by Wendy Brooks

Created on: March 13, 2009

Most women have planned their wedding day from the time they could say "wedding". Everything has been set out in their minds about how they want their wedding day to be. They've pictured the setting, the flowers, the guests, but most importantly, their wedding gown. They are going to be the centre of attention so their gown has to be the most beautiful gown they've ever seen, no matter how much it costs.

The cost of a wedding today can be overwhelming. It all quickly adds up - the flowers, the band, the caterer, the dresses.......and not everyone can afford the wedding they want. For some brides, that means not being able to buy the wedding gown of their dreams. Some women end up buying a cheaper gown while others decide to wear a pre-owned wedding gown.

I personally see nothing wrong with a bride wearing a pre-owned wedding gown. I've heard of women borrowing wedding gowns from their mother, aunt or even their grandmother and looked absolutely beautiful. In some families, a wedding gown is handed down from generation to generation as a tradition and the bride is proud to wear it. In my opinion, you don't have to wear an expensive wedding gown to look beautiful or to catch everyone's attention as you walk down the aisle. I honestly don't see the sense of spending thousands of dollars on a dress that you will probably only wear once, but that's just my opinion. For some brides, money is no object and they want the very best for their wedding day, so if they want to spend a lot for their gown, that's their business. For example, I knew someone who spent thousands of dollars to have her dress especially made for her.

I couldn't afford a lot for my wedding so I tried to cut costs wherever I could. For example, instead of buying flowers from a florist, I had someone make them. They ended up looking just as good, if not better, and everyone commented on how nice my flowers were. I didn't want to spend a lot on my wedding gown so I bought a nice one on sale. Now, the dress is in a box in a closet somewhere. If someone had a gown that would have fit me, I probably would have worn it instead of buying one. This may sound cheap to some people, but to me it's just being practical.

The cost of a wedding is no one business except the bride and groom's. If the bride wants to buy an expensive wedding gown, that's her business. After all, it is the day she's been planning for most of her life. For some of us, however, price is an object. I've learned from experience that a wedding doesn't have to cost a fortune to be the most beautiful day of your life. A lot of us have to cut back on things and wedding gowns are no exception. There is no shame in wearing a pre-owned wedding gown. In fact, I'm hoping that if my daughter decides to get married, she will choose to wear my wedding gown. Besides, the way I look at it is that it's not the gown that makes the bride, it's the bride that makes the gown.

Learn more about this author, Wendy Brooks.
Click here to send this author comments or questions.