Second hand wedding dresses can be a smart buy for your big day. The great advantage of a second hand wedding dress is that it is likely to have been worn only one time.

And if you shop around smartly online you can really pick up a nice designer wedding dress which nobody will even know is second hand.

Many people are feeling the pinch with the downturn in the economy and the price of a new wedding dress can be very high.

Hiring a dress can be a smart choice if you are facing a limited budget or a nice, second hand designer wedding dress is the other option to match a straitened budget. (See dresses to wear to a wedding as a guest and outdoor wedding ideas)

Good places to look for second hand wedding dresses are second hand designer shops which you will find in your local yellow pages or with a search on the internet.

Preowned dresses can be great value and if you shop around you will find a cheap bridal gown at a great price, perhaps on sale. Vintage shops are also a great place to look for something special but the internet is well worth checking out also as you can take a look without the pressure of a salesperson putting you under pressure.

And don’t rule out checking out Ebay and Amazon in your online search but be careful when shopping on Ebay and ensure that the seller has a good track record and feedback.

If you do buy a dress in the second hand market you will probably have to make some alterations yourself but the money you will save by buying preowned will allow you to splash the cash on nice accessories such as a handbag or shoes.

Many top designers will also have designer shops which will need to shift stock from one season to the next. This can be a great opportunity to buy a branded pre owned gown at a wholesale price.

If you are lucky enough in your shopping around you could well pick up a Vera Wang or a special Grecian style dress or something funky. Other unusual choices would be gypsy dresses, lace, halter neck and other unusual dresses. You might also take a look in some magazines for some celebrity weddings and get some ideas from there.

One thing though regardless of your choice is that your wedding gown is appropriate for the time of year. If it is a winter wedding or a fall wedding then you need to consider the material you choose and sleeve length and so forth.

In summary second hand bridal wear can be a great choice for your wedding.