There is something wedding industry insiders call the “Oh Mommy” moment that happens during dress shopping and salespeople know it like they know taffeta.
The “Oh Mommy” moment occurs when the bride tries on the dress. Not just any dress, the dress. Her face beams, and her mommy gets emotional.
It’s not all that difficult to convince a gal who is in the midst of an “Oh Mommy” moment, that the dress she is wearing was made for her. Needless to say, salespeople take kindly to these moments and bring accessories like veils and tiaras to complete the look.
Although I read about this phenomenon in Rebecca Mead’s One Perfect Day, it didn’t happen to me. I mean, I tried on a whack of dresses and my dear mom was with me as I tried on dress after dress, but she didn’t get all watery-eyed when I found the one, nor did beams of light radiate from my being when I finally choose the $800 sparkly, ivory A-line. I was relieved more than anything.
I liked my dress. A lot. But spending $800 for a dress that I wore only once seemed insane. I felt the only practical thing to do was recoup at least a bit of my money post-wedding by bringing it to the second-hand shop. Besides, why shouldn’t someone else get to enjoy the dress just as much as I did? Not surprisingly, it sold fast and I got a few hundred bucks back.
These days, it seems plenty of brides are going this route. And the wonderful thing is that there are more and more shops, online and otherwise, offering second-hand dresses. It’s win-win for brides.
I’d love to hear from you. Are you planning on selling your dress after the wedding? If not, what will you do with your gown? Also, would you buy a second-hand wedding dress? I can’t wait to hear your responses!
Meantime, check out Wedding Dress Cash Trumps Memories which appeared recently in The National Post.
