You will rarely find a girl who doesn’t grow up thinking about the big day when she would tie the knot with her prince charming! Every girl loves to imagine how stunning and ravishing she would look on her wedding day! And why not? It is you day and you have every right to outshine all others present in the wedding hall!

While every bride looks special in the night of wedding day, you can make it even more special with the touch of your unique sense of style. Let others swim through the stacks of wedding gowns in the designer stores and juggle between the budget and their choice - you take the easier route to the style statement; go for vintage wedding dress.

So what is a vintage wedding dress?

As with jewelry, in the world of dresses also you will find two terms ‘vintage’ and ‘antique’ used side by side creating a good deal of confusion.

There is a little difference between these two terms.

Antique dresses are those made in 1920 or earlier. "Vintage" is a term that is generally used to refer to the dresses that were made 25 or more years ago.

What is special about vintage wedding dresses? Why should you opt for one?

Just recall the scene from Sound of music where Julie Andrews set the screen on fire in her classical bridal get up! The satins, the laces, the flare, the feminine neckline-everything makes the bride look like a character from the pages of fairy tale!

This is precisely the essence of the vintage wedding dresses-they transport you back to a forgotten era!

The vintage wedding dress becomes a must, when your wedding ceremony is based on a historical theme. The bride and groom taking the vow dressed in vintage wedding gowns and suits add drama to the entire ceremony.

Then modern couples are increasingly choosing the castles or other historical palaces as their wedding venues and in that case, only a vintage wedding dress can do justice to the whole arrangement.

There is another case when, the bride and groom go for classic dressing style-when they are passionately in love with the Hollywood classics like "It Happened One Night." These are the likes of movies that inspire today’s couples to dress like the stars of the yester years.

But most important reason why you should consider buying a vintage wedding dress is: they exemplify the extra ordinary craftsmanship and exquisite details for half or less prices that you are expected to pay for an off-the-rack dress with comparable detailing.

Things to keep in mind when you are buying your dream dress

Don’t get swayed away by the magical old world charm of these elegant dresses-being old means they invariably carry some imperfections like odors, slight strains, missing buttons, torn up laces and so on. But don’t get worked up-they are easy to repair. While bargaining, keep these hidden costs in mind.

One thing you must be very careful of and that is the size. Always check the exact measurement; this will help you get the perfect size for your body type.

If you are buying online, deal only with renowned sellers and also read descriptions of the dress carefully.

Looking for the best place to buy vintage wedding dress? Here are some great places to start with:

• Vintage store or antique stores. Thrift stores for the 70's and 80's fashion.

• Ebay makes a reliable source for vintage dresses.

• The Frock.com for higher end items.

• Vintagegown.com for high end, exclusive items.

• VintageVixen for budget conscious. One advantage of this shop is they sell deadstock dresses that have never been worn.

• Isadora's for excellent quality items, but the stock is not exactly large.

So you'll find that it's not too difficult to take your vows in a classic setting for a truly beautiful occasion!