taking up the hem, and removing the train. This information will come in handy latter on when you are bargain hunting. Having this information will let you know if a dress that seems like a steal, which would be perfect if I change this or that, will be worth it.

Be and informed buyer. I can't stress this enough. Research everything, bridal shops in general are not looking after your best interests, they are looking for you money. My sister had a horrible experience the first time she went to try on dresses. The shop owner told her to try on dresses two sizes too big. They were falling off and the shop owner told her they could take care of it with alterations. Umm yeah, or my sister could have tried on a dress that was closer to her measurement and had minimal alterations done instead of having a dress taken down several sizes. Which of course would be more costly. Yes wedding dress sizing can differ from you street size. Have you measurements taken by a professional and look at designers web sites to find about what size dress you need.

Dealers will be less likely to try to misinforms you if they know you are well informed. If they try, well you know better, and don't have to let them take advantage of you. Consider buying a dress that has a corset back (lace up back) because you can adjust the size up or down any where for one to two sizes up or down. This is also a plus if you are like me. My hip and waist measurement fit perfect for my size, but my bust measurement is small for my size. This will help you reduce alteration costs.

Now its time to shop, shop, and shop some more. Look everywhere. Consider internet sites like eBay and Craigslist. I have found tons of adds where the wedding didn't happen, or they have found a dress they like better. You just might be able to find a great dress for less than retail. I personally was looking for a used wedding dress which is a great alternative, plus you can save even more. When buying used ask tons of questions. With eBay you can check out the sellers reputation, and Craigslist is local so you can try it on before you buy it. There are even bridal shops that are selling samples or discontinued dresses here.

Speaking of sample and discontinued gowns, this is a great way to save tons of money. Most bridal shops sell of their sample gowns and discontinued gowns form the year before once or twice a year. Sample gowns have been tried on and may have minor imperfections which usually can be fixed. I bought my dress for $50 it retailed for $750. The only thing wrong with it was some black marks on the train. The girl who sold me the dress said I could take it to a seamstress and have it taken off. Well when I got the dress home I took a damp rag and tried to get the marks off. They wiped off with almost no effort.

Usually these dresses are from the previous season so they are not going to look dated. Many wedding designers put out a new collection every season. So looking for sample and discontinued dresses could help you find a great deal on a wonderful dress.

Keeping your mind open about what you are looking for in a dress will help you save money. If you do this you are likely to find a dress that is similar to what you want. Remember that trains can be removed, corset backs added. This is why you asked around about alterations earlier. Why not have the dress you love with alterations, instead of one you kind of like for the same price or less.