You know that old saying that says, on her wedding day, a bride needs to have “something new, something old, something borrowed, something blue”? According to Reader’s Digest, the saying comes from a Victorian-era rhyme that originated in Lancashire, England. Giving a bride “something old” represents sentimentality and continuity, while the contrasting “something new” is supposed to represent the bride’s future. An item that is “borrowed” is typically from a married friend or relative and acts as a symbol of good luck. And last is “something blue,” a color that represents love, purity, and fidelity, which act as a solid foundation for marriage.
Traditionally, these tokens were supposed to protect the bride from the curse of the Evil Eye, which caused infertility, a Victorian woman’s worst nightmare. Nowadays, it’s mostly an excuse for a little extra sentiment on a bride’s big day. The “something new” is typically the bride’s wedding dress. But in some cases, an “old” or “borrowed” wedding dress can be even more special. Just as these tokens are supposed to symbolize a bride’s new life, why not give a pre-loved wedding dress a new life as well?
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10 Secondhand Wedding Dress Sites
1. Still White
Stillwhite.com claims to be the largest online wedding dress marketplace in the world. If you’ve been searching for the perfect dress for your big day to no avail, Stillwhite may have just what you’re looking for, and at a lower price than retail stores. You can find beautiful new and used wedding dresses that your budget and bank account will thank you for.
Payment & Purchase Protection: PayPal Buyer Protection, which protects and reimburses eligible orders for up to $20,000
Shipping: Paid for by the buyer, includes insurance and tracking number
Returns & Refunds: Orders are eligible for returns and refunds under the following circumstances:
- The dress doesn’t match the description
- The dress is damaged
- The dress never arrives
2. Nearly Newlywed
Nearlynewlywed.com* offers new, sample, and preloved designer wedding dresses. You can search through hundreds of dresses, filtering by designer, style, or price. Nearly Newlywed makes buying super easy because the site handles payment processing and seller communication, so all you have to do is search, select, and buy. The company’s team reviews, verifies, and authenticates all items, so wedding dress shopping on Nearly Newlywed is risk-free.
Payment & Purchase Protection: Dresses and orders are inspected, verified, and processed by the Nearly Newlywed team.
Shipping: Paid for by Nearly Newlywed. Takes about 7-10 days and up to 3 weeks at the most. Specify your wedding timeline before you buy a dress to get a calculation for shipping time and Nearly Newlywed will recommend whether you need expedited shipping
Returns & Refunds: 5-day risk free return policy on all items, with a $50 return fee. Returns are processed when the seller confirms they have received the item in good condition. Final sale items include: 1) those purchased with a promo code that specifies final sale and 2) those shipped outside the contiguous U.S. (Hawaii, Alaska, U.S. Virgin Islands, and Puerto Rico).
3. OnceWed
Not only does oncewed.com offer new, sample, and pre-owned wedding dresses, but it also has bridal party gowns as well. OnceWed is online-only, meaning each buyer communicates with and purchases from the seller directly. The company does not buy or consign dresses, so your dress will come right from its previous owner, ready for your big day. This direct communication makes buying easier and safer.
Payment & Purchase Protection: PayPal is integrated into the messaging system to ensure protection.
Shipping: Paid for by the buyer and shipping cost is included in the seller’s invoice. Shipping fees can be negotiated between buyer and seller.
Returns & Refunds: Return policies are set by individual sellers.
4. Facebook Marketplace
Yes, that Facebook. Facebook Marketplace is free to anyone with an active Facebook account. That means while you’re scrolling through your daily feed, your perfect wedding dress could be waiting on the same site. The marketplace has buy and sell groups to connect you with other people based on location, interests, etc. Just like the main Facebook site, buyers are able to connect with sellers through Messenger and view their profiles, mutual friends, and ratings, making for a smooth social buying experience.
Payment & Purchase Protection: PayPal is the recommended payment method and buyers can pay sellers directly through Facebook Messenger. Purchase Protection Policy automatically covers orders if the buyer uses shipping or checkout on Facebook rather than a third-party site, local pickup, Messenger transactions, or other messaging services.
Shipping: The seller determines who pays for shipping costs, whether it is the buyer, seller, or Facebook.
Returns & Refunds: Orders are eligible for returns and refunds under the following circumstances:
- You didn’t receive your order
- The product was damaged or misrepresented
- The purchase was unauthorized
- The seller failed to follow their refund policy
- The seller was removed from Facebook
5. Shopgoodwill.com
Your local Goodwill is the place to go if you’re looking for antiques and collectibles or new and nearly new items. But you can also shop wedding dresses online at shopgoodwill.com. Books, movies, toys, furniture, houseware, electronics, clothes—Goodwill has it all, including new or secondhand wedding dresses. Shopgoodwill.com is an e-commerce auction site, meaning buyers can place their bids and the item will go to the best offer.
Payment & Purchase Protection: Payment options vary by seller, but buyers can pay online nursing PayPal, Visa, or MasterCard.
Shipping: Shipping costs may be a flat or calculated rate, depending on whether it is determined by the Goodwill location or by the shipping courier. The seller determines handling fees, which buyers can view on the listing page before bidding.
Returns & Refunds: If an item was misrepresented or damaged during shipping, buyers can return items with authorization from the seller within 7 days. Returns and refunds are processed by the seller.
Photo Credit: @liannamariephoto
More Places to Find a Secondhand Wedding Dress:
What are some other places to shop for a secondhand wedding dress?
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