Will You Say Yes To A Rental Dress?
Brides can save four figures by opting for a bridal gown rental instead of investing in a dress of their own. Would you consider this for your big day?
From Vera Wang and Jenny Packham to Maggie Sottero and Oscar de la Renta, every bride dreams of wearing a designer wedding dress. But with the average bride forking out £1,385 for the dress of their dreams during 2019, this can put a fashionable sized dent in your wedding budget. Savvy brides are now opting to rent a wedding dress as a cost-effective alternative to purchasing a dress they’ll only wear for a few hours. Here are the pros and cons of renting a dress to wear for your special day.
Pro: Save Money on a High-End Dress
When you’re renting a dress for a couple of days, you might be able to afford a different class of designer than you would if you were purchasing. If investing in a Vera is completely unrealistic, check out the cost of renting one instead. Although it won’t be yours to keep forever, remember that many dresses are stored in boxes in the attic anyway, and you’ll always have photos of you in your wedding venue in Essex to look back on!
Con: Sentimentality
Of course, if you are quite sentimental and love the idea of passing your wedding gown on to a daughter or grand-daughter one day, then renting a dress isn’t for you. When you purchase a wedding dress, you get to keep it for life. Some people even choose to cut a little piece of their dress to sew into a daughter’s gown as their ‘something borrowed’.
Pro: Eliminate Aftercare Costs
If you’ve worn a white wedding gown, then the first thing you should do as a dress owner is to dry-clean your outfit. A fantastic night on the dance floor can cause all types of stains and marks to appear on a crystal white dress which you’ll want to get rid of. This of course isn’t the case if you’ve rented your dress as reasonable aftercare is usually included as part of the price tag. You also won’t need to pay for a wedding storage box or the necessary packaging to prevent your dress going yellow over time.
Con: Responsible Renting
Of course, the downside of renting a dress is that you might feel quite stressed out about keeping your frock in great condition when there’s a massive party going on all around you. It can be hard to let your hair down and fully relax when there’s glasses of red wine being knocked back behind you in a Conga line. You can take out insurance to cover the cost of stains or torn hems for example, but for more substantial damage you may need to shell out fees for deductibles and delays to shipping.
Tips for Renting Dresses
If renting a dress sounds like the right decision for you, then it pays to shop around and read reviews to gauge whether the rental service is up to scratch. Be aware that you might not have as many bridal gown options available to you as you would if you were buying. Also, if you’re looking for a less popular size then the number of dresses may narrow further. Some companies will require you to pay a fee to try a dress on or to swap it with another. Don’t feel pressurised into wearing a dress you’re not happy with just because of this small charge. Think about the overall money you’re saving and don’t stop until you’ve found ‘the one’.