It is every bride's dream to walk down the aisle in an elegant designer wedding dress. It is not every bride's dream to sign a bank loan to buy that elegant designer wedding dress. But today's bride does not need to spend a small fortune to look like she did. There are bargains out there waiting to be found by the penny-wise bride. Read on for some money-saving tips.

Sample Sales and Bargain Basements

Many bridal boutiques hold annual sales where they sell the previous season's samples for a fraction of the original price to make room for the new collections coming in. Check your local newspaper for advertisements of this nature. If you don't mind a little chaos, then it may be worth your while to go to these sales and see what you can find.

Designer dress samples can be purchased for as little as $100.00. A word to the wise, though, wedding dress samples typically come in sizes 8 through 12. If you fall into that range, you may get lucky and find the dress of your dreams. If not, then the cost of any alterations must be added to the price of the dress. Also, given the huge crowds that sales like these draw, it may be wise to bring a friend to help you choose, hold, and change into the dresses, since flagging down a salesperson could be difficult.

Secondhand Shops

If the hustle and bustle of sample sales leaves you appalled, consider purchasing your wedding dress at a thrift shop or a consignment outlet.

Consignment shops only accept items that are in at least near perfect condition or better. Thrift shops, on the other hand, accept all items regardless of their state, so you'd best examine a wedding dress thoroughly before purchasing it from a thrift shop. You can rarely return a wedding dress should you change your mind about it once you bring it home. Usually though, most needed repairs can be readily handled by your local tailor.

EBay and Other Online Auction Sites

It may surprise you to know that a vast array of inexpensive wedding dresses can be found on websites such as Ebay. Whether brand new or gently used, be sure to ask the seller any and all questions you have about the dress's condition, color, size, etc…prior to making a bid on it. While bargains can be found, disappointment can follow if you don't research carefully and thoroughly.

Other Options

The tried and true tradition of mothers passing their wedding dresses on to their daughter may seem quaint these days, but it remains a viable option for the bride on a budget. Whether borrowed or accepted as a gift, wearing the wedding dress your grandmother, aunt, or sister wore for her wedding day is a touching response to a special gesture.

In short, finding the perfect wedding dress without spending an exorbitant amount of money is not impossible. You just need to look in places other than the designer bridal boutique. And no one has to know how little you paid to look this fabulous.