Wedding Blog
First of all… I love your site! It is fantastic!
I am a young bride with a very limited budget (think under 10,000). I want a dress that I can afford and keep at the same time. I really loved Miss Butterfly’s post about sites like cocomyle.com where you can design your wedding gown for a very low price. I was wondering if you could refer me to any other sites or locations like cocomyle that can help me design a dress or get a dress of my dreams at a low (very low to be exact) price? Anything you could refer me to would be so helpful and appreciated!
It’s funny… I am not a bridezilla at all. I can’t afford to be. I don’t have many options, but I am determined to have a wedding that will make the most out of what my future husband and I have. We are having a picnic themed wedding so our guests will be sitting outside on picnic blankets (in our wedding colors of green and purple) and picnic tables. And they will eat sandwiches and fresh fruit. Now that everything is in place with themes, I need the dress!
Thanks!,
Mechelle
~~~
Hi Mechelle,
There are many options out there for budget brides looking for a good deal on a dress…you just have to do a bit of digging.
I know several brides who have actually worn bridesmaid dresses (in white) as wedding gowns with much success. Bridesmaid dress options are getting more and more plentiful each year and there are really a number of designers now who do some great dresses that work as bridal gowns.
J Crew also has a wonderful, chic line of both bridesmaid dresses and Bridal Gowns that are very reasonably priced ($295 and up).
It might seem somewhat scary at first, but I know Ebay has also been a fantastic resource for a number of brides. If you can find yourself a good seamstress, you can purchase a gown on ebay and then have it fitted perfectly for your body. They usually have a good selection of current styles as well as some interesting vintage pieces. If you decide to go the ebay route, I would definitely recommend you give yourself as much time as possible to allow for all of the alterations needed.
Of course there are also always bridal gown trunk shows, sample sales and deep discount days at places such as David’s Bridal (I recently saw them advertise a $99 sale). Call your local shops to see what sorts of sales might be coming up in the next few months.
Stick to your guns! You can definitely find a gorgeous, cheap but still chic wedding dress if you put forth a bit of effort and do some research.
“dress you up in my love,”
Erica
www.paperbride.com
www.papermama.com
|
Share this post: Dear Miss Beetle,
if you are looking for second hand dresses, check out preownedweddingdresses.com
oh, and check out anntaylor.com too.
I bought my wedding dress at JCrew.com. Technically it’s a bridesmaid dress but I don’t care. I love it and it’s perfect for me. And I spent less than $200.
I knew I had a budget so only looked for dresses within that budget. Stores like David’s Bridal or Alfred Angelo have great sample dresses that are cheap. I would just go that route and forego “looking” at high retail end dresses, it would only make looking for dresses that much more difficult.
You can also look for white/ivory prom or homecoming dresses on sale.
Hey Mechelle,
There are lots of ways to find a dress for less than, say, $500.
Some ideas: 1) Order a white bridesmaids dress- if you want a longer train, order it in extra length and hem the front 2) Buy it off the rack- Jcrew, Nordstroms, edressme, and Bloomingdales even have sections on their website specifically for white/ bridal dresses 3) Sample sales! There are tons of these in NYC 4) You’re young. Spunky dresses, like a knee-length style, could work for you. Just yet another option that can be found for less. And it goes with your picnic theme. AND you can wear it again! 5) Borrow a dress from a relative or friend 6) Secondhand stores- I always see wedding dresses for around $200 or less at places like Housing Works.
I think everyone’s already given lots of tips. I’m sticking with good old Alfred Angelo for my gown. It’s gorgeous, and exactly what I want…and only about $500. I’m on a very limited budget, too…so I want everything to be as cheap as possible, without losing integrity, or having it not be just what I want.
Check out: glennandcompany.com. I bought my dress there last year. They recently closed and are selling all of their samples. They have some pretty good deals.
Check out:
Also, http://www.pearlsplace.com and http://www.netbride.com carry most brands and offer discounts over most other places (around 20-25%)!
Oh thank you weddingbee girls! I thought you forgot about my question, but now I am so happy with the reply! I love you girls!!!
I bought my dress from a local retailer off the rack, but she could have ordered it if I had wanted. It was only $299 and is a Mary’s Bridal dress. Prices in south central mo tend to be low. Good luck!
jessica mcclintock outlet’s a good resource, too… a friend of mine got her wedding dress there for like $100-150. if you have one in the area, that is; in CA they have outlets on both ends of the state.
also…i love the picnic idea, and you should check out most recent Martha Stewart Weddings, as she does a fun little spread on a picnic themed wedding, might give you some ideas for the event itself…
http://www.ljcfyi.com had a beautiful pink and green themed picnic wedding. it was just wonderful in its simplicity and creativity.
| Visit our sister sites | Project Wedding Wedding Songs |
eHarmony Advice Dating Advice |
JustMommies Pregnancy Calendar |
Fertile Thoughts Infertility Support |
Mrs. Beetle, New York/Palm Desert
About: Mrs. Beetle previously wrote our weekly advice column. She got married in October 2006, and is currently guest blogging.
| Sun | Mon | Tue | Wed | Thu | Fri | Sat |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 |
| 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 |
| 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 |
| 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 26 | 27 | 28 |
| 29 | 30 |
Latest Gallery Pics