Cost Cutting Measures: The 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!
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Wedding Secrets
How to Have a Fairytale Wedding
on a Shoestring Budget
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Did You Know?
The
most popular hotels
and reception sites book up months and sometimes
years in advance.
The
average wedding gown runs over $800 and the average complete bridal
ensemble sets the purchaser back over $2000.
The
buffet is
the most popular way to serve guests the reception meal. The
reception takes up 30% of the average total wedding budget.
Only
60% of brides opt to completely change
their surname.
The
average
honeymoon is a week long AND couples spend nearly 4X the amount on
their honeymoon that they would on a regular vacation. The
result
is a 12 billion dollar a year industry.
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