05 May 2010

something old, something new, something borrowed…

…Something from Blue Sky Bridal. Couples who’ve adopted a “something old, nothing new” mantra, might consider snagging a secondhand dress for their big day. The idea stemmed from a few friends kvetching about the huge amount of waste that goes into a worn-once gown. Jen Akin scoured Craigslist for her own wedding dress, but was uninspired by the lack of choices, so she set up shop. Dresses are sold on consignment and are typically priced at 50% or less than what they’d cost new. Prices vary from $250 to $2500, although most hover around $750. Gowns must be less than 5 years old (with the exception of a few vintage keepers) so styles are pretty up-to-date. The store tries to stock at least 100 selections at any given time, and designers have run the gamut from David’s Bridal to Vera Wang. They also carry a wide assortment of veils, as well as shoes, wraps, ring pillows, and jewelry. Blue Sky Bridal aims to make the whole operation as green as possible, using bamboo hangers, tree-free tags, carrying organic hemp/silk gowns by Conscious Clothing, and offering a 5% discount with a metro pass. Akin advises, “Don’t buy a used gown without seeing it and trying it on. “Like new” can mean a lot of different things and every dress fits differently.”


Wanna Try?
4556 University Way NE, Suite 203, Seattle; (206-783-8700)
Stop by Tuesday – Thursday, 3 – 7 p.m. or schedule a private viewing Friday – Sunday by appointment.

Small Changes Add Up
If 10,000 Seattleites offset the greenhouse emissions from their wedding (based on an 80 person event) it would save an amount of CO2 that would fill 1.1 billion garbage cans.

Photo courtesy of killrbeez

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