If you’re planning a luxury wedding you might ask yourself, “Can I Rent a Designer Wedding Dress?” I’ve photographed weddings where the bride had custom furniture built just for the event, and others where the bride rented furniture. I’ve had brides who have spent thousands on the perfect designer wedding dress, but have I photographed a wedding where the bride rented her wedding dress? The truth is, I don’t know! And that is one of the pros of renting a dress for your wedding: nobody will know unless you tell them.
Pros of Renting a Designer Wedding Dress
There are many pros to renting a wedding dress. The obviously plus side is that you save money. Renting a wedding dress costs a few hundred dollars, while purchasing the same luxury wedding can cost $10k or more.
Another positive of renting a wedding dress is helpful if you are having a destination wedding: you can have the dress shipped directly to your destination. Wedding dresses are a challenge to travel with, especially by airplane, so this is a really nice bonus.
A third pro of renting a designer wedding dress is that you
Cons of Renting a Designer Wedding Dress
Let’s get the obvious downside of renting a wedding dress out of the way first: you don’t get to keep it. Brides rarely wear their mother’s dress anymore, but if you rent a dress that’s definitely not an option.
Second, while some rental locations allow temporary alterations, it might be difficult (or even impossible) to find the perfect wedding dress in the perfect size. I will note, however, that most allow you to rent a few and try them on before your wedding day arrives to alleviate some of that worry over fit and look.
Finally, the third downside of renting a designer wedding dress is this: if you break it, you buy it. If a tipsy groomsman spills red wine on the dress, you’re on the hook for the full amount to replace the dress. If it rips or gets damaged on the wedding day, you’ve just bought it, or paid for the repairs.
Where Can You Rent a Designer Wedding Dress?
Note: I haven’t used any of these sites to rent a wedding dress, so I don’t have first-hand knowledge. For that reason, I encourage you to read reviews, wedding forums, facebook groups, etc to do your homework before renting from a particular company. Another note: I’m not being sponsored or paid in any way to promote wedding dress rental companies.
That being said, there are plenty of options for renting a designer wedding gown. Here is my favorite after I’ve looked through and like the product, the prices, and the policies. The three “p”s if you will.
My Wardrobe HQ is my favorite in terms of luxury designers. The prices are reasonable. Also, let’s say you want a pair of Christian Louboutin shoes to go with your Pronovias wedding dress. You can rent those too! You can also check Rent the Runway and Lending Luxury, among others.
Conclusion
You might be in the market to rent a luxury wedding dress if you aren’t worried about having your future daughter wear it one day. You’ll be able to save money doing so, which allows you to upgrade something else from your wedding (get a wedding album from your photographer, for example, or add extra hours of coverage). Or, you’ll be able to get that dress you had your heart set up but can’t justify spending the dough on a dress that you’ll likely only wear once. Renting a wedding dress isn’t for everyone. However, for luxury on a budget, it’s an attractive choice.
Talk to you soon,
Dale
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