Punk Goth Wedding Dresses – Who Said Dresses Had to Be Traditional?
Fashion and style, like beauty, is in the eye of the beholder. A wedding is no reason to turn ones back upon her entire style philosophy. A wedding that fits your taste is all that is required. So if you are one of those couples that want their wedding to be a reflection of their individual style and beliefs – not what everyone else thinks their wedding should look like – then, go for it! Of course, you already knew to do that.
One form of individuality is the Punk and Goth styles and Punk Goth Wedding Dresses are becoming increasingly popular as weddings are made more individualistic. Although punk and Goth fashion styles may differ, they have several unifying elements, one main one being the color “black.” Beginning the hunt for a Punk Goth Wedding Dress will not only be extremely fun, but can start opening the door for making your day as memorable to your guests as it will be for you.
Many people hold their own definitions as to what both “punk” and “Goth” are. From the fashion side of things, the punk look is somewhat unkempt, especially in contrast with the often elaborate styling found in Gothic clothing. Though the punk culture has numerous subdivisions, common elements of punk fashion include: ripped, tattered, torn or shredded materials, blazers or jackets, often 1970s or 1980s styles; studs and safety pins; chains and plaids.
On the other hand, Gothic fashion is usually divided into two main groups. The first group leans towards Victorian-era fashion trends, with romantic lace and velvet. The second group features a harder look, often incorporation leather into the clothing. Obviously there is quite a contrast between these, so your choice for incorporating “Goth” into your wedding fashion will be all about a personal one. The main thing in common is that both groups tend to emphasize the body through tight and/or revealing clothing.
If you are in the market for Punk Goth Wedding Dresses, there are a few things you can do to help you decide on one that fits your individual taste and vision.
Design It Yourself
You can design one yourself and have a tailor create it for you. This way, you will have a dress that totally defines your uniqueness and fits you perfectly! If this is the avenue you wish to pursue, the reward can be absolutely great, and you should start by finding pictures of elements you want to incorporate and a designer you feel has the skill to bring your vision to life. If you are on a budget, this may not be the best solution since custom wedding dresses can often be more on the expensive side and definitely time consuming.
Alter an off-the-rack Wedding Dress
If having someone tailor a dress for you is not appealing, there are still plenty of solutions open to you. First, simply alter a regular wedding dress! You may even consider going on the hunt for one that’s vintage, from the punk era of the 70′s and 80′s to give you an even more unique starting point and then go to town altering it. Following are some “altering” ideas for Punk Goth Wedding and Bridesmaid Dresses:
- Adding a tight black lace corset (or any dark color)
- Ripping the train off and using safety pins to reattach
- Shredding the hemline of a gown
- Cutting a deeper neckline
- Tearing into top layers of satin, leaving edges jagged
- Adding a plaid layer to a tiered skirt
- Taking out any crinoline
- Shortening the dress length to knee or above
- Adding black leather trim around the hem and neck
Buy or Rent One Ready to Go
Or, one other means is to simply just go on the hunt for Punk Goth Wedding Dresses that are already available. Google Punk Goth Wedding Dresses and you’re certain to find a variety of ideas and places to purchase from. Visit alternative clothing boutiques. An excellent cost-savings idea would be to rent a costume – it’s way possible to find exactly the right elements for the perfect Goth Punk Wedding Gown from a theatrical costume rental store.
In the end this day is all about your and your fiancé, not everyone else, so just have fun and use your imagination to incorporate the elements you feel are necessary for your Punk Goth Wedding!
By Cheryl Cox, Editor of YourWeddingDollars.com, See “Note from the Editor” for more information on Cheryl and her credentials.
“Create Your Own Wedding — Own Your Style, Not Someone Else’s — and do it all while keeping money in your pocket!”
5-Minutes to Buying Affordable Wedding Dresses Online
When shopping for your wedding needs, whether it’s wedding dresses, wedding shoes, wedding veils, wedding favors, wedding invitations, etc., it’s hard to beat the Web as there are indeed great prices to be had! But there is an abundance of online stores making the choices overwhelming and that means there are some”fly-by-nights” that we don’t want you to fall prey to, so we hope this 5 minute read (yes, we clocked it) of tips for shopping online will help prepare you for the challenge of finding your ultimate wedding dress for the best price. As is true with many things – no pain, no gain… It’s the same when searching for a deal online; they don’t just fall into your lap. You have to look for it, but we’re certain these tips will help put you in the driver’s seat.
DO YOUR RESEARCH
- There are many wedding dress stores on line. There are a few that we personally recommend over others listed at the bottom of this article. Whatever store you are considering, check out their testimonials, but remember when you do that there are always going to be a few disgruntled shoppers because quite frankly there are people out there that just aren’t happy campers no matter what and bad luck seems to follow them, so when you look through the testimonials, don’t discount a wedding dress store because of a couple bad reviews compared to hundreds of good ones.
- Find out what their return policy is. Custom made items and down and dirty priced items will probably not be returnable, unless it is damaged. So that is something else for you to weigh – for the right price – if it’s not damaged and looks anything like you saw on their website – will you be able to be happy?
- Visit the Better Business Bureau to see if they are in good standing.
- Call the company – this is a big one… Do they answer the phone, is the person that answers the phone knowledgeable?
- You are probably all over the web looking at things for your wedding and with that you will see websites that advertise online wedding dress stores. Notice which ones you see most often because they will be the most reputable ones.
- When it comes to the concern about not being able to try the wedding gowns on ahead of time to make sure the style suits you. That’s what the bridal stores are for. Go try on sleeveless and long sleeve, straight and sleek or big and full, ivory and white, short, long, with trains and without. Then armed with your notes, go online and find the one you want. You can even go to designer stores and look at specific brands like Dessy, Alfred Angelo, Jessica McClintock and Vera Wang and then go to your online wedding dress store of choice (after doing all your homework from above on them) and find either the exact designer dresses or really good copycats by dozens of wonderful designers.
Buying online offers convenience and great pricing, but it also can have some risk. You’re paying upfront without directly seeing or trying on merchandise and you could potentially be opening yourself up to identify theft, but here are some ways to reduce that risk:
SHOP SAFELY
- When looking for your wedding dress online, go with brands and websites you know.
- Shop online stores that have been recommended to you from friends, family, and websites you know and trust.
- Be sure you see https:// at the top of your screen where the Web address is displayed. The “s” after “http” indicates the site is secure.
- You may also want to call the company to ask about its privacy policy or look for their privacy policy on their website.
- Do not send money to a site that doesn’t have a physical address or a phone number for customer service.
- Pay for your wedding dress with a credit card. This is another biggy! If you are unsatisfied, quite often you can get your credit card company to reverse the charges, if your reasons are valid.
- Trust your instincts; if you don’t feel comfortable or if you feel pressured, don’t buy it.
OTHER NOTES TO KEEP IN MIND WHEN PURCHASING A WEDDING DRESS ONLINE:
- Obviously, the fit of your wedding dress is also a concern when buying online, but that shouldn’t be a big worry. If it’s not a perfect fit (although it should be really close so long as you measure yourself accurately and use your website’s size charts), wedding dresses can usually be altered up to 2 sizes in either direction, and even with any added cost to alter the dress, you’re wedding dress is still sure to be priced well below retail!<br>
- Many of the wedding gowns can take some time to get, so ORDER EARLY. Online Designer dresses at prices well below retail are not “off the rack” orders. Be sure you call them to check stock information. Do not just order online; talk to a live person. It’s worth the extra couple of minutes to confirm your choice is available!
You may want to visit our two favorite online dress shops that we have researched and found to be very reputable companies: House of Brides and The Bridal Online Store
By Cheryl Cox, Editor of YourWeddingDollars.com, See “Note from the Editor” for more information on Cheryl and her credentials.
“Create Your Own Wedding — Own Your Style, Not Someone Else’s — and do it all while keeping money in your pocket!”
Don’t Pay Retail for Wedding Dresses
You do NOT have to pay retail for your perfect wedding dress — I don’t care what you budget is! Want to know how? There are numerous options when it comes to shopping for your wedding dress. But as the saying goes, “nothing ventured, noting gained,” and it’s the same when looking for affordable wedding dresses! It’s likely to take some time and effort, but that’s no problem — we’re on a mission; so, either lace up your comfortable shoes or, as I do, just leave your PJs on and do what many brides are doing today and that’s shop online.
Shopping for wedding dresses remain the most mind boggling job of the whole wedding planning process, and I believe that’s because it’s an emotional purchase! We want to look and feel extraordinary for our self, our groom, and our relatives and friends… it’s just part of it. However, in your heart you know that if you use some of the money for the down payment on your house or the tuition for your grad school, it will make you an unhappy camper in the end – so whether your search is for affordable wedding dresses on the glamorous side with lace and pearls and big bouffant skirts or you are looking for princess style informal wedding gowns – cheap, these tips will help you in that search!
- Don’t go to the “bridal section” of a department store — much better deals are to be found looking for wedding dresses that pose as formal evening wear or even prom dresses. Without the “tag” of wedding dress on them, you can save hundreds of dollars.
- Consignment shops or high end second hand shops are another great option to look for wedding dresses. Most of them won’t even accept merchandise unless it’s in absolutely pristine condition. Go back often if you don’t find something the first time around as they get new items every day, and definitely meander a distance away if need be to drive to stores in areas of affluence.
- Thrift stores are another option you would be surprised what you can find at. Informal wedding gowns cheap, does not necessarily mean cheaply made at a thrift store; in many cases you will find a real gem. Don’t shy away from a wedding gown that is perfect in every way, except being in need of some repair – these repairs, for a tailor, are most likely minor. And like consignment stores, go back often and check locations that are in affluent areas.
- If your timing is right, look for wedding dresses after the month of June because that’s when many wedding dresses go on sale.
- Ask about the sample or floor model gowns. Some discontinued wedding dresses are very inexpensive compared to most other bridal gowns.
- EBay is another great venue for finding inexpensive gowns. However, and there’s a big however here, you need to be careful because you are mostly dealing with individuals as opposed to companies and in an effort to create needed funds they “might” be a little less than honest. I think this is a viable source but would only use it if the seller is local and you can look at the dress before buying. Or, at a minimum it must have a photo of the dress from every angle.
- For local advertising, try the Penny Saver, Craig’s List, and newspapers, these are all great sources and since it is local you are able to go look at it before buying – or if they say you cannot come to them to see it, don’t buy it!
- What about renting your dress? Some clothing rental stores have wedding dresses in stock and you might even find a store near you that rents weeding dresses. Some shops may be willing to order a brand-new version of one of the used ones in the store – you’ll still be renting it, but you’ll be the first to wear it. On the downside, you probably won’t find the selection you’d find at a bridal store, warehouse outlet or online, but you can expect a 90% discount on your bridal gown if you rent it – that’s a $1000 gown for $100
- Borrow a dress – don’t cringe at this thought. Remember that you will be wearing the wedding gown for a single day, so what’s the harm in borrowing it? I know this isn’t always easy to do, but if you want to trim down expenses then borrowing can be a viable option. So, if you have a family member or friend who is close to your size and who flaunted an elegant and stylish gown on her wedding then you are lucky! Ask that concerned person if she is willing to share, and who wouldn’t want to bring their dress out again and see someone they care about get use from it. Don’t worry if it’s not a perfect fit, wedding dresses usually can be altered up to 2 sizes in either direction.
- If brand new is important to you, then I think the best way to find brand new yet inexpensive wedding dresses is to shop online. You’ll find all styles of wedding dresses online from an elegant Scarlet O’Hara big-hooped skirt style to fashionable informal wedding gowns, and compared to retail, you’ll find them pretty cheap − I don’t mean cheaply made, better I should say reasonably priced! If you are unsure about purchasing wedding dresses online, then you might want to visit our article titled “5-Minute Guide to Buying Affordable Wedding Dresses Online.”
Wedding dresses that look great, at a price you can afford, are easier to find than you might think. The trick is not to allow your common sense to be overruled by your emotions when you go shopping, otherwise you might easily talk yourself into spending more than you can really afford. There is a ALWAYS an economical yet perfect choice when you take the time to research it! Go get ‘em…
By Cheryl Cox, Editor of YourWeddingDollars.com, See “Note from the Editor” for more information on Cheryl and her credentials.