How much did you spend on your wedding dress?

[lilyinct]

I paid $89.50....off the clearance rack at the BCBG outlet. Sleeveless, flowy, tea length... when my FI tells others about our upcoming wedding (21 days, oh.my.god.)- he loves to tell people how little the dress cost....yeah right, like I''m low maintainance or something.

Oh well, for every penny we don''t spend goes into my "mental bank" for jewelry...thinking about disclosing this account to the FI after the nuptials.

 

[budgetbride]

Date: 8/15/2005 10:13:07 PM
Author: HOUMedGal
$162.50....ohh yeah. Retail price was $538, got it on big time sale! Haven''t had any alterations yet (wedding is in May 2007) but it will need some. (hopefully...it''s too big now, I''m really hoping it will be as big or bigger on me then and not smaller!!!)

Houmedgal,
how are you maintaining your dress until your wedding? Are you keeping it in a special container?

 

[jaz464]

I paid about $2800 before tax and alterations. It is a Justina McCaffrey gown. My FML told me she thought I would get the first dress I tried on but I dismissed that idea because I thought there was no way that would happen. Well, I did fall in love with the first dress. But I was scared to buy it without trying any other boutiques. So I spent one week going all over the state but nothing was as good as the first dress. I compared everything to that dress. The depressing part is that when I first tried on the Justina gown it was during a trunk show so they were offering 10% off. When I decided the dress was in fact the dress for me a week later, the show was over so I had to pay full price. I could have kicked myself for not just getting it then and there. But maybe then I would always have doubts and wonder if I should have shopped more. Now I know there is nothing better out there for me. My fiance was very understanding. He told me to buy the dress whenever I was sure, so it was okay with him that I missed out on the discount.

 

[brazen_irish_hussy]

My wedding dress is $435 and has not been altered yet. I got an amazing deal by buying a wedding dress from the 1930s. Because the dress is old but in great condition it cost less. Also, I am only 5''2 and a size 0 or smaller so antique dress often fit me better than modern clothes.

 

[ellaila]

I paid $920 ($940?) for my dress (Watters), and thankfully needed just minimal alterations done, so that only cost me $70 - yay!
I didn''t want to spend that much money on a dress, but in my defense, we got engaged in April and are getting married in September, so I didn''t have much time to bargain shop! I basically had to order a dress the week I started looking (in May) in order to get it in by early August.

All that said, I do love my dress and think it''s just right for our simple little wedding

so I''m very happy with it!

 

[Trelala]

I spend $650, alterations included, veil and gloves included. I adore this dress, cream colored Thai silk, strapless with two panels of lace on the bodice, ribbon round the waist. can''t wait to wear it!

Well, I''m not being entirely honest about the price. I had to pay $1000+ to fly to Taiwan to buy it there. Brides in Taiwan usually rent gowns so my gown has been worn by others and then cleaned before I got it. Also ordered a purple silk brocade qi-pao, my "second" wedding gown, for about $200.

so grand total: $850

just a side note, my friend bought a lovely gown for $700 and paid $300 for alterations.

 

[Gypsy]

Wow this thread is FABULOUS. I''ve been trying to decide between gowns and two are affordable and one is at the top of my budget. I wasn''t even THINKING about alteration costs. That knocks the expensive one right off the list. Leaves me at about 1100 for one of the other two-- that''s through the net, the gown retails for more but there is no way I''m paying it!

 

[Shiny42805]

my dress, veil, and headpiece came out to $815 total, including tax. With shoes and alterations (all I need is a hem and a bustle, its capped at $175), I should be looking at no more than $1000.


The dress retails for $1090, but I got a huge discount for ordering direct online. I didn't want to spend over $1000, and I achieved my goal! Its a Maggie Sottero

 

[Kaylyn]

Here''s my accessories/dress price list (finally decided on a dress! woo!):

Shoes: $9 (fancy schmancy decorated flip-flops from Michael''s)
Veil: $10.99 (mmm..crazee days at the bridal store)
Tiara: $19.00 (cutebride.com)
Necklace: $5.99 (marked down from $32.00 at the same bridal store as the veil)
Dress: $219 (eBay, brand new, never worn)
Alterations: Done by my great aunt, I am guessing somewhere around $50

I think that''s it...so far I''m doing good!

 

[4bugzinarug]

Spent $49 on my wedding dress nearly 12 years ago ... was prepared to spend up to $3-400 if needed. Found the *perfect* gown on a super clearance sale for $100, then some things went wrong and they gave us 1/2 off for the mishaps! We were on an extremely tight budget for the wedding and I was just over the moon!

At the time, my attitude was that I did not want to spend more than a few hundred dollars for a dress you wear only one day. Even though I would not change my dress, my attitude about the cost is slightly different now.

 

[fire&ice]

I''m the sole person who ticked the "borrowed" catagory. I suppose I didn''t borrow it. I wore my mother''s. It was an honor to her & FREE!

For the most part, wedding dresses tend to be timeless. I''m surprised that I am the only one - as the time when I was married (80''s) many of my friends wore their mother''s wedding dresses. Does no one do that anymore?

 

[jesterjigger]

Mine was $800 for the dress, headpiece, veil, and slip...that was including the 10% discount since I bought it while the store was having a sale.

 

[moremoremore]

My dress was 0!!!!!!!!!! LOL...Well, I didn't pay for it so does that count? My sister was geneous enough to get it for me as a gift....It was 4 1/2 years ago and I *think* it was $3500? I don't think it was more...but alterations were maybe $300? It was a super plain beautiful Carolina Herrera that was just "me"! We pretty much paid for our wedding ourselves...I'm not sure I would have spent that much if I was footing the bill...it is truly insane how much some dresses cost...but I remember how much I loved it and how it made me feel...(not to mention that at the time, 3/4 sleeved dresses were few and far b etween which is what I wanted) so I guess in that respect, it was worth every penny!