Skip to content
Handmade wedding dress

Secondhand Wedding Dress VS. Handcrafted Wedding Dress: Pros And Cons

As listed in our previous blog post, What can be considered a sustainable wedding dress?, there are many ways a wedding dress can be considered sustainable. As you know, if you want to make a sustainable choice for your bridal look, you can purchase a secondhand wedding dress, whether it’s vintage or a newer one, or go with a handmade wedding dress. They are both sustainable choices, but what are the pros and cons of each? 

Model wearing a modern fishtail lace wedding dress.

Secondhand wedding dress or an ex-sample dress


Cons

  • As the dress might be mass produced and made in China, Turkey, etc., you cannot be sure in which conditions it was made and by whom. 
  • The structure of a second-hand wedding dress might make altering it very difficult and time-consuming, which will increase the alterations price, and often, you don’t know the final price of alterations until they’re done.
  • There is less freedom to change the style and fit once the dress is already made.
  • The dress might have stains, holes, or pulls that are impossible to remove, cover, or fix.


Pros

  • Not creating more stuff in the world, but taking advantage of what’s already there.
  • Wearing an old, vintage wedding dress is quite a special feeling.
  • Generally more affordable than a handmade wedding dress, even with the alterations, if they are not considerable.
A model wearing a whimsical wedding dress with sleeves.

New, handcrafted wedding dress


Cons

  • Might create some waste if you don’t choose the brand well (there’s no fabric going to waste here at Indie Bride London; everything is recycled).
  • Will consume some natural resources unless the fabric is upcycled.
  • Will be costlier than any of your dresses ever before.


Pros

  • No one was taken advantage of while making your dress.
  • You will support a small business and, in the best case, a sustainable business, which supports a greener future.
  • You can design your own wedding dress.
  • You can choose the materials and go with sustainable ones.
  • The dress is made for you, which makes the experience extra special and something to add to your wedding journey memories.
  • You will get a handmade wedding dress that fits you perfectly.
  • The process of having a dress made for you is a once-in-a-lifetime kind of experience.


A model wearing a modern bohemian lace wedding dress with bell sleeves.

It goes without saying that we encourage brides to make a sustainable choice when it comes to their wedding dress, whether it's second-hand or new and handmade. Buying a second-hand wedding dress might reduce waste and cost less, but you will have fewer options to choose from and fewer options to change the style and fit.


I can’t help but be a bit biased here. It’s a special feeling for me to get to make someone’s wedding dress. It truly is. And I just know that having your wedding dress made for you is such a unique experience for the brides, and they are so happy that they chose to do that. I can’t recommend it enough. In the modern world, your wedding tends to be the only opportunity to have a beautiful item of clothing made for you, and it’s well worth it!


Miina
xx