How Rent the Runway Helped Me Survive Wedding Season

Everyone goes through a season when all their friends are getting married, and this summer it’s my turn to make the wedding rotation. I was invited to eight weddings (yes, really) within three months. And of course, I can’t wear the same dress to all of these events, right? College friends, hometown friends, new friends from work – lots of the same people will be at these events, so I wanted a fresh look for each — not to mention all the Instagram pictures!

So, of course, I was stressing out trying to find eight different dresses that were all fashionable, summer wedding appropriate, and within my budget. I had heard about Rent the Runway, and thought this would be the best time to give it a try.

Rent the Runway allows women to rent designer dresses for a fraction of the retail price, and delivers them straight to your door. They have everything from evening gowns and summer dresses, to jumpsuits and maternity wear (genius!). My sister came over one day and we browsed hundreds of gorgeous designer dresses that would normally be way out of my price range. But since I was renting, some of these were as little as $30. I could actually look at labels like Elizabeth and James, Marchesa Notte, and Badgley Mischka. I was nervous to rent a dress online without trying it on, but Rent the Runway sends a free backup size, just in case. And, my sister had a great experience renting a dress for her company Christmas Party the year before. She told me that I had to read the reviews to get a good read on if a dress will fit or not. After people rent a dress, they post a picture of themself wearing the dress, usually looking fabulous. This was really helpful when I was searching, because I could find other girls with similar body shapes to mine and get a really good idea of how the dress would actually look on me.

I picked out my first dress and ordered it in my normal size as well as one size up, as a backup option (you get a free backup size with every order). It was a gorgeous gold sequin number with an art-deco pattern down the front — perfect for my first wedding of the summer, an evening soiree at a local boathouse. The dress arrived on time a few days before the event, and I nervously tried it on – it was a perfect fit! I couldn’t believe how great I looked, and felt so confident knowing I’d see all my old friends looking like a million bucks. And, people noticed – I got tons of compliments when I wore it to my college roommate’s wedding that weekend. It looked incredible in all the pictures on the ‘gram that my friends tagged me in, and one of the groomsmen even commented that I was the best dressed guest there (score!). The next day, I returned both dresses in the eco-friendly garment bag with prepaid return labels, and just dropped them off at a UPS location down the block from my hotel. So easy.

I’ve already ordered a Rent the Runway dress for the the next wedding on my calendar, and I plan to rent a few more dresses for all the upcoming events. I love that I can afford to wear something much higher quality and more unique than I normally would, and I know I’ll look put together at every event. And the best part? I don’t need to use closet space on eight more dresses I’ll only wear once!

Update: The folks at Rent the Runway are extending a special offer to our readers. Follow this link to get 20% Off your first order!