How to Rent Your Whole Wedding
ABC News' Anna Wild and Eliza Murphy report:
Every girl dreams about finding the perfect dress for the perfect day. A dress to have and to hold, for better or for worse 'til death do you part - at least that is the intention.
But for today's budget-conscious brides, that sentimental feeling is quickly replaced by the real issue of savings. If you want a designer wedding you can afford, there are ways to rent instead of buying.
Sharon Gilchrist, owner of One Night Affair in Los Angeles, doesn't sell designer wedding gowns to brides-to-be. Instead, she rents them.
"I mean, men should be buying a tuxedo, and women should be renting their dresses. It's totally backwards," Gilchrist said.
And it appears Kelly Pendygraft would agree.
Pendygraft, who lives in the Los Angeles area, found her perfect man and plans to keep him, but as for the dress, she is happy to borrow. After trying on three designer gowns from Gilchrist's "One Night Affair," she finally found the perfect fit.
The Pucci dress Pendygraft chose to walk down the aisle in retails for $12,000, but she's renting it for $895. That's a savings of more than $11,000.
According to the wedding website The Knot, the average cost of a wedding in the United States is $26,984. But you can now get a designer wedding for a fraction of that cost by renting everything from your dress, to your accessories, to bridesmaid's dresses and even your cake.
Rent Your Dress:
You can rent designer wedding gowns at One Night Affair. Here are prices for a Christoli design.
Retails for: $2,900
Rents for: $495
Rent Your Bridesmaids' Dresses:
A way to keep your bridesmaids happy is by allowing them to rent their dresses instead of buying them. Corie Hardee, owner of Little Borrowed Dress, said she's seen friendships ruined over dress quarrels, and created the company to help you avoid that drama by providing rental dresses that fit everyone's budget.
"I've had so many brides or bridesmaids that share stories about how their friendships were ruined. No bridesmaid will ever tell the bride she can't afford the dress. You never want to be the one that says you can't afford it," Hardee said.
Hardee wants brides to know there is a way to work on a budget and keep the wedding party pleased.
"I hope women realize there is an alternative. We exist. You don't have to spend a lot of money to have that look you want. We strive to offer a higher quality product at a lower price point," she said.
Little Borrowed Dress will send you a free fabric swatch to ensure a perfect color match. And alterations will not be needed because the company adds features like strategically placed elastic or adjustable straps.
Retails for: $150 for cocktail length, $185 for full length gowns.
Rents for: $50 for cocktail length, $75 for full length
Rent Your Jewelry:
Brides and bridesmaids can rent diamond jewelry for the big event. We rented these jewels from a company called Adorn.
Middleton Earrings: Get the royal look, a la the Duchess Kate Middleton. Worn as she wed Prince
William, these diamond drop 18 karat white gold earrings feature a marquis-shaped diamond affixed at the bottom of a larger dangling teardrop loop for a floating effect.
Retails for: $10,875
Rent for: $160
Chadwick Bracelet : Adorn's own design of the Chadwick Cuff; it's the most desired piece in their
collection. This diamond cuff bracelet features delicate fleur de lis patterns of pave diamonds.
Retails for: $26,250
Rent for: $260
Rent Your Bags:
You can also rent designer bags from Bag Borrow or Steal.
Judith Leiber Ritz Fizz Evening Handbag:
Retails for: $2,695
Rents for: $153
Rent Your Cake:
A designer cake can cost thousands of dollars, so why not rent an elaborate fake cake and serve the guests another cake? Cake Rental allows you to rent a pre-designed cake, or if you'd prefer, you can design your own.
Pre-designed Rents for: $125
Design Your Own Rents for: $225
