Pre-Owned/worn wedding Dress - opinion on superstition, truthfulness of seller

Check the return policy of the site. If they help protect the buyer against this.

Ask for lots of pictures of the dress. Ask if it was dry cleaned. Ask the buyer what they will do for you if you purchase the gown and it is not in the condition you agreed to.

I would be ok with it. Many of the dresses are just a dress they changed their mind on, and WAS never worn.

My dress was the store sample dress, I got a deal on it, Lots of brides had tried it on before me and I was ok with that.

Same with mine, I bought a name brand sample. It was very clean and in good condition.

Hayley's questions are good ones, though, that I agree with.

I bought mine from a consignment store with the tags still attached. Haven't ever been sorry.

I bought mine from a consignment store with the tags still attached. Haven't ever been sorry.

NotFroofy and I both bought our dresses from a consignment store. NotFroofy's was a sample, and mine was used. And we've never regretted it. Seriously, would you treat any other garment as unwearable because it had been worn once for a few hours?

Mine was used. I got it for $50. I couldn't be happier about it.

I can't imagine it being a problem. Wedding dresses are worn once, and usually cared for very, very well.

My BF just bought a store sample offline, tried on but never actually worn and it turned out good, just be careful. I have no problem with a used dress you can get some great ones.

I would go to a consignment shop for a used dress. They usually have GREAT deals. I actually bought a sample dress from a boutique, but I previously ordered 2 dresses from ebay that didn't look anything like the pics when they arrived. I would be really careful and definitely consider Haley's advice if going the online route. Good luck!

I wouldn't mind one bit wearing a consignment or used wedding dress. Who cares? But I'm not superstitious at all. I attach sentimental value to objects, but not "luck".

For your budget, I would still check out your local boutique bridal shops for samples. My consultant at the shop I loved pulled a bunch of samples in that price range. The quality was light years better than the $1000 dresses I tried on at David's.

Also- sign up for sites like ideeli.com and ruelala.com. Once in a while they will have an online bridal sample sale. There was one last week, and there were $5000 dresses on sale for $60-$600. I don't know how often they do that, but it's worth a shot.

One of my recent brides bought her dress at a consignment shop in NJ. It was gorgeous, and I never would have known until I read her reviews here.

Go for it!

A dress that has been worn before is not much different than a sample bought off the rack on sale that has been tried on by who knows how many people. Just make sure that you have the measurements correct, length from waist to the hem, how full it was worn (this makes a difference with the length if they were wearing a lot of petticoats or not), if the dress was altered, if the seam allowance was left in or not so that it can be re altered to fit you. You may want to have it re cleaned just to make sure it is nice and fresh. If you are buying locally, go over the dress carefully to check for any tears, loose beading, stains especially at the arm pits. Frankly, you would want to do this with a dress that is marked down heavily anyway.

Bridal salons are having a lot of sales too. So don't forget the sale racks for some great bargains. You never know what gem may be lurking at a full service salon. David's is not the only place to have a bargain!

I found mine at the brides against breast cancer traveling show and found a gorgeous 2be gown. They are going to be listing their 2012 shows soon. The money goes to a great cause and they had a ton of dresses!! Some are used, some are new. Good luck!

I am 100% for it. I bought my first wedding dress from weddingbee.com . The bride changed her mind and bought another dress. And then I changed my mind because we went from a afternoon spring garden wedding to a winter evening church wedding. And I felt I needed a different dress. But the dress was and still in amazing condition.

Like everyone said I would look at the return policy or try to find a seller close to where you live.

Good luck!

These are all awesome comments! I now have some great questions I can ask these people when I decide to buy. I just wanted a little encouragement. I can't believe how many quick responses I have received to this question. This board is great!!!

You can buy a new bridesmaid's dress that could be ordered in white or ivory for a lot less than a wedding dress at the salon.

I bought a 1940s gown from a vintage clothing store.

I would go for it too. There's no need (unless you have the budget for it) to spend a ridiculous amount of money on a dress you'll only wear once. My dress was also a sample dress from the store. It's beautiful and we got a great deal on it.

If you decide to get it, please let us know about your experience! It will help other brides on this site.

DB has their 99 dollar sale right now too dont forget that =] I love goodwill and would have bought my dress there is I had found one.