Before you give your wedding vow "to have and to hold, 'til death do us part", you'll have to decide if you are going to own or rent one of those lovely wedding dresses on the rack.

Heads or Tails

It's never too early to shop for your wedding gown, and shopping around is just making sure you've seen everything before deciding on one of the wedding dresses you've tried on. You can initially check out the bridal sites on the Internet and compare services, as well as prices.

It's also a fact that 10% of the wedding budget goes to the wedding dress, so it's a toss up between renting or owning your wedding gown. But at this point, decide if you're going to buy your wedding gown off the rack, rent it, or have one of those wedding dresses copied and modified for your custom-made bridal gown.

There are only two reasons for buying or renting a wedding gown - one is for sentimental reasons, and the other is for practical reasons. If you want to keep the wedding gown and pass it on to your daughter or daughter-in-law, buy your wedding gown, but if you think you can't be lugging a wedding gown around all those years, then rent the designer gown that looks good on you.

Tips in Renting Wedding Gowns

Bridal gowns are rented out for as high as $250 or as low as $150. Some rental shops will charge you a package deal that includes accessories. Visit the shops and personally try on the gowns for size and select the veil, tiara, shawl, and other items to go with it.

Depending on the time of year, you will have to rent the gown ahead of time - a year before the wedding if your wedding month falls on those peak seasons. June brides and prom nights can trigger a price increase in rentals.

Carefully check the wedding dresses for stains, dirt, and rips before signing a rental contract, and ask about the penalties for damaged gowns. Pick up the gown on the agreed date. Should there be any further alterations, these can be done immediately before the date of the wedding.

Tips in Buying Your Bridal Gown

Since most bridal shops won't allow you take pictures of the wedding dresses in their shops, you'll have to take along a friend who has a good fashion sense. Before you put on the dress, take a look at the rows of dresses that fall under your price range of $1000 or $500, whether you want a brand-new designer dress or a discounted gown.

Before stepping into a shop, make up your mind about the gown's length, sleeve style, neckline, and waistline. You can make the task easier by having a picture of your ideal wedding gown or something close to it so that the shop consultant can immediately find the gown that you want. Don't go for too much alterations or modifications as the dressmaker will charge more than you expected.

Whether you're buying or renting, don't let the salespersons intimidate you and hurry you to a sale. Remember it's your wedding and you want to look your best. Now, it's up to you if you're going to buy or rent one of those wedding dresses.