As a bride you want to look beautiful and unique on your wedding day.  You can shop for a wedding dress right off the rack or, if you want to be completely different, you could consider shopping for a vintage wedding dress.  Many times vintage wedding dresses have beautiful details and great workmanship for just a small fraction of the price you would pay for a contemporary dress that is comparable.  However, there are things to think about if you want a vintage wedding dress.  Here are a few guidelines to help you out.

Avoid any dresses that need repairs or have stains.  Repairs are difficult to do on vintage gowns.  If you do happen to fall in love with a vintage wedding dress that needs repair, you will need to know you will most likely have to pay a very skilled seamstress at least $200 or more to fix it.  Also avoid dresses with stains.  If it is difficult to get out a stain that sat for a night, think about how hard it will be to remove a 20 year old stain!

Be very careful with extremely old dresses.  Even though vintage wedding dresses were likely only worn once, fabric does deteriorate over time.  It is best to avoid any dresses made before the 1900's.  Be sure you stretch the fabric and take note of any signs of weakening.  A seamstress may be able to stabilize the fabric, but again, this could drive up the cost.

Decide on a budget and stick to it.  This is the same rule as for any wedding gown. Determining your budget ahead of time and sticking to it will keep you from falling in love with a dress that is just not attainable.

Remember that you will not wear your regular size in a vintage dress.  As a general rule, vintage dresses are cut smaller than dresses today.  The best thing to do is try on the dress if possible.  If you are shopping for a dress online, you need to take careful measurements and ask the seller to provide the corresponding measurements of the gown.  Vintage gowns also tend to be shorter.  This is something for you to keep in mind, particularly if you are especially tall.

You might consider buying a reproduction gown or a "vintage inspired" wedding dress. There are also reproduction vintage dress patterns you can purchase to have custom made for you.

When shopping for a vintage wedding dress you might want to start by looking in the local thrift stores, antique shops and vintage dress shops.  Of course, EBay is always an option and there are numerous websites that specialize in vintage dresses as well.