Since I started this site in 2004, I’ve seen buying and selling  preowned wedding dresses  develop from something almost unheard of, to something with a growing understanding, acceptance and desirability.  I’d venture to say that (compliments of the economy and global warming) at least half of women have considered buying preowned or selling post wedding.  It just makes sense.

Priscilla of Boston Pre-Sale. Wedding: September 19, 2009

My favorite analogy: if you bought a $90,000 car and owned it for 1 year, the cost breaks down to 17 cents a minute.  If you bought a $5,000 wedding dress and wore it for 5 hours, the cost is $16.67 a minute.   Whoa.

Another development I’ve seen recently is the idea of pre-selling a wedding dress. At first I couldn’t really get my head around it, but I think it has definitive merit.  Here’s why.

A  pre-sell a wedding dress, can be altered with “pre-sale in mind.”  This means that the seamstress leaves some fabric in the dress/hem for it to be re-sized later.   She also can save any extra fabric, which might also be useful when the gown is altered again.

Pre-sell brides will also wear the dress with resale in mind.  Just a little extra care everywhere so the gown will be in its best used condition.

A pre-sell gown also gets to the new buyer soon after the original wedding.  So it only needs to be cleaned, not preserved (a saved expense).

And a “pre-buyer” knows the gown she wants will be available on a certain date.  And she knows it will fit because it was altered with her measurements in mind.

A good friend of mine, Elizabeth, recently pre-sold her (very, very expensive) wedding dress.  It helped her justify the expense knowing that she had already found a buyer for after the wedding.  And her buyer was dead in love with the dress and very close to her in size, but couldn’t afford it new.  So it worked out very well for both of them.

If you look up “stock option” on investopedia, it says “A privilege, sold by one party to another, that gives the buyer the right, but not the obligation, to buy or sell  a stock at an agreed-upon price within a certain period or on a specific date.”

My friend Elizabeth’s arrangement is essentially the same thing.  Her buyer isn’t obligated to buy her dress, but she knows when she will get the chance to, before anyone else.

If you are thinking about “pre”, here are some things to consider:

As a pre-buyer, you need to be sure the timing allows for you to have a back up plan. (Think, God forbid, a drunk groomsman and a glass of red wine).  And be sure to discuss all terms of the sale upfront (price, payment method, who pays for the original cleaning).  Ironing out these details early will ensure there are no surprises later.

As a pre-seller, put yourself in the buyer’s shoes.  It isn’t reasonable to expect she give you a deposit for a gown whose condition can’t be guaranteed. (Although if both sides agree to the terms of a deposit, it can be done).

If you have thoughts or experiences with pre buying or selling, I’d love to hear them.  Is this a trend whose time has come?

If you were to buy a new Mercedes for $90,000 and own it for 1 year, the cost would break down to 17 cents a minute.

If you were to buy a wedding dress for $5,000 and wear it for 5 hours, the cost would break down to $16.67 a minute.

Buying a preowned wedding dress (or selling your dress after the wedding to recoup some money) is an idea that just makes good sense.  If you are smartly thinking about buying or selling, here are our tips and tricks for a successful transaction.

Tips for Buyers:

• Research the gown’s retail price online and in bridal boutiques.  Knowing a dress’ market value will help you in your negotiations.
• Whenever possible, try on the gown at a local store (Many pre-owned gowns are still available at retail) so can see how it fits/flatters your figure.
• Ask detailed questions: when and where the gown was purchased, the fabric, detailing, alterations, flaws, cleaning and storage.  If the gown is over 2 years old, ask about yellowing of the lace or other fine fabric. Ask to see photographs of the gown from all angles, including details.
• If applicable, confirm if the gown is authentic to the designer and not a copy. A certificate of authenticity, a photo of the label, or a copy of the original store receipt are some ways to confirm this.

Tips for Sellers:

• Provide as much detail as possible about the fabric, the detailing, the fit/alterations, etc. Offer a copy of your original receipt.
• Provide photographs from different angles, including full length shots of the dress front and back.  Include photos of any detailing like beading or trim, how the train looks down and bustled. Photos taken in natural light are best.
• Be honest, accurate and complete about any flaws to the gown. If the gown is new and unworn, flaws are typically not an issue.  But if the gown was a sample or used in a wedding, provide detail about the amount of wear and any marks, pulls, tears or stains.
• Have a reasonable price expectation.  See our pricing suggestions and guidelines.

For Both:

• Protect yourself in any online transaction.  Get the buyer’s/seller’s full name, address and phone number.  Use a protected payment service like escrow.com so you have recourse if an issue arises.

One of the most common reasons I hear from sellers as to why the want to sell their wedding dress, is that they love it so much, they want to give another bride the chance to enjoy it.

And while your wedding dress is enjoying its second showing, you can savor a frameable sketch of it from Penelope-Anne Altmann via Dreamlines.

What a smart and sweet way to “save” your dress forever. Using 2-3 pictures of your dress,  Penelope creates a 9×12 pencil sketch of your wedding dress.  Sketches are $100 and take 2-4 weeks to complete (plus shipping time)….I’ve been married for over 5 years, but I’m seriously considering getting one done of my dress (which I sold here).

Yea! If you are a buyer or a seller, there is nothing more exciting than finalizing the sale and shipping the dress…If you are ready to ship a wedding dress, here is what you should know:

1) Package it properly. This will ensure the dress is not damaged in transit. (Remember, the box will be loaded onto trucks, conveyor belts and potentially airplanes. The handlers will not be aware of the precious cargo inside).

2) Insure it for the value/selling price.  

3) Use a trackable method and require a signature release.

How to package it correctly:

1.    Use a sturdy corrugated cardboard box. Boxes are rated according to “burst strength.”  Look for a box that is rated for 200-lbs-per-square-inch burst strength or the equivalent.
2.    Make sure you get a box that is the right size for your wedding dress. You want to ensure the dress doesn’t move around too much inside the box.  If the box is too big, fill extra space with tightly wadded kraft paper, peanuts or other materials.
3.    Fold the gown as required and use plastic to cover it (for the unlikely, but possible event, that the box gets wet).
4.    Seal the flaps and seams with strong mailing tape that is a minimum width of two inches.
5.    Place the shipping label on top and avoid putting the label over a seam/closure or on top of the tape. Put a duplicate label (with a phone number) inside the box.

And, if you want to get an idea of what the shipping costs will be, here are some shipping cost calculators:

US Postal Service FedEx UPS