Mama's Lullablog

It’s finally time to shop for your wedding dress! Eek!

Shopping for wedding dresses should be fun, not anxiety-inducing. So, before I get into where to find affordable wedding dresses (because who wants to fork over $4,000 for a gown you’ll wear once?!), I want to share a tip that helped me have a great shopping experience:

Try on gowns by yourself (or with one close friend) before you go shopping with your parents, siblings, and/or bridal party, and try on as many different styles as you can!

Use this first shopping trip as an opportunity to narrow down your style selections so that you feel less overwhelmed on the day you #SayYesToTheDress.

When I did this, I fell in love with the fit-and-flare style — one that I hadn’t been interested in prior to this trip! There was no pressure because I knew going into the appointment that I wasn’t going to be buying my dress that day.

The dress on the left is one I tried on at David’s Bridal, and it retails at $500. The one on the right is the one I bought off-the-rack from Aisle & Veil, and it cost $799!

On the day I went shopping with my mom and sister, I was able to share my preferences with them so that they could pull dresses for me to try on that matched my interests.

This tip actually came from the boutique where I bought my wedding dress: Aisle & Veil in Roswell, GA. Which brings me to the main event of this post — where to find affordable wedding dresses!

Off-the-rack wedding dresses

A&V is an off-the-rack boutique, meaning I took my dress home (the exact one that I tried on in the store) the day we bought it. Buying off-the-rack is generally less expensive than special-ordering a gown from the designer, not to mention quicker.

If this ⬆️ is what you picture when you hear “off-the-rack,” don’t worry. You won’t need to wrestle anyone to the ground to claim your dream dress.

There are a lot of off-the-rack wedding dress shops that take appointments (like Aisle & Veil) and maintain low(er) prices.

Below is a list of stores across North Carolina that sell off-the-rack wedding dresses.

• The Bridal Boutique of North Carolina (Morrisville)
• Tulle (Mooresville) — All OTR dresses are $799!
• Jillian’s Bridal Outlet (Hickory) — All dresses are $699!
• Songbirds Bridal (Greensboro) — All dresses are $999 or less!
• Wildwood Bridal (Valdese)
• Candler Budget Bridal (Candler) — All dresses are $600!
• Treasured Brides (Charlotte) — All dresses are $699 or less!

Try-on at home wedding dresses

Another option is to try on gowns at home. With the stores listed below, you can order sample gowns to try on and return within a specified time frame. Plan a brunch, pop the bubbly, and strut your stuff for your family and friends!

• Avery Austin: Prices start as low as $285, and you can apply the home try-on fee ($15/dress) toward the cost of the gown you choose. There’s a three-gown limit for each home try-on order, but you could always have your mom or MOH place separate orders to get around that.
• Azazie Bridal: Prices range from $300-$700 (of the styles I perused!), and you can try on three gowns for $30. You’ll receive 10% off your order if you choose to purchase one of the dresses you tried on.

Gently worn wedding dresses

You can find affordable wedding dresses online at Stillwhite and Borrowing Magnolia, marketplaces where brides can sell their gently worn (or never worn) gowns.

Aside from the deep discount, you’ll be helping the planet by re-using a beautiful gown as opposed to ordering a brand new one. And you’ll be supporting another bride who likely had a few meltdowns about money while planning her wedding (as you can totally relate to, I’m sure!).

Filter your search by size and price or by keyword to narrow your options, and message the seller directly with any questions.

I’d recommend visiting a traditional bridal boutique before making a purchase on these platforms, just to get a feel for what your wedding dress size range is. Unfortunately, wedding dress sizes don’t match “street clothes” sizes. For example, I wear a size 6-8 in pants and dresses, and my wedding dress was a size 14.

Your dream dress is out there!

With a little planning and patience, you’ll find your dream wedding dress at an affordable price. Don’t feel pressured to blow your budget!

If you’ve discovered other shops that sell affordable wedding dresses in North Carolina, I’d love to hear about them! Please feel free to share your experiences in the comments below 🙂