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ANKENY, Iowa — From the dress to the veil and all the decorations, it can be expensive to get hitched.

The Knot, a wedding website, reports the average cost of a wedding in the United States is nearly $30,000. A metro business is helping brides cut costs.

Raven Kline was shopping for her wedding gown seven months ago, just three weeks before her big day.

“I had bought a dress from a different store and realized on my last dress fitting that it wasn’t the dress I wanted, so I had to find a dress in a hurry,” Kline said.

So, she stopped into Something Blue Wedding Consignments, a new shop in uptown Ankeny.

“They actually had a dress that fit me perfectly. And, I bought it on sight,” Kline said. “I think my dress was $350. My original dress was $1,100, and I sold my other dress for right around that price.”

The consignment store has 250 dresses in stock. 80 percent are brand new with tags still on the gowns. You’ll also find bridesmaid and mother of the bride dresses, accessories and bridal decorations.

“So, if you can use it at your wedding, we feel like somebody else can use it at their’s,” Owner Katie Hansen said.

Hansen opened the store with her sister last July. At first, it was a part-time operation.

“In January, I decided to take the plunge and become my own boss, and it kind of has worked out for the best in the point in time,” Hansen said.

Decorations move the quickest. You’ll find things like cardholders, vases and bouquets. Many items are made by brides.

“If you have stuff sitting in your basement, or your mom’s basement, that is what moves quickly,” Hansen said. “People like the fact they can walk in and it’s done and they don’t have to do anything.”

This is how it works: it’s a 90 day consignment period. You pay a $5 fee for the lot of items you wish to sell.

“Then, it’s a 50/50 split, and I work with you on pricing,” Hansen said.

Kline brought in her gown, boys tuxes and decorations, some never used. Then, she got a check in the mail, bringing her wedding under budget.

“Everything I had spent money on that didn’t mean anything for me to keep, I sold and got money back off of,” Kline said.

Something Blue Wedding Consignments is located at 315 SW Maple Street in Ankeny.