Your Wedding Dress – Have It Made, Rent It, or Buy It?

You have already started your wedding dress search, found several styles that you like, and now you need to decide whether to buy, rent, or have one made. You’ve received plenty of advice from friends—each suggestion sounding interesting and appealing, with its own pros and cons—but how do you know which option is best and suits you the most? After all, your wedding is one of the most important celebrations of your life, so you want your wedding dress to be perfect.

Rental – When You Don’t Want to Worry About the Dress

This is one of the most popular and common ways to acquire a wedding dress. It’s not surprising since rental salons are available in every major city, so if you don’t set very high demands for your dress, finding one you like usually doesn’t take much time or effort.

Dress rental is an excellent option if you have a limited budget and prefer not to worry about the dress after the wedding. Once the celebration is over, you simply return the wedding dress to the rental salon, and they handle the cleaning and repairs.

The main drawback of this method is that the wedding dress will have been worn by another bride before you, so you cannot be sure you’ll receive it in pristine, clean, and damage-free condition. Of course, rental salons promise that everything will be perfect, but in reality, that isn’t always the case.

Another issue is that alterations on rented wedding dresses are limited. Since another bride may rent it after you, adjustments can only be made in a way that allows the dress to be restored to its original state. Thus, you might find a dress you love, but it may not be possible to tailor it perfectly to your figure.

Buying at a Salon – When You Want a New Dress

If a pre-worn wedding dress doesn’t appeal to you, you can choose to purchase one at the salon instead of renting. You select a model you like from the catalog, and it will be customized to your measurements. Unlike renting, there are no limitations on alterations. When the wedding dress arrives, minor adjustments might be needed, but these can be done at the salon.

This option is perfect if you don’t want or don’t have time for a custom-made wedding dress, and if it’s not essential that your dress is one-of-a-kind and never previously worn by another bride.

The main drawback of buying a dress from the salon is that the same dress may be chosen by other brides. Don’t be surprised if you see your wedding dress in wedding photographers’ photos.

Another issue may arise if you choose a wedding dress solely from the catalog without the opportunity to see or try it on in person. This choice is rather risky because you’ll only be able to try on the dress once it is made and arrives at the salon. You might find that the dress doesn’t look exactly as you imagined or as it appeared in the catalog.

Buying Online – When You’re Not Afraid to Take a Risk

At first glance, purchasing a wedding dress online may seem like a cheaper option, but it comes with the most uncertainty and risk. It’s completely understandable that the stunning dresses found in online stores at even more attractive prices are tempting—but will you end up disappointed?

It’s important to remember that what looks beautiful in a photo doesn’t always look the same in reality. Be prepared that once the dress arrives, you may need to take it to a tailor for adjustments. If everything works out, and the final result is what you envisioned, that’s great—but unfortunately, this isn’t always the case.

There’s also the possibility that the dress can’t be properly tailored to you due to choosing the wrong size, style, or cut. In such cases, you might find yourself in a difficult situation—your wedding is approaching, and you still don’t have a suitable dress, meaning you’ll need to start your search all over again.

Therefore, buying a wedding dress online is only a good solution if you thoroughly understand sizing systems, have plenty of time, know a skilled tailor, and are not afraid to take a risk.

Buying from Other Brides – When You Have Plenty of Time to Search

If you can dedicate a significant amount of time to finding your wedding dress, you might consider purchasing it directly from other brides through online secondhand clothing platforms. With enough patience, you can discover stunning wedding dresses at even more attractive prices.

The main drawback of this search method is the time commitment. You’ll spend a considerable amount of time not only browsing online but also communicating with brides, arranging meetings, and traveling to try on dresses at their homes.

Be prepared that not all wedding dresses will look exactly as they do in the photos. Brides selling their dresses often present them in the most appealing way possible, which means you may notice certain details or imperfections only when you see the dress in person.

Seamstress – When You Know Exactly What You Want

This option is best suited for you if you have a clear vision of every detail of your wedding dress, are ready to handle fabric selection, additional details, and accessories, and are willing to take full responsibility for the final design. A seamstress will typically provide technical advice, but design and style decisions will be up to you.

The end result—if you find a highly skilled seamstress—can be a beautifully crafted wedding dress designed largely by you. If you’re already familiar with custom tailoring and have been working with a seamstress for years, you shouldn’t encounter any issues. However, if you’ve never gone through this process before, there is a risk that the final dress may not turn out exactly as you imagined.

Designer – When You Want Your Dream Dress

Having your wedding dress made by a designer is the best choice when you want a unique, perfectly tailored gown and wish to enjoy every aspect of the creative process. You’ll have the opportunity to visit the designer’s studio, collaborate on the dress model, attend fittings, and witness your wedding dress gradually come to life from a sketch on paper.

Unlike a seamstress, a designer can both craft and design a wedding dress that reflects your personality and matches the theme of your wedding. They will guide you through every decision and help answer all your questions while considering your preferences.

Having a wedding dress made by a designer is also one of the most convenient options. You won’t need to worry about sourcing materials or coordinating accessories—the designer will handle all those details and ensure you feel fully supported throughout the process.

Perhaps the only, yet crucial, responsibility on your end is to find a designer who truly understands you and your vision. The perfect wedding dress is created when both you and the designer are happy with the decisions made. If your communication flows naturally from the very first meeting, you can be confident your dress will turn out beautifully.