Setting a Realistic Budget for your Wedding Dress
BUDGET. That dreaded “B” word that plays such a huge role in planning your wedding but no one REALLY wants to discuss it. Can we just skip to the part where we taste the appetizers and signature drinks for cocktail hour? As scary as it sounds and as intimidating as it may be to even START, it’s so necessary to have the budget talk and get some numbers nailed down. There are many factors that play a role in setting a budget for your wedding dress. One being the obvious answer, who is going to pay for the wedding? Is this something Mom and Dad have saved up for or are you and your fiance wanting to cover it yourself? There are traditions that come with who pays for the wedding but the wedding industry has DEF started to stray away from tradition. Secondly, what is the overall budget for your wedding and what’s MOST important to you and your fiance? Are your florals more important than the venue? Does your fiance REALLY value having a great DJ because that sets the experience? Do you want to get eloped in the mountains so venue cost isn’t a concern so you have half your wedding budget set aside specifically for your wedding dress? Communication is key and once these details have been ironed out, you can then start to pave your path to the details of who, what, when, where and most importantly your wedding dress (tehehe only slightly biased)!! Please remember, no matter what budget you set, big or small, you are no less worthy of feeling beautiful and celebrated on your wedding day.
Stylist Tip from Caitlyn on Budget:
Write everything down. Be able to physically visualize your budget and priorities!
Education FIRST:
We don’t expect everyone to know everything about wedding dresses. That’s our job! But, having basic knowledge about the in’s and out’s of wedding dresses can be a HUGE benefit when it comes to setting realistic expectations for what you want your wedding dress to look like and what you can budget for. Details like chantilly lace, beading, type of fabric (mikado vs. crepe), lace appliques, how many layers of fabric the dress has, detailed sleeves and long extravagant trains can increase the price of a wedding dress quite drastically. As for our designers, and most designers in general, these dresses are hand crafted! Meaning, every bead you see, every button down the back, every lace applique, was placed by hand by the creator of the dress. This is also why it takes upwards of 6+ months for a wedding dress to come in from the time of purchase! These beauties are intricately crafted with love and precision for each individual bride. The average cost of a wedding dress in 2021 according to theknot.com was $1800 and we’ve only seen that increase from there! Wedding dresses are just more expensive to make as supply chains for fabrics/beading/lace continue to try and catch up from limited supplies during COVID. What this doesn’t mean, you HAVE to spend $1800 on a wedding dress no matter what. What this does mean, you have a good starting point for what a dress MIGHT cost you. For the most part, every dress in Emerald is going to be $2000 and under. We have a small handful of dresses that are in the $2100-$2300 range! A good average price range for our dresses is between $1300 and $1600!
Tips for keeping cost down:
Consider buying your dress off-the-rack. Meaning, you try the dress on, it fits you {well} enough, you take it home with you that same day! There is always a discount associated with buying off-the-rack!
Look for consignment dress options. These are once-loved wedding dresses that either never got worn by the previous bride or were worn for their wedding and they are just trying to find their dress a new bride to love instead of it sitting in their closet for eternity! Benefits of consignment dresses is a HUGE price decrease due to them being “once-loved” meaning you can get that $2500 dress for half its retail price and some come with alterations already done so things like bustles and hems are already taken care of which saves you money on alterations! HINT HINT: Emerald has both off-the-rack and consignment options in store.
You shouldn’t compromise on the look of your wedding dress to the point you lose sight of the overall vibe of your wedding, BUT, consider going with a less detailed dress and adding accessories to bring the overall look together. For instance, if you want a GLAM wedding but budgeted $1000 for your dress, go with a simple regal crepe wedding dress and add a glam belt with pretty chandelier earrings with maybe a pretty sparkly bracelet. There are ways to glam UP a dress to stay within budget! Consider your wedding dress a blank slate of design. In many cases, wedding dresses are very versatile over many wedding styles and you can accomplish whatever your vision is! Bring in florals, jewelry, and accessories can really take that “lace on the verge of boho” wedding dress to “WOAH this is a rustic glam BEAUTY” on your wedding day! Your bridal stylist will be your best friend when trying to bring your vision together! At the end of the day, the way you FEEL in your wedding dress means more than the looks.
Want a ballgown but don’t want the ballgown price? Buy a petticoat. It adds instant volume without increasing the dress cost. Playing with the details of the dress can save you costs upfront! For instance, say you fell in love with a dress that has spaghetti straps but you REALLY didn’t want that type of strap and love a good off-the-shoulder, simply order the dress as is and have a seamstress replace the straps at the time of alterations! You’re going to have to get alterations no matter what so don’t throw a dress away if you love 98% about it and that remaining 2% can be tweaked during alterations.
Reach out to the boutique(s) and see if they have any samples sales, trunk shows or stalk their instagram for special discounts coming up.
Long Story Short: Cost Saving Tips Broken Down
Off-the-rack
Consignment Options
Wedding dress styles are versatile
Dress details are pliable
Sample Sales, trunk shows & special discounts!
DO YOUR RESEARCH:
Before you start booking those dress shopping appointments, KNOW the boutique you’re booking with! What price do their dresses start at? What designer lines do they carry? Look through their websites and see what they have to offer! Maybe you find a boutique you connect with but it says their prices start at $1500, give them a call and be real with them about your budget and ask if they have any options in that price range. More than likely they’ll find a way to work with you! If they don’t, than it wasn’t meant to be and thats not the boutique for you. Knowledge is power and sometimes people take advantage of that power. There’s nothing more heartbreaking than when we get a bride in from a previous dress appointment at another bridal boutique that put them in a $3000 dress and they ended up falling in love with it. No other dress is going to live up to that $3000 dress if the bride has a $1500 budget and quite honestly it’s cruel and unfair to expect a bride to go over budget by THAT much.
Finding your wedding dress should be a time of celebration and happiness. Nothing kills that faster than putting unnecessary stress on yourself by not sticking to your budget OR not having a budget at all when you know good and well there needs to be. Communicate with all involved with setting a budget, do your research beforehand, and enjoy this beautiful chapter in your wedding journey! I promise, you’re worth celebrating no matter your budget.
