Setting a Dress Budget

Setting a Dress Budget

June 16th, 2011 @ 6:28 pm by Mrs. Funnel Cake
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Early on in wedding planning, Mama Funnel Cake made it clear that she would not be entertaining any ridiculous dress expenses. She firmly believes that the quality of wedding dresses is similarly poor throughout the whole range of prices and that it is simply not worth it to spend more than $100-200 for a dress you wear for one day.

When Sister Funnel Cake was discouraged by how unflattering bridal shop sample gowns were on her petite figure, it was actually Mama Funnel Cake who found her a wedding dress used on Craigslist for $75. Sister Funnel Cake went to try the dress on and figured, “Hey, for $75, this gets the job done.” It might not have been her dream dress and she did voice some feelings of dissatisfaction about her decision at the time, but the dress was such a good deal that she couldn’t pass it up.

(Personal Photo)

As I started my own search for dresses, Mama Funnel Cake (who along with my father had generously offered to pay for wedding ceremony/reception) hinted that she’d buy me a moderately priced wedding dress if it was required, but I figured it was just easier to buy what I wanted with my own money instead of worrying about what she would allot me.

Mama Funnel Cake also sent me Craigslist links to used wedding dresses from the Columbus and they just… didn’t do it for me. They all looked something along the lines of these:

(Image via Craigslist)

I really wanted to find the perfect dress and then worry about where to buy it for a good deal. I didn’t want to feel like I was compromising our wedding day by buying any white gown that fit me and I didn’t want dress regret before the wedding like my sister. I wanted The Dress to be something that I simply loved that made me look good.

I set myself a loose goal of $1000 maximum, which for me seemed very generous because it was more money than my family members had ever spent on a wedding dress. I felt a little bashful about how much I was possibly planning to spend on my dress, but I was determined not to limit myself to the clearance section at a department store.

What factors set your dress budget? Did you family think your dress was too expensive?

Tags: budget, columbus, wedding-dress |

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42 Responses to “Setting a Dress Budget”

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Member

missmidcentury (message) 105 posts, Blushing bee

It’s all relative, but I think 1000 is a pretty reasonable budget when you want to go for something you’re in LOVE with and not just something that “works.” While it’s somewhat true that most wedding dresses aren’t that amazingly made for what we’re charged, there’s sometimes a big difference between a $200 dress and a $1200 dress- especially if it has anything to do with lace. I’m a firm believer of finding your dress and then staking out ebay and preowned sites for a while- I found my Allure C153 on eBay, never worn, for $500 when it retails for $1500! Happy hunting!

6/16/11 @ 6:36 pm (reply)

Member

lisamarieloves (message) 446 posts, Helper bee

I was determined to buy my own dress specifically because I didn’t want anyone telling me what kind of dress I could get. But oh my gosh. My dream dress was like $8000. I thought I would buy it and tried to rationalize it any way I could. But my mom conviced me to try on more affordable dresses just because and I ended up finding one I loved for, ohhhh, about 1/8 of the cost of my “dream” dress. You can find an AMAZING dress for $1000 or under. And seriously, you shouldn’t have to tell anyone the price of your dress. Not even your mom if you don’t want to. It would be tacky for anyone to ask and probably even tacky to disclose the price (except for maybe on a place like the Wedding Bee.) Just my thoughts. But you really should get a dress you love and not feel an ounce of guilt.

6/16/11 @ 6:38 pm (reply)

Member

matthews.jenn (message) 19 posts, Newbee

Your sister was lucky, she looked beautiful. I got my dress and veil for 1300. It’s possible, you just have to shop in the right stores. My dress is by Casablanca. They have beautiful dresses at great prices. But I did have a mini breakdown at Kleinfeld’s when the dress I wanted was 6000. They were pressuring me to buy it and my mom was freaking out doing mental math. I took one look at her and my whole shopping experience was ruined, to much pressure. Much happier now!

6/16/11 @ 6:48 pm (reply)

Member

bRooklynRocks (message) 3,767 posts, Honey bee

Ah, I did set a budget but I was waaaayyy under budget. I think FI’s suit costs as much as my dress. I ended up going with a lace Pronovias. I knew I wanted a lace dress but most of them were so expensive. I’m glad I got what I wanted. And that picture from CL is so hilarious!

6/16/11 @ 6:53 pm (reply)

Member

xtatic1 (message) 778 posts, Busy bee

You have to feel beautiful but it doesn’t take a $5000 dress to do the trick. I knew I would find a dress I loved for under $1500 even though the ones I lusted after were 4 times that. I just couldn’t justify paying that much for a dress you wear for a day. I got a Enzoani Caldera for $1100 and plan on selling after the wedding to make some of it back and help out a bride in need.

6/16/11 @ 7:00 pm (reply)

Member

squeak35 (message) 2,098 posts, Buzzing bee

My dress budget was $500 max which I went over by $300(alterations included). My reasoning for such a low budget was I could purchase a ready to wear wedding dress. Once my MOH nixed that idea, I went on the hunt for a sample. My Badgley Mischka sample dress is definitely worth going over my budget. I just had my 2nd fitting and you would think they had me in mine when they designed it.

6/16/11 @ 7:07 pm (reply)

Member

Season (message) 45 posts, Newbee

I set a budget and then destroyed it. But I love my dress. I still get buyers remorse sometimes but it’s done now. And I think my fiance will agree when I walk down the aisle that it was so worth it. =)

http://acoloradocourtship.blogspot.com/2011/06/how-i-found-my-dress.html

I think (especially if it’s one of the only items you are paying for yourself) you should have exactly what you want. Don’t go crazy but don’t go craigslist.

6/16/11 @ 7:14 pm (reply)

Guest

weddingmuse

I made my DD’s dress and veil for about $900-worth of French Alencon lace, silk fabric and silk tulle. It’s not for everyone, but in the end, it’s about a $6,000 dress retail, and it fits her perfectly.

6/16/11 @ 7:38 pm (reply)

Bee

Miss Pony (message) 4,174 posts, Honey bee

I knew I would pay for my dress, so I decided to see what was out there that I liked and set a budget from there. It was more than I originally wanted to spend, but I love my dress.

6/16/11 @ 7:47 pm (reply)

10.

Guest

Julie

I set my budget around $1000. I tried on dresses but I had it in 2. The dress I loved cost $1400 there plus alterations. By shopping around and going to the outskirts of town during a sample sale, I found that same dress for $990 including alterations. Don’t be afraid to visit more than one shop even if it means driving around. I know I might have spent a tank of gas driving around but $50 (It was 2007) is way less than $410.

6/16/11 @ 7:50 pm (reply)

11.

Member

arnold palmer (message) 46 posts, Newbee

Its so completely possible to find an awesome dress for cheap. I actually didn’t believe this until it happened to me. My mom was paying for my dress and wanted to stay under 1000 at the ridiculous most. Well I tried on a dress I liked not because of price, just looks and it was the one, so gorgeous. It just happened to be $150.00. It was a sample and a discontinued style. Amazing!! It is possible

6/16/11 @ 8:51 pm (reply)

12.

Guest

Viviana

$1000 totally doable! I’m in the fashion industry and would never spend more than that much for a dress. The only difference is the quality of the fabric but lets face it, do you really need a silk dress?? No! Go poly! As long as you love the style and it makes you feel beautiful that’s all that matters. I was originally going to design and have my dress made but when I fell in love with my enzoani belt and knew I just wanted a simple dress (ended up getting La Sposa fanal), I am simply in love with my wedding look. It is totally me and I didn’t have to compromise my beliefs on over spending. The grand total between belt & dress came to $1100 (we had a little connection tho). Didn’t break the bank but didn’t compromise what I wanted either. Check out David’s Bridal new styles that they came out with…they look amazing!

6/16/11 @ 9:13 pm (reply)

13.

Guest

Dawn

I got my dress off ebay for under $200. It’s brand new and was custom fit. Total steal. It fits perfectly and the fabric is really nice too. I was really impressed with what I got for the price I paid.

6/16/11 @ 9:45 pm (reply)

14.

Guest

Dawn

6/16/11 @ 9:45 pm (reply)

15.

Member

madcat (message) 132 posts, Blushing bee

I got my dress on ebay for $200 but with alterations and cleaning it ended up being more like $600. I wish I’d bought it from a store though, because it ended up being not super-flattering from the back - the front looked great, but the back was about a half size too small. For a savings of about $400, it wasn’t worth it.

6/16/11 @ 10:27 pm (reply)

16.

Member

redheadartgirl (message) 44 posts, Newbee

Check sales and clearances at online bridal shops. I picked my dress up from the clearance section at David’s Bridal for $170. It was EXACTLY what I wanted, and fits so perfectly I don’t even need to have any alterations done. Just be sure you know your exact measurements, because most can’t be returned.

6/16/11 @ 10:50 pm (reply)

17.

Member

In the media (message) 1,568 posts, Bumble bee

I don’t care who is paying for the dress, I refuse to spend more than $1000. I just feel like that’s too much for a day. I’m hoping to get one that I can then have altered into an everyday dress - that way I get my (or someone else’s) money worth.

But I think I should be OK, because a lot of dresses that have a hefty price tag have a lot of bead work and crystals and such that I don’t like.

6/16/11 @ 11:01 pm (reply)

18.

Member

Melanie11 (message) 560 posts, Busy bee

I don’t believe everything can be justified just by saying, “Oh, well, it’s more expensive nowadays”…but with wedding gowns, that really is the case! It seems like you have so few options if you’re looking to spend no more than $1000 (especially if that budget includes alterations, sales tax, etc.) I have no problem buying a used dress, though I’m always hesitant to buy any clothing online because I’d like to see how it looks on me before I drop money on it. Even though you can get it altered, it’s something I’m just not really comfortable with.

When my dad was asking me about my budget breakdown, I told him I was going to try to find a dress for no more than $500. His eyes got huge and he exclaimed, “Five hundred dollars?!?!” - the implication being that $500 was an outrageous expenditure for a wedding dress. I told him he needs to get his head out of 1982 and join the rest of us. $500 is frugal for a wedding gown these days!

I don’t feel that I can justify to myself parting with more than $700 or $800 for a dress I’ll wear once, even if it is an important day - but I’ve resigned myself to the fact that it’s going to be a task to find something that’ll work within that budget.

6/16/11 @ 11:21 pm (reply)

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Member

shannon marie (message) 242 posts, Helper bee

I’m paying for it, i’m wearing it…I didnt listen nor care what anyone in my family thought of my decision. My mother was about the same as yours in previous dress selections. Even with my prom dress I ended up settling because my parents saw a decent price and just bought it even though i was NOT what I would have picked for myself and I didnt want that to happen this time with the most important dress ill ever wear. I only spent about 600 (on sale) for my dress and another 120 for my veil and another 100 for bustling and alterations. My mom and FMIL did ask how much it all was and when I told them they both tried telling me how ridiculous it was but I told them “”its my money.” sometimes its nice being an adult.

6/17/11 @ 12:27 am (reply)

20.

Member

Armywife89 (message) 36 posts, Newbee

I wasnt even planning on getting a dress when I got mine at Davids. I’m in love with it and was less than $700. Although Davids does not tell you this, alterations can be just as much as the dress with them!!! It definitely needs to be considered when shopping. I’m a size 0 and my dream dress is a discontinued size 4 so they were about to charge me $300 just to fix the bodess not to mention the fact that I’m 5 nothing, the hem was another ‘at least $200 without including bustles.” I was floored, and after an hour and a half of standing there in 5 inch heels, and the scissors being used, I said no thanks and had it done elsewhere. So buyers beware and shop around for alterations as well if you buy at davids.

6/17/11 @ 12:51 am (reply)

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