Cost Cutting Measures: The Wedding Gown

Did you know the average wedding ensemble runs $2,000? From the foundations up women spend more money on a wedding dress than they do on any other outfit they will ever wear. You may think that is actually very fitting and how it should be. But do you really need to spend $2000?

The dress itself usually runs about $800. You will probably wear that dress one time. Is it really worth $800?

Here are a few ideas on how to save $800 to $2,000

Borrow a dress: don't you have married friends who are about the same size as you? Didn't you really adore one of their dresses? It is very likely that dress is sitting around, lovingly preserved in a gown box. See if you can borrow it. Instead of spending $800 or more, spend $100 to have the dress cleaned and reboxed after your ceremony. You may find your friend is so flattered you want to wear her gown that she will even pay for the cleaning as a wedding gift.

Rent a dress: many large cities have places that will rent you the perfect gown for about $200. If you are having a destination wedding (Vegas, Miami, New York etc.) you may find this is the best route. You go, pick out the dress and veil, wear it for a day and return it. Keep in mind you will have to be careful as it is a rental, but would you be any less careful if you had spent $2000?

Wear an heirloom: this can be one of the most beautiful ways to get a dress on the cheap and at the same time honor your mother, mother-in-law, grandmother etc. To pull this off you will probably have to find a seamstress skilled in making adjustments on vintage fabric. You may want to make some updates to the dress as well, but don't do so without the express permission of the owner. Once the wedding is over, have the dress preserved and reboxed so another family member can do the same sometime down the road.

Get one on the cheap: you can get really great dresses at sample sales and on eBay. Just remember these are generally non-returnable, so buyer beware. Be willing to try some less expensive fabrics as well. Remember, your photos are the part of the wedding that stay with you. The camera can't tell the difference between $100/yd. satin and $10/yd. sateen.

Don't wear a wedding gown: before you freak out, we are on a website called "a tiny wedding." Think about the average wedding gown. Nothing tiny about it. But if you check the racks shortly after prom time there are going to be plenty of white and off white prom dresses left. Find one you like in your size, add a few embellishments and a veil, and voila! the perfect dress for a tiny wedding. If you are getting married at home, on the beach, in a small chapel or outdoors at all, you won't want a long train which will just get in the way and be filthy at the end of the day anyway.

My favorite:

I have seen a wedding where the bride wore a prom dress she found on a sale at a Deb shop in early July for $12. She added white slippers and had the netting part of a veil tucked into an elaborate bun on her head so the hair made the top of the veil. That netting (precut and finished for a veil) is available at the local craft stores for under $10. She was married in a local park at the Japanese garden. Absolutely Beautiful!

Until tomorrow~Many Blessings