For many brides, the dress is among the most important cosmetic components of the wedding. Why wouldn't it be? Aside from high school prom, what occasion does your average person have to get all glamorous? For me, the dress wasn't ultimately something I cared very much about, but I came to find that it still mattered to everyone else. At first I thought this was silly, but it actually makes sense. The garb of the uniting couple (or more traditionally, the bride) defines apparel selection for all of the attendants. Planning a wedding demands that you determine your "bride type." Are you a "traditional bride" desirous of all things lacy, white, and able-to-be- bustled? Are you the "simple" type, coveting all that is understated and ruffle-free? Are you completely "non-traditional," becoming slightly nauseated at the thought of anything the color white touching your skin and/or fearing the term "floorlength"? Your "type" will determine two things - 1) the overall feel of your wedding and of course 2) your dress. I'll be upfront -- if your dream dress is something shmancy, you're going to have a little more difficulty than the "simple bride" in terms of affordability.
Being a decidedly simple bride, I bought a decidedly simple dress. For a couple of really elegant and inexpesive options, I recommend checking out J. Crew's online wedding catalog. You'll note that that there are dresses priced in the low range and high range and not much in between. The only con is that you have to order the dress online and can't try it on before making a purchase. The good news is that any J. Crew store will fit you and place the order in the store, and returns are fairly simple, should it not be what you are expecting. Also, if you aren't dead set on a floor-length dress, check out the "bridesmaids" section. These dresses are usually very reasonably priced and come in a variety of colors, including white (for some, not all).
If you are not a "traditional bride" (white wedding, veil, etc), you may not want to get a traditional dress. Women choose to wear all kinds of colors for their weddings. You'll note on the J Crew website that many dresses are standardly offered in white, ivory, and champagne. These "off white" colors are very popular, and can open doors to other dresses that are not sold as "wedding" attire. In Chinese tradition, red is worn rather than white (white = death, red = love, joy, prosperity). Deciding to wear something colorful will open up even more shopping options to you (and you can definitely avoid use of the word "wedding" while browsing the prices in this case). Hand-me-downs are a less popular but very practical option. Brides wear their dresses an average of... calculating.... yeah, once. If your mom tries to pass on her 80's wedding gown with really puffy sleeves and shoulder pads, don't reject the offer outright. If some components of the dress are of interest to you, you can look into having the dress altered to reflect your style (if your mom/relative/friend wouldn't be upset with you cutting into the thing). Tailors can be expensive, too. It depends on what you want done.
If you are not a "decidely simple bride" and assuredly want the traditional wedding dress with lace trim, and a train, and maybe some ruffles or something, you will have a hard time finding a dress lower than the $500-$1000 range (and it can go much higher than that). If affordability is an issue, shop the sales and look for gowns that are "last year's style" (if it's your style, who cares in what year other people thought it was awesome). Hand-me-downs aren't out of the question for you either. It may be cheaper to have a dress that has been passed on to you altered than to buy one that is entirely new.
I wasn't impressed with the David's Bridal selection (everything is strapless, which it something I personally dislike), but I know many others who have been satisfied with their purchases. I mention them because they do offer affordable options and frequently have sales on dresses. David's Bridal is also a national chain, so you shouldn't have trouble finding a relatively local store. Note: unless you want lots of email spam and random phone calls from associated vendors, do NOT fill out the registration form. The website makes it look like you have to do this, but there is a small "close" button in the window somewhere. I clearly learned this the hard way.
I like Alfred Angelo's selection of dresses. Again, many of them are very expensive, but you can find decent options that are reasonably priced. I don't know that this store is as ubiquitous as David's Bridal.
One last piece of advice: if you aren't a brand snob, seek out the knock-offs. If you live in an urban area, take a trip to your local Chinatown (or equivalent) and look for dress boutiques. If you can find a deal anywhere, it's probably there.
Being a decidedly simple bride, I bought a decidedly simple dress. For a couple of really elegant and inexpesive options, I recommend checking out J. Crew's online wedding catalog. You'll note that that there are dresses priced in the low range and high range and not much in between. The only con is that you have to order the dress online and can't try it on before making a purchase. The good news is that any J. Crew store will fit you and place the order in the store, and returns are fairly simple, should it not be what you are expecting. Also, if you aren't dead set on a floor-length dress, check out the "bridesmaids" section. These dresses are usually very reasonably priced and come in a variety of colors, including white (for some, not all).
If you are not a "traditional bride" (white wedding, veil, etc), you may not want to get a traditional dress. Women choose to wear all kinds of colors for their weddings. You'll note on the J Crew website that many dresses are standardly offered in white, ivory, and champagne. These "off white" colors are very popular, and can open doors to other dresses that are not sold as "wedding" attire. In Chinese tradition, red is worn rather than white (white = death, red = love, joy, prosperity). Deciding to wear something colorful will open up even more shopping options to you (and you can definitely avoid use of the word "wedding" while browsing the prices in this case). Hand-me-downs are a less popular but very practical option. Brides wear their dresses an average of... calculating.... yeah, once. If your mom tries to pass on her 80's wedding gown with really puffy sleeves and shoulder pads, don't reject the offer outright. If some components of the dress are of interest to you, you can look into having the dress altered to reflect your style (if your mom/relative/friend wouldn't be upset with you cutting into the thing). Tailors can be expensive, too. It depends on what you want done.
If you are not a "decidely simple bride" and assuredly want the traditional wedding dress with lace trim, and a train, and maybe some ruffles or something, you will have a hard time finding a dress lower than the $500-$1000 range (and it can go much higher than that). If affordability is an issue, shop the sales and look for gowns that are "last year's style" (if it's your style, who cares in what year other people thought it was awesome). Hand-me-downs aren't out of the question for you either. It may be cheaper to have a dress that has been passed on to you altered than to buy one that is entirely new.
I wasn't impressed with the David's Bridal selection (everything is strapless, which it something I personally dislike), but I know many others who have been satisfied with their purchases. I mention them because they do offer affordable options and frequently have sales on dresses. David's Bridal is also a national chain, so you shouldn't have trouble finding a relatively local store. Note: unless you want lots of email spam and random phone calls from associated vendors, do NOT fill out the registration form. The website makes it look like you have to do this, but there is a small "close" button in the window somewhere. I clearly learned this the hard way.
I like Alfred Angelo's selection of dresses. Again, many of them are very expensive, but you can find decent options that are reasonably priced. I don't know that this store is as ubiquitous as David's Bridal.
One last piece of advice: if you aren't a brand snob, seek out the knock-offs. If you live in an urban area, take a trip to your local Chinatown (or equivalent) and look for dress boutiques. If you can find a deal anywhere, it's probably there.
2 comments:
I ordered my wedding dress from JCrew! I organized my wedding in less than two weeks, and it was perfect.
I hear ya! I got my dress at a locally owned bridal shop in Leesburg, Virginia. 1 woman owned it and did all the alterations on site herself. It was a fantastic experiance!
Post a Comment