When it comes to planning a wedding, saving money on the wedding dress is one of the more interesting items on the budget saving list. That is because wedding costs can easily be marked up due to the emotion brides tie in to their weddings. If a bride is able to step back and take a more rational approach to her wedding planning, she will tend to do a better job staying on her budget
When it comes to planning a wedding, saving money on the wedding dress is one of the more interesting items on the budget saving list. That is because wedding costs can easily be marked up due to the emotion brides tie in to their weddings. If a bride is able to step back and take a more rational approach to her wedding planning, she will tend to do a better job staying on her budget
That wedding dress tends to be quite emotional because for many brides that is one of the things they’ve dreamed about since childhood: how they would one day look as the beautiful bride in their beautiful dress on their beautiful wedding day.
So do your best to stay rational, and you will definitely find your elegant perfect dress. And you don’t have to compromise your budget either!
So here are five of my tips on how to get that beautiful wedding dress on your budget.
1) Go shopping off-season
Last-season and off-season would mean a November and December time frame. This is also the season when the bridal industry slows down so you should find lower prices and find more flexibility with your vendors
2) Purchase your dress accessories separately
For convenience you can get your accessories at the bridal store where you get your dress, but the convenience also means a healthy markup. For purchasing accessories, other stores like craft stores or eBay or Amazon would be great for this. You could get an inexpensive veil, gloves, tiara, jewelry, etc. at other locations other than the bridal store.
3) Favor simplicity over extravagant
Weddings are becoming less traditional these days. I think due to more independence and creative thought from women as time passes (YAY!). For example, delicious cupcakes in place of the traditional cake. Non-floral artsy glass centerpieces instead of the traditional flowers. In this case, simple and classic gowns instead of the traditional expensive gown! Widening your field this way opens you to more options and dresses for under $200! As an example of a Google search I just did, I found Light In The Box with some simple and elegant modern dresses for under $200!
4) You do not need to find a dress that is an exact fit
Your gown will need to be altered anyway regardless of if it is an exact fit or not. Consult your tailor or seamstress to get an idea of how much alterations cost. This will give you a better idea of what needs to fit better and what may not need to fit exactly which will widen the number of dresses you can choose from. Having a larger number to choose from is better in terms of probability of finding one you like at a lower cost.
5) eBay and Amazon!!
I had previously mentioned eBay and Amazon for accessories. But make sure to check them both out for dresses as well! In fact, I had just searched eBay and found quite a few wedding vendors with elegant fashions for less than $200. Just beware, eBay is buyer beware so look for high feedback rating and good feedback. If you can use PayPal for payment, they are very consumer friendly as well. Go ahead and take a look through eBay because you’ll probably find many choices for $200 that are comparable to those you might see in a bridal store for $1500.
One book I use as a resource, “Amazing Wedding Planning”, has a section dedicated to eBay and dresses. The author gives her resources to help you find your perfect look for as little as $50. Check my website out for the link to her book.
For Amazon, just search for wedding dresses under 100 (or see the link in the resource box). Some of them are quite nice and the vendors are Amazon approved!
I hope you find these tips helpful, and I especially hope you can use them to find your dream look without breaking your budget!
