Considerations of Hiring a Wedding Dress

A wedding dress is a beautiful memento for many brides of this special day, a way to represent and remember the beauty of the event and of the bride herself. Yet in honest terms, the wedding dress is usually one of the most expensive aspects of the whole wedding and will often be left in the back of the closet gathering dust for those who are not as sentimental as others. This is where the wedding dress hire industry comes in as an ideal way to save money while also having the dream wedding gown for the big day.

The price of buying a wedding dress in today's wedding industry can range from a simple hundred dollars to several thousand depending on the designer, style, fabric and detailing. Many brides are often stunned by the cost of their prospective wedding gowns, especially considering that it will be worn for that one day only. The positives of hiring a wedding dress will often be considered by such brides that have these expensive tastes, but on a strict budget:

Benefits of the Wedding Dress Hire Option

• Cost

When it comes to the benefits of hiring a wedding dress the first obvious point is the cost savings. If your dream gown has always been a designer label with lace and beading detailing and luxurious fabric, the cost differences between hiring and buying will fall into the thousands of dollars. Even if your tastes are somewhat simpler, the cost difference between hiring and buying a wedding dress are substantial enough to make hiring a dress a viable option for any budget-abiding couple. For example, the same gown is available for sale at $2,500, yet available for hire at $700.

• Time

Additionally, you can hire a wedding dress online now for those brides that are organising a wedding under tight time and financial restraints. While instinct says 'NO' to hiring one of the most important outfits of a woman's life online, these online bridal hiring companies cover all bases with exact measurements and even instructions on how to measure one's own sizes to ensure a perfect fit. Simply do your research of the company and the dress before committing any payments.

• Complete Outfit

Not only can you hire your wedding dress through a hire company, but you can also be fitted out for all bridal dress needs including wedding dress, bridesmaids gowns, Cocktail Dresses, shoes, Veils, Tiaras, Mother of the Bride/Groom Outfits, Jewellery, Hoop Hire and Flower Bouquets.

Drawbacks of the Wedding Dress Hire Option

• It's Not Yours

Hiring a gown may be highly practical and functional, but really, it's not yours is it? On one of the biggest days of your life you are wearing a borrowed gown that someone else will be wearing next week for their big day. While this may not bother some women, those who are more sentimental may be bothered by this fact and find it hard to let go of the dress that holds so many memories.

• Alteration Restrictions

Due to the fairly tight restrictions that many wedding dress hire companies employ, they dress may not fit and cater to your figure as much as you would like, especially if you do not fall into the most common figures shapes. This means that those with plus sized figures or certain height levels may find it difficult finding a dress to complement them the way they would like.

Questions to Ask BEFORE Hiring

If you have decided to hire your wedding dress, or are simply interested in perusing what's available, there are some key questions and considerations that need to be asked of any wedding dress hire business to ensure that you will still get the quality of a beautiful dress.

• Dry Cleaning Policies - ask the hirer what their dry cleaning policy is in regards to any dresses. Will it be cleaned before you wear it? What is their policy after you have worn it? Do you get it dry cleaned or are they responsible (and therefore you have to pay additional costs)?
• Dress History - ask how many times the dress has been worn and how many times it is reserved before your wedding, just to give you an idea of the demand for the dress.
• Alterations - are you able to alter the dress to suit your figure better?
• Insurance Policy - say your dream gown gets damaged before your wedding, how will the hire company handle this? Do they repair the gown or offer a replacement at a discounted cost? What if you damage the dress on your wedding day?

For Australian wedding services and advice on wedding dresses, please visit our wedding dresses directory.