Getting married is going to be one of the most important times in your life and like all brides you want to look and feel special for your wedding day.

The proposal has taken place, the date of the wedding has been set and the search for the dream dress has only just begun.

What style and what colour to choose is daunting enough and as exciting as it all is the hardest hurdle is going to be the price of that dress you have often pictured yourself in walking down the aisle while the man of our dreams is waiting for you.

With dresses that cost almost if not more than the honeymoon or could quite easily cover the cost of the reception choosing your dress wisely could be one of the hardest albeit the most exciting thing you will do for a long time.

You may have considered going down the second hand route where it is possible to purchase designer dresses that have been worn only once in a fashion show or somebody has sold it back to the shop to be re-bought!

Wedding Dress from Charity Shops

Secondhand wedding dress shops are popping up in most towns within the UK and are being very popular with the budge wise bride to be.

Secondhand, or used, wedding dresses are easy to find from charity shops, online auctions, dress agencies and online bridal stores.

Shops are now available that sell used designer dresses. These could have been used in a fashion show or as display models and are then considered second hand.

On looking for a second hand wedding dress take extra time to look it over for stains and snags. Remember this dress will have been worn and those with long trains and full skirts will have been dragged along the floor by the previous bride.

Check that if needed, it can be dry cleaned or if a stain is too bad you could disguise the markings with beads and/or crystals.

If the second hand dress you intend to buy says one size, you need to take into consideration that it may well have been altered before and will therefore not be a true size that is stated on any tags.

If you are intending to buy a dress before you have had a chance to try it on, don’t be scared to ask the buyer as many questions as you feel is important because once you have purchased the dress ‘as seen’, chances are it will be unlikely you will see a return of your money if the dress is no good for you.

Bargains are there to be found and even if you do buy and wear a second hand dress for your wedding, it will still be one of the happiest days of you life whether you are wearing a dress that cost you £100 or £10,000!