When I recently went shopping for a vegan-friendly wedding dress, I knew that I wanted to go to a bridal boutique to try on dresses and get the feel for them. The first thing that I did when I walked into a store was to talk to someone and brief them on what my needs were.
What to avoid…
Avoid dresses that contain any of these materaisl:
- silk
- chiffon
- taffeta
- leather
- wool
- pearls
- feathers.
Once you know what to avoid, just keep an eye out for materials that you do want, like polyester, cotton, linen, lace, etc.
When shopping at bridal stores…
When shopping at bridal boutiques, be sure to let your dress consultant or sales person know the following…
- That you are specifically looking for a dress with no silks, or any of the above mentioned fabrics.
- If you are comfortable, feel free to explain that you are vegan and do not wish to wear anything that has any animal products.
- The environment of your wedding (beach, church, high end resort, park, etc)
- Weather of location (hot, humid, cold, etc)
- What you're looking for (style, colors, fit, etc)
- Budget
I would definitely recommend finding a boutique with a trusting person to work with and try on a variety of dresses. Once I started showing her dress styles that I loved, she was able to instantly suggest, “well, that dress has silk, BUT I have one that looks just like that and would be perfect for you.” This exact dialogue helped me to find the dress that I ended up buying which was made with 100% polyester and was light as a feather.
Vegan wedding dress resources…
Check out some of these designers who offer eco-friendly wedding gown options:
Other eco-friendly options…
If you MUST have silk, but don't want to contribute to the market and corporations, I would really recommend either looking for a dress that is made with eco-friendly peace silk or buying a used dress. Try these online website to shop for beautiful used wedding dresses:
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