Your wedding day was supposed to be the best day of your life and you are still swooning over the perfection of your big day. After you have exchanged your wedding bands and vows to be together forever, your amazing wedding dress is just lying there collecting dust after you have spent thousands of dollars on it, and you are wondering what to do with it. Selling wedding dresses is not uncommon as you might think it is, as there are hundreds of brides out there who sold their crisp white designer wedding gowns right after their wedding (or even years later) for cold hard cash to pay off some of the wedding bills that broke the bank. If you are thinking 'should I sell my wedding dress?' you are already halfway there. If you are considering passing down your wedding dress as a hand-me-down wedding dress to your beloved daughter or niece, it is essential to remember that the landscape of bridal fashion is changing every day and the future generation might not want to wear a wedding dress that is 20 or 30 years old.
The gorgeous confection of tulle and satin with beautiful beading of your amazing designer wedding gown can bring back all the happy memories from the big wedding day. But over time you will get over that dream wedding dress, when life will start to move on, your closet will start having more clothes, and there will be no longer room for that dream wedding gown anymore in your closet or bed box. Selling your wedding dress can get you some of the money back and be the start of many things like paying off debt, funding a retirement scheme, or investing in stocks. If you have decided to bite the bullet and sell the wedding dress, altering your wedding dress before selling it to the next bride online or in stores that buy wedding dresses near me beforehand as a gesture to the new bride can be an amazing decision. For a bride who will be shopping for used wedding dresses online, there is a fair chance that she is on a tight budget, and altering the wedding dress might even dent her budget more. We have come up with a list of alterations that you can do for the new bride you are selling a wedding dress to which can go a long way.
Common wedding dress alterations that can be done before selling it:
Adjust the hem
Ensuring the hem of a wedding dress is the right length is important. This allows you to walk and dance without having to grab the front of your dress. Before selling your wedding dress, you can adjust the hem of the dress according to the new bride's height, so that it fits her perfectly without looking too short or long. Wedding dress manufacturers usually make the wedding dress hem extra long so it will also fit the taller customers, and shortening of the hem is usually one of the most common wedding dress alterations for to-be-married brides. Even though it is difficult to determine the exact price of wedding dress alterations, as it depends on factors like the number of layers and laces of the dress that need to be altered (to be taken off before adding it back to the final hem length), the average bride spends between $75 and $250 on alterations of wedding dress.
Train loop and buttons
The little ribbon loops that are attached to the wedding dresses' train are known as train loops and these are responsible for the lifting of the train later in the day so that a bride can move hassle-free from one place to another on her reception day. There are two types of train loops- the one that brides take in their hand when they dance with their sweetheart and the short one that buttons right under the bum. The short train loop also has one to three loops and buttons and is one of the most requested wedding dress alterations as it lets your hands be free. There are different styles of bustles- over bustle, waterfall bustle, Austrian bustle, and French bustle (also known as string). Before sending your used wedding dress for resale to the next bride, adjust these train loops according to this new bride’s body type so that the new bridal gown fits her like a glove. Some of the preowned wedding dresses for sale have already attached a train loop or bustle, while surprisingly many gowns need these to be attached later.
Taking in/out on the hips and waist
Before you sell your wedding gown, consider the alterations that made your wedding gown look picture-perfect for you. However, since everybody is beautiful and unique, it is very difficult to manufacture wedding dresses that will fit every bride based on their body type. So what fitted you like a dream might not fit the next bride and before you put out your gown to places that sell used wedding dresses, take the wedding dress in or out on the side seams according to the size and shape of the new bride. Consulting the original sales assistant of your wedding dress can help you draw the idea of how much it is possible to alter the dress size. Moreover, it is always easier to take the dress in because then you don’t have to worry if the old seam will show. But modern-day wedding dress alteration techniques make used wedding dresses look brand new before you put them out on websites to sell wedding dresses for free.
Adjusting the neckline
"I want to sell my wedding dress", and if you have already decided this and started your preparation for readying the piece of clothing for wedding dress resale, altering the neckline of the wedding dress is very important before passing it down to the next bride. Neckline alteration is a very common request and it’s easy to make a big impact. Alteration goes both ways as you can have the neckline opened or closed. Many store-bought wedding dresses are generous when it comes to chest size, but if the new bride opts for a plunging neckline or raises the neckline altogether, we might need some alterations to be made so that the wedding dress neckline won’t make a gutter when you look down. It is a bit tricky alteration of wedding dress as many brides are hesitant to ask their seamstresses for this alteration but it is also very much doable. It is a very common alteration for online thrift store wedding dresses, and hence when you purchase your dream wedding gown from wedding dress resale sites, ask for this custom change in particular. Neckline depth on wedding gowns is a very personal choice as some women might like deep plunge necklines while other brides might like conservative higher necklines on their wedding dresses. When you find your wedding gown, be sure to ask your bridal stylist about neckline options and custom changes. Cost varies a lot depending on the style you want. It always helps if you have inspiration pictures ready when you consult a seamstress.
Adjusting the straps
Wedding gowns with straps are a classic style. If you own one and want to sell the wedding gown online or sell your wedding dress to store, it is very essential to adjust the straps of the wedding gown according to the preference and height of the new bride before passing it down. Many wedding gowns are made with a little bit longer straps so that they will fit a wide range of brides. A strappy wedding gown typically needs adjusting and altering of its straps and sleeves which are considered to be standard alterations for wedding gowns. It is also a very affordable and easy alteration that also costs very little.
Adding or losing sleeves
Before giving to online stores you might want to find 'best stores that buy wedding dresses near me', and still can't find the perfect wedding dress off the rack. Another custom change for wedding dresses, adding or cutting on sleeves of wedding dresses are considered to be big alterations. Whether you are adding sleeves to the used wedding dress, or wearing a bolero, there are several sleeve options for every kind of wedding gown, even for the loveliest vintage wedding gowns. When you purchase a pre-owned wedding gown and take it to the seamstress, you have to communicate with your bridal stylist the changes you want to make your wedding look trendy. You can also ask the new bride about her dream wedding dress and alter the sleeves according to her preferences and then consult a seamstress for bigger alterations. He or she will be able to order the fabric you need to make these changes in alterations and you can also ask for a fuller hem, added lace, or a big train so that you do not have to compromise your bridal style even if you are getting a made-to-measure bridal gown.
Altering the back details
There are so many stunning wedding gowns with awesome back features that might have your heart racing when you go through the places that buy wedding dresses near me. Irrespective of the wedding gown style, customizing the back of a wedding dress is usually one of the most common dress alterations. Whether you want an open back detail or want some of the dress materials to be taken away from the back, before selling a wedding dress, ask the new bride about her favorite kind of alteration as it requires a designing eye to make a plan for the back detail with the bride. The possibilities for wedding dress back detail alterations are almost endless as you can choose to lace back to a strapless gown or add several things like lace appliqués, beading, buttons, and a bustle. Make sure to have some inspirational bridal gown photos before consulting your seamstress as it can be a bit more expensive alteration.
Adding a waist stay
Waist stay is a ribbon or an elastic band that goes inside your dress and fits snug on your waist. If you are planning to give away a strapless gown, we recommend you to have this added to your gown before selling your wedding dress. After finding out how and where to sell a wedding dress online, your strapless gown can work like a miracle if a waist stay is added to it as it can keep the dress in the right place and prevent it from sliding down during the wedding reception. Your new bride doesn’t have to pull up your strapless dress again and again as this amazing bridal accessory can have her back and she will pat her back for buying used wedding dresses online from you.
Altering the closure detail
There are parts of the dress that should always be tailored to fit just right. Standard alterations include adjusting the bust, taking in the waist, and adjusting the hips. But this customized wedding dress alteration is all about altering the type of closure that your wedding dress has. If the second-hand wedding dress you bought from stores that buy wedding dresses near me and it has a zipper instead of having a long line of buttons like you always dreamt of, alter the closure of the wedding dress. Altering the closure is surprisingly common and not even a difficult alteration.
It was a beautiful piece of garment and you loved it, but now it reminds you of all the extra space it takes up in your closet. Whether you have prepared your wedding dress for the cold winter wedding or you have a vintage wedding gown made out of the finest bridal fabrics, selling out a wedding gown is also a great step towards a greener planet as it cuts down all the waste materials that will finally end up in a landfill. With an online listing, your chances of finding someone to buy your dress are higher, simply because women across the country will be able to see it. Also, the sooner you sell your dress, the better. Selling it a few years after your wedding can make it easier to find a potential buyer who wants a used gown that’s still in style.
Please wait!
