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Savvy October 2023

Let's hear it for the discount and secondhand dresses!

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Jessica, on September 17, 2022 at 2:13 PM

If you're like me, you grew up watching Say Yes to the Dress and expecting you'd be able to afford a $3,000 wedding dress.

And if you're like me, you'll have quickly realized post-engagement that a $3,000 wedding dress isn't really feasible. Oops.
I started my wedding dress journey by putting a max cap of $500 on whatever I bought. My fiance and I are paying for our entire wedding by ourselves, I'm still paying off student loans, and I'm currently paying for a master's program. Affordability is the key here.
I looked at so many secondhand dress sites, Etsy shops, and affordable dress sites like Azazie. I finally found the dress of my dreams through Cocomelody. It was a final sale, sample dress that they were no longer carrying. With a promo code and a prayer that the site was legitimate, I scooped the dress up for about $364.00.
So, let's hear it for those discount dresses, those secondhand dresses, and all the other affordable dresses out there that make us feel like queens, regardless of the price tag.
Did you put affordability as your priority when it came to dress shopping? If so, what did you get? Drop those pictures below!

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64 Comments

Expert July 2023
Michele · on October 1, 2022 at 10:06 PM
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Beautiful! Congratulations!!
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Expert July 2023
Michele · on October 1, 2022 at 10:08 PM
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Wow,what a steal!!
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Expert July 2023
Michele · on October 1, 2022 at 10:09 PM
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You look great in them! Congratulations!!
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Expert July 2023
Michele · on October 1, 2022 at 10:14 PM
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It's a very fairytale like dress. It looks great on you. Congratulations!
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Rockstar April 2021
Alisha · on October 2, 2022 at 7:26 AM
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Thank you.
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Beginner September 2022
Shirleena · on October 2, 2022 at 4:06 PM
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Beautiful 😍
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Expert August 2019
N · on October 15, 2022 at 7:24 AM
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Thank you!
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Expert August 2019
N · on October 15, 2022 at 7:32 AM
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Forgot to mention my youngest brother found the veil for $14 and my mom and aunt got a bunch of appliqués from Joann Fabric and glued them on beautifully.
And omg YES we had a blast! Everyone was great and the food and music and drinks were amazing. People still talk about the wedding (esp the cake) and it was three years ago 🙃🙃🙃
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Master May 2020
Kari · on October 18, 2022 at 12:03 PM
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Secondhand dresses are the way to go! I got my dress off StillWhite for under $500 shipped, maybe about 15% of the retail cost. It happened to be already altered to my measurements too, so I saved on alterations. The fact that it wasn't pristine made me far less anxious about damage, especially since we were planning on an outdoor ceremony and pictures. I ended up wearing it twice because of Covid (once for our legal ceremony and a second time a year later when we had our celebration with friends and family) so it getting a bit of dirt and some stray dog hairs on it for ceremony #1 wasn't as a big a deal because it wasn't brand new. This was the dress of my dreams and shopping secondhand allowed me to afford a much higher quality dress than I would have if I limited myself to new dresses within my budget.
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Rockstar October 2023
Michael Online · on October 18, 2022 at 12:29 PM
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It is confusing why veils cost hundreds of dollars when they seem to be nearly a simple piece of cloth with some appliques or lace on the edges
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Expert August 2019
N · on October 18, 2022 at 1:21 PM
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I agree! I wasn’t even going to wear one but they found a plain ~7ft one and the appliqués and hot glue were definitely less than $30, so I said ok 🤷🏾‍♀️
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Rockstar October 2023
Michael Online · on October 18, 2022 at 1:26 PM
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Yes funny. A veil on sale could even have been more than the price you paid for your dress. I like how you got the dress before you met your mate.
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Expert August 2019
N · on October 18, 2022 at 1:55 PM
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My two dresses, veil, and tiara together were well under $300. I would never spend even that on a veil 😬
What can I say? I had a good feeling the year I bought that dress 😅. 2.5yrs later I was getting married.
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Devoted October 2022
Jennifer · on October 21, 2022 at 3:29 PM
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$600 at David’s Bridal! It was in the clearance section. It wasn’t even my original choice but decided to look around when I was going to pick up my original dress. This was cheaper and I LOVE the dramatic, removable train.
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Just Said Yes January 2023
Jay · on December 8, 2022 at 2:35 AM
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I would definitely rather spend that money on the honeymoon than on a dress to wear for a few hours. I went with an AliExpress tailor however I chose carefully. The store I ordered from has their own photos of the dresses they make, not fake pics. It cost $350 AUD with express delivery and only took 3 weeks to arrive from time of order. I had the boho sleeves made as it will be a cold climate but I don’t know if I will wear them, I think I’ll wear a lace jacket instead. The dress is 4 layers but sooooo light and soft, it’s like jersey underneath.
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VIP October 2022
Mrs.evans · on December 8, 2022 at 6:57 AM
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First Congratulations on your engagement and upcoming wedding. When I had started my journey I was looking on many different sites and we were paying for our wedding too. So I had set a budget for myself from $1,000,$2000 then started looking lightbox,DHG, Esty, Jhouse, Aliexpress saw some beautiful stunning dresses. But was skeptical about buying clothing especially my wedding dress so I shopped at shops. I wanted to see them in person trying the dresses on my body. So I went to David bridal online to see the dresses because I knew that could look and see them. Called to asked if it was in stock made my appointment and started there and tired on my likes dresses. So my pick cost $600and was begin discontinued so I was lucky but with my veil petticoat and other accessories it all came too 1,235. Mermaid style. My dress was beautiful everyone liked and so did my husband. We are married now since October 30th of 2022. I hope that you found what you are looking for. Happy dress shopping
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Rockstar October 2023
Michael Online · on December 9, 2022 at 12:26 AM
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That dress has some uniquely fine lace. Glad that option worked out so well.
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Super May 2022
Sloane · on December 12, 2022 at 10:45 PM
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Cocomelody is absolute outstanding!! Congrats!!
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Savvy October 2023
Jessica · on January 1, 2023 at 6:58 PM
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😂 omg for real, though! Why do we need feathers and gemstones and this and that and the other thing?! Like, I love it for anyone who wants that, of course. But for a small, normal-person sort of wedding? Maybe not
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Savvy October 2023
Jessica · on January 1, 2023 at 6:59 PM
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I love that you found your dress and everything else while still keeping it pretty affordable! That's amazing. Also, congratulations on the marriage 💕
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