From our founder:
After I got engaged and was suddenly a bride-to-be myself, I was shocked at the $$$ of wedding dresses. I quickly realized the wedding I imagined (saw in magazines, pinterest, and on bridal blogs) would cost a small fortune. So, like any scrappy girl with designer taste, I looked for another way. Ebay, marketplaces, sample sales; where were the end of season sales for bridal gowns? The 70% off sales for the Valentino and Elie Saab gowns I lusted after?
I couldn’t find them, but what I did find were other girls like me trying to buy and sell their wedding gowns and save money. The bridal industry wanted us to feel cheap, like we were breaking the rules by not paying full price for a designer gown. That we were tacky because sipping champagne and paying a 70% markup weren’t as important to us as saving money for our honeymooons and for investing in our lives after we got married.
I wore a Vera Wang gown that was worn by a bride in Atlanta. I resold it to another bride in NYC after my wedding, and she sold it to a bride in London. 4+ brides wearing a $7k dress instead of 4 new dresses at $7k each.
I started Nearly Newlywed with the $$$ I got from reselling my wedding dress and the little money left after my own wedding a few months before. We launched NearlyNewlywed.com out of my living room with the support of my husband, family and of women all over the US who sent me their gowns and believed in what I wanted to build.
Every dress we help sell or bride we help get a gown she loves for less, is a building block to our bridal revolution. I hope you enjoy shopping Nearly Newlywed and help us share the love!
xxJackie, CEO & Founder