In many cases, the wedding day is the one and only day in which a young woman can truly become the princess she has always dreamed of. Having the love of her life propose marriage to her and becoming a bride is a dream come true, but it can also become a nightmare once she sees just how much money it takes to plan the wedding of her dreams. One of the key ingredients to a fantastic wedding is having a fabulous wedding dress, one that will make the bride feel beautiful and memorable.

The average wedding dress can cost anywhere from $1,000 to $6,000, and that doesn’t even include couture or designer gowns. The average bride may not have that kind of money to spend on a dress that she will likely wear only once, for a few hours. There are many ways to get the wedding dress of your dreams without spending enough money to turn it into a nightmare. Following these tips can help you find a wedding dress without breaking the bank.

If you are the type of bride who is handy with a needle and thread, you could make your own wedding dress. The cost that would go into the dress would be what it takes to purchase the fabric and all the components to build the wedding dress of your dreams. Making your own dress could save you a couple of thousand dollars – if you know how to work a sewing machine! If you don’t, you might want to try some of these other ideas.

Brides who can’t sew their own dress should definitely put all those bridal magazines to use. By flipping through the pages of these magazines you will be able to get an idea of the style of wedding dress that you like before going to the bridal shops. Feel free to tear the pages out and save them within a binder. Take this binder with you to the bridal shops – while the images may be of the designer brands, the dress shop may have very similar styles for a fraction of the cost.

Starting early on your dress hunt will also help you find a wedding dress for a bargain price. The more time you give yourself, the more time you will have to hit all the bridal shop sales and seasons. Remember, when each fashion season changes, the dresses from the previous season usually go on sale. This can help you save a couple hundred to a thousand dollars.

One of the best ways to get designer brand dresses for very cheap prices is to hit the sample sales. Sample sales are usually held every few months, but with very little advertising, so be sure to keep your eyes and ears open for them. Many designers and bridal shops will hold sample sales and offer dresses at 70% to 80% off. The catch is many times you must pay in cash and buy the dress as-is.

Finding the wedding dress of your dreams is quite a good feeling, but finding it at a bargain price is even more exhilarating. Just think, by spending less on your wedding dress, you and your fiancé will have more cash available for the honeymoon. By using the tips outlined above, you are sure to find that special dress for less.