Renting
gowns
not easy
way out
for brides
By Marissa Carstens
Staff Reporter
The groom and his groomsmen
are no longer the only wedding party
members who get to rent their
clothes.
In larger cities like Dallas or
Omaha, prospective brides on tight
budgets can save money by renting
their wedding gowns.
But some retailers say renting a
dress may not be the answer to bud
get constraints.
And boutiques contacted in
Omaha and Lincoln refused to rent
wedding gowns for a number of rea
sons.
First, renting wedding gowns
isn’t lucrative, area bridal retailers
said. Most wedding gowns would
rent for between $100 and $200 dol
lars.
Also, Nebraska state law requires
garments rented in the state to be dry
cleaned between rentals. But lace and
other delicate fabrics common to
wedding gowns deteriorate when
cleaned, said Dawn Jacobs of
J’Maries in Lincoln.
Yet there are other pitfalls to rent
ing wedding gowns, Jacobs said.
Alterations also pose a problem.
Judy Prokop of Bridal Traditions
in Lincoln said gowns often must be
hemmed and side seams must be
adjusted to fit each bride. When
these alterations are made more than
once, the needle marks from past
alterations will show, she said.
Because of these difficulties,
only one boutique in Nebraska rents
wedding gowns, said Fleet Cowan,
the owner of Omaha’s Crossroads
Bridal.
“Hardly anyone does anymore,”
^owan saia.
So most Nebraska brides, includ
ing those in Lincoln, must buy their
gowns.
And they only have one chance to
buy the right one.
Although the alternative to rental
- buying a wedding dress - is more
expensive, tight budgets should not
prevent a bride from buying and
wearing a dress she enjoys, said Lisa
Petersen of Sassi’s in Lincoln.
Sassi’s and other wedding stores
will work with prospective brides to
find the most recent styles in all price
ranges, Petersen said. If a prospective
bride is working within a budget,
boutiques can help her find some
thing she looks and feels great in.
The boutique then can alter die dress
to fit perfectly, she said.
Brides-to-be who buy their
gowns also can preserve their dress
to last for years after their wedding
days, Petersen said.
Then, they can look back on their
most special of dresses and, maybe,
pass it down to their daughters.
Dawn Dietrich/DN
MODEL ALICIA STOVALL, 16, helps model Ann Yost, 18, zip her dress in preparation for the Wedding Fair Sunday at
the Comhusker Hotel. Both wore gowns from Pearls and Lace Bridal and Floral Creations, 701 H.48th St.
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