Wedding Dress Discounts: Ways To Find Top Designs For Less

NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) -- It's no secret that weddings can be very expensive, especially when it come to the dress. But some brides are now finding top designs at a discount.

Many brides dream of saying "I do" in a designer gown, but according to fashion expert Dawn Delrusso, there's usually one problem: the price.

"$18-, $20-, $30,000 for a wedding dress," she told CBS2's Alex Denis. "That's if you want a really high-end designer and you're paying retail price."

But now brides are making their dreams come true online thanks to website like TheOutnet.com, TheRealReal.com, PoshMark.com and Lulus.com.

These sites vary. Some are consignment while others are outlets offering only new dresses, but they all have something in common. The gowns are inspected, verified for authenticity and then discounted.

At Hotel Yotel's rooftop space, models showed off the never-before-worn high-end looks found on Outnet.com.

"This designer is Lavant. We know from all the French runways during Paris fashion week and this is just a little under $10,000, originally priced," said Delrusso. But on Outnet, it's $2,500.

Another Alexander Wang dress is 60 percent off and sells for $995.

Shop the RealReal or PoshMark to find a variety of styles, sizes, new and gently used from top designers like Vera Wang and Carolina Herera. Gowns that retain for more than $600 are now just $300.

"Lets say you find a dress that's a few sizes bigger than your size. It's OK to buy it and have it tailored and sometimes it even looks better because you tailored it to your shape," said Delrusso.

Does it all sound too good to be true?

"What's the catch here? I've ordered from them. I've shopped from them and everything is returnable as long as you keep the tags on and keep it in the condition that it arrived in," Delrusso said.

Another tip is to look for promo codes for an additional discount or rent a dress from RentTheRunway.com or other leasing sites.