Your wedding gown is one of the largest purchases you’ll make for your wedding day. So how do get the wedding dress of your dreams with paying a huge sum of money? Check out our tips on how to save on the dress without losing the style.

Choosing a classic gown without a lot of embellishment can dramatically lower the price - sometimes up to 25%! You can also look at only having some of the trimmings i.e.: all the gorgeous beading and lace on the bodice but not on the train or the sleeves.

Watch your alterations. Making special changes such as altering the neckline or putting in ties versus the zipper or buttons can cost more than $300 per adjustment.

While there are a lot of wedding purchases you can and will want to make online, your wedding gown shouldn’t be one of them. The Internet is a great resource to find ideas for your perfect dress, but you’re much better off to print off those pictures and take them to a bridal shop where you can try your options on. How many times have you looked at something on the hanger and thought it was gorgeous, only to put it on and realize it is not flattering to you at all, or vice versa? Your wedding gown is not something you want to take a chance with.

By choosing a simple silhouette you can keep the budget for your dress down. The more fabric your dress contains, the more it costs. A ball gown with huge amounts of organza can cost up to twice as much as a sheath made of the same fabric.

Look for seasonal and sample sales. Winter and summer are two of the best times of year for wedding gown shopping. Shops and buyers are attempting to get rid of inventory, giving you savings of up to 80%! Keep a few things in mind however: these gowns are usually sold ‘as-is’, so factor in dry-cleaning and alterations as the samples are usually used as try-on stock. PS: If you are a size 8 in a wedding gown - this is the perfect opportunity for you as most samples and try-on stock are ordered in a size 8.

With so many bridal shops out there, it’s difficult to know where to start. Shopping for your wedding gown does not have to be strenuous! You just need to determine what is important to you – whether is be cost, selection or exclusivity. Most bridal shops specialize in different areas, so depending on what dress you have in mind and your body type you can being your search in a custom design shop, a bridal boutique or a consignment shop. We’ve compiled a list of the top styles in bridal gowns. This should give you a great starting point.