Wedding Blog
A note about budgeting for a wedding dress: Don’t forget that there are other costs involved than just the sticker price of the gown.
Other costs of your bridal look include:
a) fittings/alterations, which can be 15% or more of the gown
b) tax (which can sometimes be avoided by shipping out of state — but then there are shipping costs)
c) a veil
d) shoes
e) a bra for the dress (can be anywhere from $70-$150 I found)
Although my gown was $1,770, I budgeted $2500 which is about what I ended up spending as follows:
Romona Keveza Gown: $1,770
Pattern change (opening the cup): $300
Alterations: $200
Tax: $173.36
Subtotal: $2,443.35
Long-line Bra (from Bra Tenders): $99
Veil (from Rose’s Bridal): $50
Shoes (from Zappos): $180 (a wedding gift from a friend)
Grand Total: $2,772.36
Actual cost to me minus the shoes: $2,592.36
This is just a little over where I said I’d planned on being, so I was very happy. 
But the whole look cost just over $1,000 more than the gown itself.
How much did you spend on your “bridal look” excluding your dress?
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I’m at $1,122 including dress ($870), alterations ($200), shoes ($27) and foundations ($25). Jewelry is heirloom.
I’m at $1137 total. Probably more than I should have spent given our budget but oh well. At least I got cheap shoes! ($15 @ TJ MAXX)
Custom (1950s Reproduction) Gown: $600
Corset: $70
Veil (DIY birdcage style) $20-25
Shoes (from Zappos): $70
Ivory croche tights: $10
Ruffled undies: $20
Petticoat: $40
Necklace: $75
Total: (approx.) $910
In descending order of cost, it went dress, custom-made shoes, and bra; with veil, alternate headpiece, and silly alternate jacket tying for fourth place at a whopping $15 each. Total: $750.
Apparently I wear exactly 16W in Alfred Angelo-land. And you know what? I’m fine with that. The day before we left to drive 8 hours to the venue, I sewed three hook-and-eye closures into the train and called it a bustle.
Dress - $400 on sale, shoes $20 and AWESOME, $45 veil, $75 bra, alterations are free from my professional seamstress MIO.
Total - $540
and there’s even a cleaning/preservation fee afterwards! 
i also bought my wedding dress at the bridal atelier at a trunk show. the tax, alterations (done there), veil (purchased there), undergarments (le mystere bridal bustier), and shoes… totalled around $1300 - the cost of another dress. 
Dress - $109.60 (with storage bag)
Shoes - $4.24 (clearance @ Payless and exactly what I wanted)
Jewelry - $9.68 (clearance @ NY & Company - simple and totally me)
Veil - FREE (used tulle my mom had leftover from decorating and a hair comb I have had for a long time)
Head Piece - $17.00 (hand made from etsy.com - it’s absolutely gorgeous and I couldn’t pass it up when I saw it)
Bra/Underwear - $47.68 (but I’ll definitely where them both again)
Alterations - $35.00 (including minor re-beading & a bustle)
Total - $123.20
I didn’t include the cost of getting my dress pressed prior to the wedding because my mother is taking care of that and I’m not sure of the cost. I’m pretty sure it’s in the $25 range.
I’ll probably be selling my dress after the wedding, so I won’t be getting it preserved, just cleaned.
custom gown (with bra cups!) - $800
cute blue panties - $20
DYI veil - $20
ceremony sandals - $25
reception dance shoes - $82
hair flowers and lei - probably $40
total - $987
dress, david’s - $450 on sale
slip, david’s - $40 w/discount
strapless bra, victoria’s secret - $15 on sale
shoes from DSW - $30
veil - my mom’s
earrings - gift from FI a few years ago
alterations - $60 (bottom hem, bustle, and taken in a bit on the sides up top)
pressing will be free at david’s
total: $595 if I did the math right.
Not preserving it, will clean & try to sell.
I didn’t get a special bra. I’m wearing one I already own.
fabric: $200
paid seamstress: $280
shoes: $300 (*you can see I have my priorities straigh :P)
veil (diy):
Dress - $860 w/tax
Sash - $21
Alterations - $150
Cute blue thong - $16
Veil (Occansey) - $72
Red Shoes (DSW) - $45
White Flip Flops - $10
Brooch, Earrings, Bracelet - $110
Clutch (TJMaxx) - $16
Reception Dress - $123
Reception dress alterations - $150
Chinese Custom Chi Pao - $120
__________
$1693
Don’t forget the cost of having the dress steamed and pressed (after alterations) before the wedding!
My dress (Robert Bullock) was $950, alterations there were $325, shipping was $50, veil from there was $40 I think, shoes (Cynthia Rowley) just over $200, I already had strapless bra and will be getting new underwear and possibly new jewelry. So far we’re up to $1565.
Maggie Sottero Gown: 700 dollars
Tax and Shipping: 106 dollars
Alterations: TBD, appt on Monday, however, the seamstress has a strong reputation of being both talented and inexpensive, so I am expecting less than 120 dollars.
Bra: Having seamstress sew bra cups into my gown. So.. zero!
Veil: DIY for 17 bucks (also included the hair pieces for my attendants)
Shoes (from Newport News): 35 dollars
Total so far: $858 dollars. After alterations should hopefully still be under 1000 dollars.
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Miss Onion, NYC/Burlington, VT
Age and Occupation: 27, PR & Marketing and Jazz Singer
Fiance's Age and Occupation: 28, Data Analyst
Engagement Date: April 2, 2006
Wedding Date: September 2007
Blogging Since: July 11, 2007
Venue: Restaurant in Burlington
About Me: I didn't think I'd be "that girl," but I am having so much fun planning our wedding (mostly by myself). I'm a PR and Marketing Director for a major jazz festival and camp by day, and by night, a romantic jazz singer and bride-to-be! I hope all my research can help other brides in their planning.
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