The Best Way to Sell Wedding Dress

Deciding to sell your wedding dress probably won’t be a decision that you came to lightly. A wedding gown holds sentimental value and it can be hard to let them go. However, there’s a certain comfort to be felt knowing that your precious dress could well be the dream wedding dress that another bride to be has been desperately searching for.

Where or how to sell your used wedding dress is a question that comes up time and time again, and here we have the answers!

Why sell your wedding dress?

Firstly your wedding dress was probably a huge investment that you made, for many brides, it makes up a large proportion of a wedding budget. Therefore it makes financial sense to sell your wedding dress after the event. For some women, it might be that the dress is unworn if the wedding didn’t go ahead or maybe you had a change of heart about your ideal wedding dress. You are not going to get the original price when selling but could still get a fair price if you choose to sell.

For some selling a wedding dress is a great way to make some extra money for something else. Maybe for a holiday after the wedding. Others prefer to do something else with their wedding dress rather than sell it. For sentimental reasons, selling might not be an option and you may choose to keep it in the hope that a future daughter wears it. Some brides even do a trash the dress photoshoot and record this after the wedding.

Finally, some choose just to store it away or have it made into another dress or memory keepsake.

Another reason you might be looking for a new home for your wedding dress is that it is still in great condition and it seems wasteful to just store it away after all, you are unlikely to ever wear it again! We don’t tend to wear our dress after the big day! For many, this can be an eco-friendly way of ensuring the dress lives on for more brides to benefit from on their wedding day.

Finally, some choose to sell their wedding dress if they pick a really expensive beautiful dress that is out of their price range. By knowing that they plan to sell and recuperate some of the cost of the dream dress may be the justification they need to go above the initial budget!

If you’re ready to part with your beautiful wedding dress and give it a new lease of life, here are my 4 top tips for making sure it gets seen by potential buyers and it gets sold.

1 Timing is everything

Listing your wedding dress on sale sites at the right time can help boost your chances of making a sale – this is especially true for designer dresses. Second-hand buyers may still be looking for the latest dresses, so by listing yours for sale as soon as possible, you’ll attract the brides who are still hunting for specific designer gowns and designs, but at a slightly cheaper price.

To reach these buyers, it’s best to list your wedding dress for sale within three years for the best chance. of getting a great selling price. After the three year mark, you’ll likely be reaching brides that aren’t fussed about specific dresses or designers and will therefore be less interested in paying your asking price.

It is worth noting that vintage gowns, or wedding dresses that have a flare of the alternative about them aren’t as affected by the three year time period. You can also try a high-end vintage boutique as they resell preloved wedding dresses or hire them out as occasion dresses.

2 Price your wedding dress correctly on sales sites

It can be difficult to know the second-hand sales price of a wedding dress. You, of course, know what you originally paid for it, but with secondhand shoppers looking for a good discount, you’re going to want to figure out the right price for you. Typically it’s advised you follow these guidelines when pricing your wedding dress for a better chance of selling.

• If your wedding dress is less than 3 years old and has been worn once, charge 50% of the original retail price / RRP.
• If your dress is less than 3 years old but HASN’T been worn, you can look at charging around 75% of the RRP.
• If the wedding dress that you’re selling is older than 3 years, it’s advised you reduce the prices by another 10-20% to ensure that the dress sells.

Theoretically, a vintage dress can be sold for the same amount of money you purchased them for, however, it’s likely that reducing the price slightly will attract more buyers.

3 Ensure that your wedding dress has been professionally cleaned before listing it for sale

This may go without saying, but if you’re trying to sell a high ticket item, such as a wedding dress, it is a good idea to get it professionally cleaned at a dry cleaners before listing. Weddings can get pretty messy, so look out for food and drink stains and make sure that your dress is in tip-top excellent condition before listing second-hand wedding dresses.

4 Be honest

Following on from getting your dress professionally dry cleaned, make sure, to be honest when adding descriptions and images of your dress to listing sites. If there are rips, tears, stains, or missing embellishments, be honest about them. Brides want to know exactly what they’re getting for their money, so ensure you describe the damage and note whether or not it affects the style of the dress. If marks or stains are present, even after dry cleaning, it probably won’t affect the sale price as much as you think, providing that they’re not noticeable when the dress is worn.

Best Places to Sell A Wedding Dress

You now have the top tips on preparing your wedding dress so finally, we can turn our attention to the best way to sell a wedding dress.

There are a number of different ways to sell your wedding dress once you have had it cleaned. Your chosen method will depend on whether you want to keep as much money as possible or if you are prepared to take the hit of commission from someone else selling it on your behalf (which is probably the easy way to sell). If you decide to sell it yourself make sure you know how much postage costs will be as many dresses are heavy due to their weight and the layers of material.

Package the dress up well as first impressions matter too! I know when I buy something secondhand if there has been attention to detail in the packaging I notice this and it makes a good impression. Read this for more selling tips.

1. An online marketplace like Facebook marketplace is an obvious suggestion for the best way to sell wedding dresses. This can be ideal for local ladies who are looking for their perfect dress as they can come and try the dress on. If you list online, ensure that you add plenty of photos of the dress from different angles as it helps showcase it to potential buyers.
2. eBay is another online option and you sell as an auction or for a set price. This is a great option as many use eBay as a way of searching for a preowned wedding dress. As the buyer will not have the opportunity to try on the wedding dress ensure that you give correct measurements in the listing. Therefore they already have a large audience searching which can help get a better deal, although they do take their cut on the final price! A top tip is to keep an eye on buyer questions and answer in a timely manner and in as much detail as possible.
3. If you have a strong social media presence you could show it on Instagram and try to sell it that way. List in as much detail as you can with a number of photos. Selling it this way means that there is no commission and you keep all the money.
4. Another place to sell is on specialist secondhand wedding dresses sites including Rock My Wedding. This awesome site has a bridal marketplace where they list a whole host of wedding items including a number of bridesmaid dresses and also decorations. It really is the one-stop shop for those wanting an eco-friendly or budget-friendly wedding.
5. Don’t forget bricks and mortar shops too, there are a number of second-hand dress shops or dress agencies that will sell your wedding dress for you. Some will buy it off you for a fair price and then sell it themselves. Others will wait until it is sold and then take a commission. Make sure you understand if they take a per cent commission or charge a flat fee for selling the wedding gown. This is a good alternative if you don’t want the hassle of selling the wedding dress. An advantage is a shop will attract a serious buyer as they are looking for a specific purpose rather than just browsing on social media sites and coming across the sale by chance.

We hope these ideas will help you understand the best way to sell a wedding dress once you don’t need it anymore. There are many advantages to buying second hand too, you could pick up a real bargain for your own wedding and use the money you have saved for other parts of your special day. Remember if the dress isn’t exactly right you could have minor alterations done that often don’t cost much if you find a good local seamstress. Buying secondhand is often celebrated now and remember no-one will know unless you tell them. It could be the way to get your perfect dress so do consider this if you are shopping for your wedding dress.