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I kind of feel alone in some of these threads. Are there any other brides out there with what is considered a super low dress budget?! I know my options buy it used, buy a bridesmaids dress, buy a knock off... just to name a few. I'm happy about the decision we made to have an affordable wedding.
Compared to my cousins I have a huge budget. My one cousin got hers for $25 it was a brand new davids bridal dress in the store it cost $850, and my other cousin got hers for $50 its a beautiful designer mermaid dress off ebay. Were a frugal family. How are you all doing on your search? Any great finds or horror stories?
I was just going to suggest David's Bridal. Have you thought about having a seamstress make it? Anyway, try not to be upset about it. You and your FI chose what is best for the two of you. Nobody can argue with that.
What would you say your style is? Are you having a large wedding or small and intimate? It is totally doable and I recommend looking a JCrew, the have beautiful dresses or even I know some people who buy Ivory or white bridesmaid dresses. FWIW, my dress was under $100 and CAN wear it again and will next summer at our anniversary party! :)
My budget is low. We don't have much money and his family wasn't really willing to help him get married. So we use DIY options. For dresses... ebay is good! There are some real nice ones from China and all over. Just be sure to get it larger that ya think cause you make it smaller a lot easier than make it larger. david's bridal sometimes have that $99 dress sales. There are places like "Brides for Breast cancer" shows that go all over the US and they are designer gowns donated to sell for a lot less. It goes towards Cancer awarness. (Google it!) =) Use your friends, cousins, moms? You can always have it altered and fixed to your style and size. Another option.. make it! If your wedding isn't too formal or something. Great patterns to follow!
I bought my dress from a friend that never got a chance to wear it. They had been engaged for a month and she found this dress she liked allright and then they broke up! She said she would never wear it if she got married. She sold it all to me.. petticoats, veil, and dress for $600. She paid over $1200 for it all. My budget was 800 so I get to alter it with a friend of my mom's to be the dress of my dreams!
Good luck!! Let us know what and where ya find it!
Check online shops, most have a decent return policy. What I would do is go to a few bridal shops and try on dresses - see if they have any floor models they'd be willing to sell you. If not, at least you know what style looks good on you. I think it's important to try some on in person though because at least for me what I had in my head was different than what actually looked good on. $300 may be pushing it even for selling off the floor, but some bridal shops have great clearance sales, I saw a lot up here in PA for under that price, especially at the smaller not super fancy boutiques. If you can't find anything in person, but have tried stuff on and know what looks good then go online.
Lots of shops are selling wedding dresses now
The thing about David's Bridal is that the dresses are relatively inexpensive...but they will rob you blind with alterations. I saved several hundred dollars by getting my alterations done elsewhere. Just keep in mind, wherever you go, dress shops pretty much make their money by charging obscene amounts for alterations.
Shop shop shop...My duaghter and I were 'shopping' for her dress...really just fooling around as we planned to shop with her FMIL. We were in a very expensive shop...she tried on a dress totally unlike anything on her inspiration boards just for the heck of it and we both new it was th one. she cried. I cried. I couldn't imagine the price. Imaginen my surprise to find out it was on sale and marked down to $200! It's beautiful. You can find lots of huge mark downs..this was more than 80%. The funny end of the story is my daughter starts working at that shop next week...her second part time job for a full time studenT
I didn't even have a budget, I just needed cheap. I wasn't even going to buy a *real* wedding dress, b/c I couldn't afford it. I found a dress on the classifieds here, a sample dress with tags still attached, for $85. With shipping, I paid $115 and then paid $200 in alterations. My dress was bought buy the original seller as a sample for $300, and it retailed for $800. It can be done!! I didn't really get the luxury of the dress of my dreams, but it's still a beautiful dress, within my means, and I'm happy! :)
I say shop around. Check online, check craigslist. I actually was given a free wedding dress off craigslist. I was going to wear it until I found my dream dress. I got my dress off the marketplace on facebook. It is brand new with tags, $1000 retail price. I got it for $50, $80 after shipping. It was a wedding that was called off. Depending on your style and your size, I can offer you the free wedding dress I was going to wear, just pay for shipping.
I got my dress from Milly Bridal and I love it. I just went to try on different styles in the salons and asked if Milly Bridal if they could do a custom dress. I got my dress for about $300 and I did not need alterations since it was custom made. I took a risk getting my dress made in China, but it paid off and I saved so much money.
I second the J.Crew suggestion! I stalked their sale section for a few weeks and got my dress for less than $80 -- and because their size charts are pretty accurate and they offer petite/tall sizing, I didn't need any alterations.
I also think Nordstrom's online selection is awesome if you are looking for a simple, elegant gown -- they have a "Wedding Shop" link and most of the dresses are under $200.
check out local salons , we have one locally that had very VERY affordable dresses. Have you checked out the classifieds here??
i found my beautiful romona keveza dress on ebay - it cost 325 inlc shipping.
one trick is to look for listings marked "buy it now or best offer". they wanted 500 for my dress, i made my best offer 300 and SOLD! it was a sample from a bridal store going out of business in near perfect condition.
if you know which designers you like look for those on ebay. i was shocked at what i could find!
this is a lovely maggie sottero for 399 or best offer just as an example and they seem to have a return policy- http://cgi.ebay.com/Maggie-Sottero-Genevieve-Wedding-Dress-in-Size-10_W0QQitemZ310165280062QQcmdZViewItemQQptZWedding_Dresses?hash=item48374a953e&_trksid=p3911.c0.m14
A couple of weeks ago, we were volunteering at a thrift store that benefits a women's home. They had a great selection of wedding dresses (about 2 dozen). One of my sister's friends bought her dress there for $30 (it was marked $50, but they were having a sale). It was a Watters & Watters, apparently a sample because it still had the tags on it but had a few rips in the tulle. However, the bride decided she could add pick-ups (plus it was too long). Couldn't beat the price!
I started with a dress budget of $300 and ended up finding a dress for $560. Now I don't think I want to keep my original dress and am considering selling it and going back to my original $300 budget. Davids Bridal is great... I've heard horrible things but I had an awesome experience with them when I first started trying on dresses. My friend's wedding dress (which she paid full price for) is now on sale for $99! I am probably going to go back and just shop off their sale rack or something.
You're not alone!
Nordstrom has some beautiful wedding gowns at very reasonable prices.
My sister got her dress from Nordstrom's and with alterations I think it was under $400. I got a destination dress (as opposed to a big fancy bridal ballgown) and paid around $600 for it, including alterations. I would suggest trying on dresses at bridal shops to figure out what style and silhouette you like, then hit the classifieds!!
Posh Girl Vintage also has great wedding dresses and quite a few of them are in your budget (www.poshgirlvintage.com).
My dress was $250 at Filene's Basement ROTB. Alterations will likely cost me another $200, but probably could have them done somewhere less expensive since it doesn't need a ton of work (I'm just paranoid so I'm going to the same place several friends have gone to!).
You absolutely can find a dress for $300, including alterations. It may require a bit more work and hunting, but you can do it! Good luck.
I definitely think you can find a dress you like for that price, although it might take some hunting around. I definitely think you'd be smart to check some department stores and online sources to see if there's an option. JCrew's final sale is always an awesome place to find deals--they have so many wedding-worthy dresses. You can also try craigslist or preownedweddingdresses.com for people who might be trying to resell their dresses. I know a someone who got a brand-new Priscilla of Boston dress on Craigslist from someone who had bought two dresses and decided to wear the other.
Just be creative and flexible and I think you'll have a lot of options!
I have a similar dress budget, and (although I'm debating on wearing a white dress for the reception or not) I would get a white bridesmaid dress! Alfred Angelo makes most of their dresses in all colors and many are very affordable :)
JCrew! They have some great dresses that are around $300. It can be done!!
I spent $125!
I wrote about my experience in my Bio (http://bios.weddingbee.com/topic/125-1)
So, my advice: check eBay, and other sites...DB does have good sales as well...and also, look for prom or bridesmaids gowns in white or ivory =)
I got mine for $250 from David's and it didn't even need to be altered. I'd check their site, because their outlet and sales items are prety awesome. Amazon.com is good, and so is e-bay!
I didn't expect to come back to this many responses. Thanks for all the encouragement. Normally I love finding good deals so this is very normal for me lol. I love finding a great deal. I feel like I have a lot of really good options, thanks for the advice everyone!
We are having a semi formal wedding, with 100 people, in august of 2010. I'm looking for an a-line, floor length, hopefully lace up back, ivory dress. I am pretty busty, and a size 10. FI lost his job so our budget needs to stay on track or under if possible. Were just using the time we have to find great deals, and save up money.
@bvig Those dresses are so pretty, and in my price range! Thanks!
@missgreen My style is vintage, and classic.
@jubyju22 I love aria's site!
@creme de violet I even have them bookmarked already. 
also check the below site. they have quite a few dresses in your range and are quick to answer emails, i have no idea about the final product although they have plenty of recent reviews that seem to be great....
I agree with jkoala in that Filene's Basement could be an excellent resource. I have not started looking at dresses at all yet, but I have heard several stories from friends about good finds there. I'm just excited for the experience, I guess. Who wouldn't want to wake up at 3 AM and wait in line for several hours????? (I tried out for American Idol, so I have experience with THAT! lol. I digress.) ANYHOW, this is the website: http://www.filenesbasement.com/bridal/ Plus, in Cleveland, I hear that it doesn't get as crazy like some other cities in the country. Not sure where you're from, but it's an idea! Either way, I commend you for sticking to a budget. I already know I'm going to get suckered into paying more than I should... sigh.
@GI josephine I'm just a 20 minute drive to cleveland. The sale there is next month. I'm excited for it.
I've read great stories about brides finding their dress at the Running of the Brides at Filene's. And what a great story it would make! I read some tips somewhere online. I'll try to find it and post the link.
http://www.houseofbrides.com/ is an online retailer of tons of different brands of dresses, and I've found a few brands that are around that price range.
@lostinthemission: excellent! you'll have to let me know how it goes! I plan on going next year. Have you been to Catan's for dresses????
@lostinthemission: they have an awesome dress selection.. bride and bridesmaid. every designer I've looked at, they carry at least a partial collection. good luck!!!
My dress was $198 and I got it at a local bridal store. There are LOTS of great options if you "think outside the box"-ie: a bridesmaid or formal dress in white or ivory, consignment shops (I've seen some beautiful dresses in consignment shops) vintage clothing shops, etc.
I bought my dress at Aria. You can look at their wedding gowns or their bridesmaid gowns. Some styles are the same for bride as for bridesmaid, but in their bridal pictures they tend to favor the satin fabric, which I loathe.
I ordered style 162 in the color dove, which is exactly what I had been looking for, exactly what I had been fantasizing about, and exactly what I wasn't finding anywhere I looked. The only places that sell this high-neck style are the very high end designers, and I wasn't about to blow a thousand or more on a dress I'm going to wear once.
The dress was $225, and I paid $20 for extra length (I'm a tall gal), and I paid $38 extra for a wider sash, same color as the dress. All told, I spent $298 on my dress, and that includes shipping. I'll have it in two to three months.
Before ordering, I spent almost $30 ($15 to ship to me, $15 to ship back) to "try on" a dress. They mailed me the exact style I wanted in my size in an unusual color, but I got a chance to try the dress on and dance around in it when my fiance was on a business trip. The dress is 100% silk shantung, and it's lined. I'm not near any of their stores, so I was willing to pay an extra few dollars for the satisfaction of knowing it fits and looks good. You can see it below, if you excuse the lame self-portrait. Picture it in white, with a white sash, and picture it going down all the way to the floor. Not bad, huh? (And yes, I'm wearing the glasses on the big day!)
Now, between you and me and everyone else in on this thread, I don't have a dress budget. If I came home and said I wanted a dress that cost $3,000, my fiance would tell me that we could find a way to make it work. But I didn't want us to spend that much, and I didn't like anything that I was seeing. I wouldn't recommend this route for every bride. Mine is a very simple wedding dress. But it's exactly what I was looking for. And for $298...
Good luck to you. You'll find something beautiful.
here is the link: http://shop.nordstrom.com/S/2920433?Category=&Search=True&SearchType=guidednav&keyword=bridal+in+Women%27s+Apparel+%3e+Dress+Shop+%3e+BCBGMAXAZRIA&origin=searchresults
What everyone said about alterations is TRUE. Alfred Angelo was trying to get my maids to buy the wrong sizes so it would be altered!!!! My dress cost 540 and alterations were 440! So beware with the discount shops.
My girlfriend got a brand new $2000 designer dress on Ebay for 200 and her bustle cost 50bucks at the dry cleaners by her house. She went to a regular store, tried on dresses found one she liked and found it brand new on ebay.
Good luck!
I'm having mine made from scratch by a dressmaker for less than $300. Admittedly, it's not the big, princess ballgown that so many people like, but it's unique and beautiful and exactly what I wanted from the start. When I got really frustrated just trying to find anything that resembled what I had in mind and didn't cost a million dollars, I decided to take a shot and see what it would cost from a dressmaker. I was pleasantly surprised at what she quoted. I'm having the dress of my dreams custom made for less than a lot of bridesmaid dresses and even supported the local economy and a local craftswoman to boot. Definitely don't count out that option if your taste runs toward the simple.
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