For most brides, just the thought of searching for the perfect wedding dress causes anxiety. What do I bring? What do I wear? How do I know when I find THE ONE?

The WeddingWire Community recently participated in a discussion about trying on wedding dresses for the first time. Click here to read the great advice our members had to offer. Good luck!

Do you have any advice for brides going dress shopping?

Hitched in Washington, DC is having a Sample Sale! Check their website for sale inventory. Even if you are not in the DC area, they will ship your order to you! Sample sales are a great way to get your dream dress at an amazing price. Some items may be up to 70% off!

Well, the champagne has been sipped, the dancing shoes have been hung up, and you can now breathe! Congratulations, you’re married! 

Aside from the beautiful photographs and crazy stories from the wedding, you might also want to take one more step to preserve the lasting memory of a wonderful day. Gown preservation companies will clean, and gently shape your dress and store it in an archival box for safe-keeping. Many also offer warranties that will provide added protection and peace of mind for years to come.

Check with the store where you purchased your dress for companies they recommend.

I should take my own advice, I haven’t done this yet!

What happens when Charmin toilet paper meets the wedding industry? A wedding dress of course! Katrina Chalifoux of Illinois recently won $1000 as her first place prize in the Cheap and Chic Toilet Paper Wedding Dress Contest.

Katrina used seven rolls of Charmin, tape, and glue to create this unique gown. I’m impressed!  Unfortunately, I’m not sure how well it will hold up while dancing, or walking for that matter!

This is certainly one of the most…creative…uses of the paper product I have seen! Congratulations Katrina!

Earth Day is tomorrow so this week we’re going to offer ideas and tips for adding a ‘green’ touch to your wedding. Green weddings have been gaining in popularity lately so we thought we’d run with it this week.

Today, we’ll start with your wedding dress. There are a few ways to have a stylish, yet ‘green’ wedding dress. The main way is with the fabrics the dress is made from. Gowns can be created from organic cotton, silk, hemp and a hemp/silk combination. You could also consider having someone make one for you if you can’t find a bridal salon in your area that carries these types of dresses.

Another option is that you can look into buying a dress that was donated. This is also a great way to save money on a dress. Organizations like Brides Against Breast Cancer resell dresses and use the money to grant wishes to people diagnosed with terminal breast cancer.

When searching for wedding dresses on WeddingWire, be sure to ask if they offer any ‘green’ wedding dresses.

This morning we were at another Filenes Basement Running of the Brides event in Tyson’s Corner, Virginia and man was this one big.  There was easily 700 people in line for this event with the first group getting there at 8:30pm last night!  There were some bargains to be had also with one lucky bride snagging a $5000 dress for only $699!

This photo is from Fox 5 DC that was covering the event.  You can find their video coverage from this mornings news on their website.

More great photos can also be found on the Bridal Party Blog…and you might even some of WeddingWire’s very own.

Each year the Making Memories Foundation hosts a series of events to help brides-to-be find their perfect wedding dress at a discounted price.  These Brides Against Breast Cancer events are held around the country featuring brand name and designer wedding dresses.  Three events are coming up this week and next in Orlando, Cleveland, and Washington, DC.  They have events all over the country so check their gown sale calender for an event near you.  If you’re still looking for a wedding dress, this could be a great place to shop for a wedding dress that won’t break your budget.

It’s time for another Filene’s Basement Running of the Brides event on October 19th. WeddingWire will have Skip the Line passes for lucky brides. This means one hour of shopping before the store opens to the public. You can choose from over 1300 designer dresses ranging in price from $249-$699…that’s it!

To enter the contest, click on the Running of the Brides contest page.
Contest ends on Tuesday October, 16th at 5pm.

Event details:

WeddingWire was on hand for another fun (and early) morning of the Running of the Brides.  This time we’re in our backyard in Washington, DC at Mazza Gallerie.  And because team work shouldn’t go unnoticed, I had my picture taken several of the teams looking to score a wedding a dress.

And here’s a video of the crowd entering the building.