My oldest daughter is engaged.  All of a sudden, (like I did with pregnant women when I became pregnant with her), I'm seeing brides everywhere!  If you are over the age of 40, you probably have no idea of how many wedding blogs, wedding tv shows, wedding magazines and wedding stores there are now.  YIKES.com (to quote my niece Sarah)!   Let's start with television.  "Say yes to the dress" is  a show about a wedding dress store and the process the salespeople (trying to meet quotas) and brides (often bringing an entourage of millions) go through to find "THE dress".  "My Fair Wedding" spotlights wedding planner David Tutera as he attempts to save brides from their own disasterous wedding plans and create a fairy tale wedding instead. Unfortunately, the show makes every bride to be think she needs to have a reception with exotic flowers, decked out with crystals,  and illuminated with professional lighting.

 

"Engaged and Underage" and "Bulging Brides" are self explanatory.  But wait, there are more! "Who's wedding is it Anyway?", "My big fat fabulous wedding", "Rich Bride, Poor Bride" "Wedding SOS", "Rock the Reception", "My big Redneck Wedding", "The Real Wedding Crashers" and now, just in case you want to find them all in one place, there's "Brides Television" online. But perhaps the one that bothers me the most is (a crowd favorite) "Platinum Weddings" where brides spend $20,000 on the cake alone and the final amount spent on the wedding would buy a house in an upscale neighborhood or feed a small country. After watching a few episodes, thousands of engaged women around the country start to feel cheated, knowing they won't be able to have a diamond studded gown or custom made ruby initials for their custom made wedding altar. And if you can't afford a club scene area or ice bar at your reception, what's the point of getting married?

 

Calm down people.  Weddings can be beautiful, memorable, and yes, FUN without looking like a corporate party for Microsoft at Bill Gate's house.  There are ways to bring architectural elements, fashion and style to a wedding that are green, sustainable and uniquely beautiful that don't involve a second mortgage or credit card debt.  If the bride and groom to be are willing to incorporate vintage elements into their wedding, it can be incredible for a fraction of the cost.  But why don't we see episodes on these shows or articles in the magazines about weddings that use vintage fashions and decor?  It's simple - sponsorship.  Vintage clothing and small antique dealers don't advertise in the major media so it still remains the best kept secret out there.  I know, when you hear 'vintage' you see visions of Gunne Sax dresses and girls with long loose hair in front of abandoned barns holding a single sunflower..Yes, there are vintage weddings like that, but I'm talking about something very different - modern, sophisticated weddings infused with beautiful vintage fashion and vintage elements.

Over the next few months, I'll be talking about vintage weddings and beautiful options out there for the bride to be who wants something extraordinary. We'll search the web for the most amazing vintage bridal and bridal party clothing, shoes, jewelry, hair accessories, gloves, lingerie, and reception decor. But, since I am obsessed with vintage clothing, let's start with wedding gowns!


If you have a dress budget up to $7,000, you might want to consider


Sensational 1935 vintage Ostrich feather dress at The Frock.com

One of my favorites!  1950 Vintage Christian Dior wedding gown at The Frock.com


Princess application lace wedding dress, c.1905 at Vintage Textile

If you are hoping to find a one of a kind dress under $1000 consider..


Vintage Collectible Numbered CustomMadeYumi Katsura designer Lace Wedding Gown At Dress



Hollywood Glam Vintage wedding gown with fringe in larger size at Antique Dress



1920s wedding gown with veil at Antique Dress


1950s Satin beaded wedding gown at Timeless Vixen


1950's luxurious Vintage Semont wedding gown on Etsy

If your budget is $600 and under, you can think about..



1950s London strapless satin wedding gown with matching bolero jacket at Dress


1950s lace dress as an alternative to the traditional gown at Posh Girl Vintage



1940s chiffon wedding gown with pop up collar at Dress



Bianchi Originals vintage 1950s wedding gown at Dress


If you decide you want to buy a vintage wedding gown,remember that it might take some time.  You will need to try on quite a few in order to find the perfect dress, but in the end, it will definitely be worth it and it will last much longer than an ice bar!


Some things to remember when buying a vintage wedding gown:

1.  Cleanliness - It can cost from $100-200 dollars to havea wedding gown clean and pressed for your wedding day, so be sure totake that into consideration when purchasing a vintage dress.  Find outfrom the seller if the dress has been cleaned.  Even if it has beencleaned, it will still need to be steamed and/or pressed when youreceive it, so remember to keep that in mind!

2.  Returns - Makesure you are aware of the dealer's return policy and time frame forreturns.  You want to be able to return the dress if it doesn't look theway you'd imagined and/or it has issues that weren't mentioned in thedescription.

3.  Measurements - Know yours! - So many people areafraid of buying vintage because of size considerations, but rememberthat most dresses can be altered, but it is easier to make a dresssmaller than larger.  Be sure to ask for measurements like, arm openingfor the sleeve, shoulder to shoulder across the back, and even wristmeasurements for long sleeved dresses.  Even small dresses can be madelarger in some cases, so ask your seamstress to take a look!

4.  Condition - remember that some things aren't big issues for dresses andsome are deal breakers.  If the dress has small breaks or tears to thelace or tulle that are insignificant and hidden in the folds, that mightnot be a problem, but if the underarms are shredded or the dress hasstains that can't be removed, those might be issues that can't beignored.

5. Era - I'vehelped many brides find their dream wedding gown, but they usually cometo me with an idea of something totally different.  They are sure theywant a Victorian dress they've seen someoneelse wear or a 1940s slipper satin gown they found on a blog but findthat they look better in something entirely different.  If you love the1920's but have curves,those dresses might not work for you, or if you want to wear a 1950s newlook wedding gown but don't have curves, that style might not work foryou!  Be open minded to different styles and find the one that suitsyour personality AND your figure!

6.  Where to buy - Buy from reputable vintage clothing websites orEbay/Etsy dealers who have a solid history and good feedback.  If youare lucky enough to have a great vintage clothing store in your areathat has vintage wedding gowns, visit them first to see if they havesomething you love. 

5.  Use your imagination - for example, ifyou find the perfect dress but the sleeves aren't quite right, you canhave them removed or replaced.  You can make a dress with strapsstrapless or a strapless dress can be converted to a halter or one withstraps.  You can change the look by wearing or not wearing a crinolineunderneath.  Be creative and find a good seamstress! Some of the vintagegowns you will find will be well worth the investment of a goodalteration, or even re styling to create the perfect look just right foryou.  Just keep in mind that in the case of designer vintage gowns,alterations can effect the value.