With wedding season soon upon us, many a bride is looking for a way to create the most special day imaginable…without racking up the biggest debt imaginable. The dress is no exception.

Wedding gowns can run into the thousands, which can eat into a good portion of any wedding budget. You want to look amazing, but you’d also like to give your guests something to eat, drink, and ideally sit on (even if Uncle Hal is more of the wander-around-inebriated type).

Wedding gowns are one area where you can significantly cut your costs. We don’t believe in compromising on looking absolutely stunning on your wedding day, but we do believe in being smart about looking for the best deal possible. Here are the best ways to score a cheap wedding dress:

1. Check Out Mass Retailers: Mass retailers are getting into the wedding gown biz. It started with J. Crew, and the rest followed. We found these affordable numbers surprisingly attractive. Here, spend some of your savings on custom tailoring to make your dress uniquely yours–take off cap sleeves or add on embellishments. See our chart below for our favorite mass market lines.

2. Head Online: Nothing replaces the romanticized experience of heading to a bridal salon and trying on dresses with your mom and a few glasses of champagne–but after a few tiring sessions, any bride can tell you it gets old fast. According to Heather Levine, fashion editor at The Knot, the majority of brides still buy their dresses in-store, but more and more are heading online, to overstock or consignment sellers.

3. Consider The Used Wedding Dress: Almost 80% of LearnVest readers said they’d at least consider a used wedding dress on the big day. Yes, someone else wore it already. But only once. You can have it professionally cleaned, and may be able to afford a higher end designer this way. Many sites use a peer-to-peer model, so you contact the seller directly. You can ask all kinds of questions (see below) and arrange shipping and return logistics. Pro: Because you’re dealing directly with the seller, you can negotiate the price. Con: You’re dealing with an individual as opposed to a business, so build in the unpredictability factor.