I bought the wedding dress in the photos above for $100.
Seriously. $100.
Wedding dresses can easily cost thousands of dollars, but spending that much isn’t the only way to find a dress you love. Portland actually has some incredible options for finding beautiful wedding dresses at much lower price points, if you know where to look.
From local bridal nonprofits and sample sales to secondhand gowns and a few less-obvious places to shop, I’ve rounded up some of my favorite ways to find an affordable wedding dress in Portland, Oregon.
And yes, I’ll tell you where I found my $100 one, too. 👀
Affordable Wedding Dress Shops in Portland, Oregon
If you want the experience of shopping for your wedding dress in person without automatically committing to a several-thousand-dollar gown, Portland has some genuinely great options.
From nonprofit bridal boutiques with donated designer gowns to sample dresses and more traditional shops with options at lower price points, these are a few Portland-area stores worth adding to your list.
A quick note: inventory and pricing can change quickly, especially at resale and nonprofit shops, so I always recommend checking with the store before making the trip.
Brides for a Cause
Located in the heart of Portland, Brides for a Cause is a bridal boutique with a philanthropic twist. They offer a vast selection of pre-loved and sample wedding dresses from various designers, all at discounted prices. The best part? A portion of their proceeds goes towards charity, making your wedding dress purchase even more meaningful.
Adorned in Grace
Adorned in Grace is not just a wedding dress shop; it’s a non-profit organization committed to preventing human trafficking. This bridal boutique offers both new and gently worn wedding dresses at affordable prices, and your purchase supports their mission to combat human trafficking. It’s a beautiful way to find your dream dress while making a positive impact on the world.
Ania Bridal
Ania Bridal, located in the Pearl District, is renowned for its stunning designer wedding dresses. While they do carry high-end gowns, they also have a wide selection of budget-friendly options for brides with cost-conscious minds. Ania Bridal is known for its personalized service and a wide range of styles to suit every bride’s taste.
Charlotte’s Weddings & More
Just a short drive from downtown Portland in Beaverton, you’ll find Charlotte’s Weddings & More. This bridal boutique offers a wide range of wedding dresses, including some budget-friendly options. Their team of experts is dedicated to helping you find the perfect gown while staying within your budget.
Other Affordable Wedding Dress Options
Prefer to shop online?
You’ve got options there, too. The dress pictured here was purchased online for about $40, so I’m definitely not above looking outside a traditional bridal boutique for a good find.
Online shopping does come with a little more risk, though. Give yourself plenty of time for shipping, alterations, returns, or a backup plan if the dress that looked incredible online shows up looking… less incredible in person.
Below are a few of my favorite places to look for affordable wedding dresses online, ranging from established retailers to options that require a little more adventurous shopping. 👀
Amazon: Best for Convenience + Easy Returns
Amazon is worth checking if you’re shopping on a tighter timeline or want the flexibility to try a few options at home. There are wedding dresses at surprisingly low price points, but quality can vary a lot from seller to seller.
My tip: Look for dresses with plenty of reviews and customer photos, double-check the size chart for that specific listing, and make sure the dress is eligible for returns before ordering.
Mercari: Best for Bargain Hunting
Mercari can be a surprisingly good place to find wedding dresses that were worn once, purchased and never worn, or simply didn’t work for the original buyer. Because you’re buying directly from individual sellers, prices can be significantly lower than retail.
My tip: Know your measurements, ask for additional photos if you need them, and check the seller’s reviews before purchasing.
Stillwhite: Best for Secondhand Designer Dresses
If you have a particular designer or style in mind but don’t love the original price tag, Stillwhite is one of the first places I’d look. It’s specifically built for buying and selling wedding dresses, so you can narrow your search by designer, size, silhouette, condition, and price.
This is especially worth checking if you’ve already tried on dresses in person and know exactly what you’re looking for.
ThredUp: Worth Checking for an Unexpected Find
ThredUp isn’t bridal-specific, so finding the dress may require some digging. But if you’re open to nontraditional wedding dresses, reception dresses, courthouse looks, or something that wasn’t originally marketed as bridal, it can absolutely be worth a search.
Poshmark: Another Great Secondhand Option
Poshmark has a huge selection of secondhand and new-with-tags clothing, including wedding dresses. It’s another good place to search for a specific designer or dress you’ve already tried on elsewhere, and sellers will often provide additional measurements or photos if you ask.
Facebook Groups: One of My Favorite Places to Look
Facebook wedding groups can be surprisingly good places to find secondhand and even never-worn wedding dresses, especially if you’re willing to check regularly and wait for the right one to pop up.
In fact, remember the $100 dress from the beginning of this article? That’s where I found it. It had never been worn, and I paid a fraction of what a similar dress would have cost new.
If you’re shopping this way, I recommend searching both Portland-specific wedding groups and broader PNW wedding resale groups. Inventory is completely unpredictable, which is part of the fun.
A few Portland + PNW groups worth checking:
Tips for Finding an Affordable Wedding Dress
Start earlier than you think.
Budget-friendly dresses sometimes require a little more flexibility. Give yourself time for shipping, alterations, returns, or finding a Plan B.
Know your measurements.
Especially if you’re shopping online or secondhand, shop by your actual measurements rather than your usual clothing size. Bridal sizing can be weird.
Leave room in your budget for alterations.
A $200 dress that needs $600 in alterations is suddenly not quite the $200 dress you thought you bought. 👀
Read the reviews.
For online dresses, look for reviews with real customer photos and pay attention to comments about sizing, fabric quality, shipping, and returns.
Don’t get too attached to the number on the tag.
A great dress is a great dress whether it cost $100 or $3,000. Spend where it matters to you and save where it doesn’t.
About the Author
I’m Kate
Founder + lead photographer at Aspen & Birch
Hey there! I’m Kate, the founder and lead photographer behind Aspen & Birch, a Portland-based wedding media studio built around one simple idea: your wedding should feel like your wedding, and your photos should bring you right back to it.
When I’m not photographing weddings, I’m usually drinking tea, learning something new, spending time with family and friends, listening to a wildly inconsistent assortment of music, or designing something.
I’m so glad you found your way here, and I hope this resource makes planning your wedding a little easier.
Seven years, 100+ weddings, and a whole lot of Portland wedding experience later, I’ve learned a thing or two about what makes a wedding day run smoothly. I share the best of it here to make planning yours a little easier.
Your wedding deserves to feel like yours.
Aspen & Birch documents Portland weddings through photography, film, and content, with a calm approach and a focus on the moments that make your day yours.
If you’re looking for a team to document it as it actually felt, we’d love to hear what you’re planning.
