Budget Bridal: the Benefits of Buying Off-the-Rack!

Who says you can’t have it all? 

When I was a little girl, I had dreams of buying the most expensive wedding dress in the world. I’ve gotten slightly more realistic with time-- but working in a bridal shop for over a year certainly helped, too. Before I started at Ivory & Beau a year ago, I had no idea just how affordable dress shopping could be. 

If you’re a beauty on a budget, fear not! There are plenty of ways for you to find the dress of your dreams without draining your wallet. Our top suggestion: buy off the rack. 

We know, we know. That sounds terrifying. What if it’s damaged? What if it’s stained? What if it doesn’t fit perfectly? Take a deep breath: we’ve got answers to all of those big scary questions. 

To start, our sample gowns do see a lot of action helping our I&B brides to find the one but we make every effort to make sure that they are well cared for. We personally search for any damage or defects and have the dress repaired by a trusted seamstress. We even clean the gowns ourselves-- you’d be surprised what a little bathtub-woolite magic would do!

No gown you order will ever be a perfect fit-- so why should anything off the rack be? As long as the gown isn’t more than two sizes bigger than what you measure, you can always have a sample gown altered to fit you like a glove. Even with all of the customization, that tailored gown is still likely to be more budget-friendly than any gown you order. 

Use the money you save to splurge on an heirloom veil or fantastic accessories! 

Lucky for you, we have a whole selection of gorgeous gowns just waiting for the right bride. There's even a few bridesmaids gowns in there, too!