The New and Different #9.    Rented: Yep. Renting. It’s not just for tuxes anymore. And they have to dry clean it! Some people are just too sentimental for this.

Tip: go read Elizabeth Oake’s article on this!

The Daring #8:    Shared: I’ve only found this once. But if I’ve encountered it, it’s been done before and since. Someone actually advertised and found someone her own size and taste and they bought a gown together. They didn’t know one another and were getting married a few months apart. Could have been tragic, if bride number one had had spaghetti for her wedding meal, but bride number two had another option up her sleeve if that tanked! More common is someone you know has a dress, and is willing to lend it to you.

Tip: Think outside the box here. There are lots of ways to share dresses with people if you just think a bit about it! This makes the entire experience much cheaper!

The Very Fun and Meaningful #7:    Heritage: Is there a dress in your family that you would like to wear? You can wear it as is, or modernize it (if that’s allowed!). There is something wonderful about wearing a dress with history.

Tip: Talk to your family. Is there someone (at least vaguely shaped like you) who had a memorable and wonderful dress? Is there a tradition in your family of wearing someone else’s dress? Do you want to start one? You’re going to have to pay for cleaning and alterations, but this might be just the ticket!

Fabulous Way #6 to choose a wedding gown:

Go Vintage: You can look in specialty boutiques or on line. If there’s a certain look you’ve always wanted, you just have to start looking for the silhouette! You might want to look in someone’s attic!

Tip: If there’s an era and its clothing that make your heart beat faster, go find yourself a gown from that time. If you’re a diligent on-line kinda girl this will be a great way to search. Some of us (ahem) are not. And we’ll do better befriending the owner of a vintage store who might be able to help us find the perfect gown!

Tip #5.    Resale: On line and in stores. Someone I know got the most amazing dress from, are you ready for this, the Salvation Army. She had to have it cut down and even had it remade, just slightly. She paid $200 for a name brand dress and $150 for alterations. People were gaga! Nope, she wasn’t too proud! BravoBride.com is doing some really interesting sales on line.

Tip: You need to be an incredibly diligent shopper if you want to do this… but you can do it! And sometimes it’s worth it to step outside your comfort zone for the savings. And you can probably find a friend to help you. Friends actually like helping you with your wedding. Some people like planning weddings! Go figure!