I thought I'd share a hidden gem that I found out about this past week. If you're on a budget and wouldn't mind wearing a used wedding dress, check out House of Hope Resale in downtown Barrington. Each dress costs $50!! And the dresses are beautiful!
The store has a whole room dedicated for the wedding dresses alone. There's a full length 3 way mirror in the room, and you can close the curtains to try the desses on in the room. I was told that they have between 130-150 donated dresses at all times and they're all sorted by size.
I checked it out with my sister (MOH) this past Saturday and 2 hours and 6 dresses later, I walked out with a $50 dream wedding dress. I'm completely beside myself right now! My FI and I are in a super tight budget as we are funding the wedding ourselves, so finding this beautiful dress for this price is a blessing for us. And I hit the jackpot because the dress fits like a glove with no need for alterations. The only thing I'd need to do to it, aside from not losing or gaining weight in the next 15 months, is to take it to the cleaners for a good cleaning and pressing before the big day.
I really highly recommend checking this resale store if you're a bride (or know a bride) who's in a tight budget, and wouldn't mind wearing a used or second hand wedding dress. All the ones I tried on this weekend were in perfect condition, aside from a stain here or two on the train. Plus, all purchases at the store go towards a charity.
Take note of the store hours though. They're only open Wednesday through Saturday from 10am to 4pm.
Let me know if you happen to check it out and find a dress. I'd be interested to know who all got lucky with finding a dress there! 