If the thought of paying a lot for a designer gown that you'll only wear once sounds a little scary to you, you might want to think about wedding dress rental. After all, men have been renting their tuxedos for years. There's no reason that you should have to go into debt to get your dress. Once you wear it, you'll have to preserve and store it. In times past, a lot of women wore their mothers' dresses, but that's not so common today, making it silly to keep your dress for the future. If you decide to rent instead, all you have to worry about is picking out the gown and getting it back to the rental store within the right time period. You don't even have to deal with dry cleaning it.

Pros of Renting Your Dress

Cost - A wedding dress rental is a lot less expensive than purchasing a gown. Many cost thousands of dollars to buy, and can be rented for a few hundred. These dresses may even come with jewelry, veil, and shoes, as a single package. That means you won't have to put together a bunch of different pieces, and you can put the savings towards your new life together.

Low Maintenance - When you've just gotten back from your honeymoon, the last thing you want to worry about is getting your dress dry cleaned and stored. If you've rented your gown, this isn't a problem. Just take the dress back in time, and the service will handle all the cleaning.

Good For Destination Weddings - If you're getting married in a far off place, like Hawaii, Las Vegas, or an exotic European locale, the last thing you want to do is bring a dress with you. Look for wedding dress rental locations where you're getting married, so you'll be able to pick the right dress without worrying about carrying it with you.

No Space Worries - If you aren't moving into a house right away, or have limited storage space, like a lot of us, a rental dress means no worrying about where you'll put your wedding gown.

Cons of a Wedding Gown Rental

Less Selection - If you're interested in a specialty dress, you may not find the style you like here. You'll be limited to the dresses that happen to be in stock. For women who are looking for a fairly conventional style, however, this isn't usually a problem.

Sizes Are Limited - Women with unusual figures may have trouble with wedding dress rentals, too. You can only choose a gown in your particular size, and may not make alterations the way you would if you were buying the dress. Some rental locations do offer alterations, but the price is higher. If you have trouble fitting most sizes gracefully, stick with buying your gown.

Avoiding Damage - You don't have to deal with cleaning, but you must return wedding dress rentals in good shape. Any damage you cause must be paid for, and if that damage is irreparable, you'll have to buy the dress anyway.