You’ve heard of renting a dress for a special event, like a friend’s wedding, but what about your own wedding dress?
The trend is virtually unheard of in the U.S., where the wedding dress is often treated as a heirloom piece passed down from generation to generation as a symbol steeped in tradition, if not an augur for a happy and healthy marriage.
In Asia, renting wedding attire is the norm and has been so for some time.
Pros to renting a wedding dress include having your ultimate dream dress without having to cut corners or feel guilty about a designer price tag, which can easily reach five figures at retail. The only—and some would say, major—caveat would be that you’d have to give the dress back after the wedding.
However, as the cost for the average wedding increases, more brides are considering renting their dresses.
“There seems to be a rise in adoption for wedding dress rentals,” says Marco Chiang, co-founder of Wedding Dress for Rent. “Sales have increased during the pandemic to accommodate Zoom weddings and more. Many couples will have a small wedding now and a larger ceremony later. Renting offers flexibility of not needing to pick the ‘perfect’ dress.”
Responding to this need in the bridal market, Wedding Dress for Rent introduced its online-only wedding dress shop to the U.S. in 2018 after experiencing success in China.
The bridal e-tailer offers such internationally-renowned designers as Vera Wang, Pronovias and Rosa Rosa for up to 80% off original retail with an average rental price range between $100-$600.
Beyond cost, renting a wedding dress also does away with having to worry about preservation and after care.
“Renting provides a larger range of dresses accessible to more people since they don’t have to spend thousands on buying a one-use dress,” says Chiang. “There’s also no hassle worrying about maintenance and cleaning.”
Have you, or would you, consider renting your wedding dress? Sound off in the comments below. We’d love to hear!
Photos of wedding dresses available for rent, courtesy Wedding Dress for Rent
