Why I Chose to Buy My Wedding Dress Online

There's a discount code and free giveaway at the end of this post, so read on!

It was a cold and windy day in Southern California when Ryan proposed to me.  About a month before, he suggested the idea of us getting married and I thought he was crazy.  In fact, in talking about our dating history today in the kitchen, Ryan didn't think of us as dating when I thought we were dating (this is totally Girl Code material).  So if we used Ryan's terms of being "chill," then we went from being chill to getting married.  Yep, just us two crazy kids getting hitched.

Following his random stream of conscious thoughts and ideas of getting married, I started to warm up to the concept.  We were madly in love in our chill state of being.  I was going to spend spring break in Oceanside, California where Ryan was stationed and was thinking that he might propose.  I spent most of my spring break having to entertain myself in a small chain hotel across the street from a trailer park.  I would go off on my own adventures with purse and camera in hand.  I walked to the pier and got a shake at Ruby's and visited the surf museum.  I also explored the road that the hotel was located on.  There wasn't much besides nail salons, a McDonald's and a grocery store.  When Ryan would get off work, we would simply enjoy the time together, go for drives, and just check out Southern California.  We didn't have a lot of money and I had spent most of it buying plane tickets.  One day he texted me asking if I wanted to walk on the beach after he got off of work.  That was so unlike him and my cue to get my nails done.  Like I said, where that street lacked entertainment value, it made up for the number of nail salons it had.

After we became engaged, I was swept up in the process of finishing my junior year of college, announcing the exciting news to friends and family and planning a wedding.  I was met with a lot of resistance from family and some friends.  This was during a large hit from the recession and my dad had lost his job.  It was not the most ideal of times for a wedding but like I said, us crazy kids were getting hitched.  My family didn't have any money to contribute and neither did Ryan's.  Due to his difficulties of getting leave, we decided to get married in California.

I was obsessed with weddings while I was growing up.  While little girls dreamed of their weddings, I could actually plan one.  I knew tips, tricks, and money savers by the age of 10.  I adored the wedding planning issues that would come out in the summer newspapers and magazines.  I'm weird like that.  However, it definitely came in handy when dealing with an insanely small budget.  Ryan basically told me that we had like $800 for the entire thing and besides the rings, we did spend less than that.

I knew it was going to be small and that our families were going to have a difficult time affording plane tickets and hotel accommodations so it was probably going to be just me and him and whoever else could make it.  We decided to get married on the beach on Coronado and it would be some family and friends.  I ended up spending hours on Etsy finding military and beach-themed items.  Ryan's father passed away the week of our wedding, so we flew back home and ended up getting married there.  Weddings can be tricky like that but I could only imagine if we had spent more and had to cancel, that would have been really hard on our budget and our families.

I knew that I would have to buy my wedding dress with my wages and on a college budget, that was going to be tricky.  That's when I remembered reading about the cost benefits of purchasing your dress online.  So the hunt began with me Googling wedding dress sites and comparing that to store costs.  The difference was in hundreds, even thousands, of dollars.  It was a stressful time for me because I felt like the expectations seen on Pinterest, Say Yes to the Dress which was always on in my sorority house, and every dream wedding out there was making it difficult to work with our budget.  While creating this post, I actually looked back at old Facebook messages I sent my best-friend Emily.  I was venting to her about wedding costs, going to bridal shows where I could absolutely not afford the $1,000 photobooths and cupcakes, and my fiance (hubby now) feeling terrible about us not having a "dream" wedding.  Saving on the dress was a major aspect of my budget and online shopping helped tremendously.

That's why when SimplyBridal contacted me, I knew this would be a great opportunity to share with all of you.  The only thing that I'm getting through this sponsorship is an opportunity to share with you a great business that will not only save you money but they have offered a discount code and a giveaway of a product from their jewelery line.  Not only does this website have wedding gowns, but also bridesmaid dresses, so if you're looking for something for a wedding coming up soon, this is a great stop.  What's great about them is that they're based in the U.S. and can customize your gown through tailoring and embroidery to fit what you want for your special occasion.  Just because of your budget, doesn't mean that you have to sacrifice on the dress you want or its quality.  I ordered my dress from a website that had its factory/store overseas and was stressed about having it arrive on time.  You don't have to worry about international shipping here.  They have their own seamstresses, sample makers, and designers so that the dresses are finished in 20 days and you get the best cost possible!

I went through and chose some great gowns that caught my eye and thought I'd share their prices below to give you an idea of what to expect from your browsing experience.

SimplyBridal: $233.99 Retail: $1,403.99

SimplyBridal: $99.99  Retail: $599.99

SimplyBridal: $215.99  Retail: $1,295.99

These dresses are incredibly gorgeous and at great prices.  If you're nervous about sizing, try a local store first and get a good idea of what your size is in gowns and long dresses.  Don't be afraid to call SimplyBridal's customer service and ask questions.  They have some really great sales going on and you're getting quality dresses for a great price.  I know some ladies out there may be looking for that Say Yes to the Dress Experience but if you're also looking to save on cost, think about alternatives.  Maybe have a dress reveal party for your friends and turn it into a girl's night or even brunch.  When budgeting for your wedding,  certain things will definitely cost more than others.  For me, I wanted a beautiful dress but I didn't want to break the bank and this is a great solution for that. 

SimplyBridal has offered a great opportunity with a 15% discount to their site that lasts until July 5th.

This will only last for the first 10 users and if for some reason it doesn't work for you, send me an e-mail.

Code: SBL176TS

Discount: 15% (shipping not included)

Expiration: 07/05/2013

Not only that but they're also hosting a giveaway for a 

free piece from their jewelry line, up to $20.  

 

In order to enter, you need to do 3 things

1. Like SimplyBridal's Facebook Page  

2. Like The Simplicity's Facebook Page

3. Leave a comment below letting me know what your favorite wedding detail is from Pinterest, from your own wedding, or what is your favorite dress from the site.  Leave a link, I totally want to see :)