Realistic Gown budget?

LindsMullinix

Hi Ladies - I am in the DC area (Montgomery County, MD) and just starting to think about wedding dress shopping.  I wanted to ask around and see what a realistic budget is in this area - I know this may vary depending on income level etc but I was thinking I'd like to try and stay around 1k, is that reasonable or am I crazy?!  Any input would be greatly appreciated - Thanks in advance

PS - If anyone knows of a shop with a good selection of affordable but beautiful gowns I'm willing to make a road trip out of it

nazacewed

I got my gown from netbride.com for ~ $400.  I found the dress I wanted in a store and ordered it from them.  They have bridesmaid dresses too, which I also ordered from them.  (they don't have every designer though, but most of the major ones).  I don't see why anyone should have to spend so much for a dress you're going to wear for a few hours!  Just my opinion though

LindsMullinix

Thank you - I was actually considering them for my bridesmaids -how far in advance did you order your gown, which designer did you go with if you dont mind my asking?  Thanks again!!

emisi

I got my dress as a sample they were selling.  It was originally $1500, I got it for $500.  It's an Anjolique.

essian

I also had a budget of $1000 for my dress and I even ended up spending less on a beautiful gown that I absolutely love.

Anyway, you can check out Rosalin's Bridal Boutique in Falls Church. They have beautiful gowns at affordable prices.That is where I  bought my dress. Good Luck!

LindsMullinix

essian would you mind sharing who the designer was?  I am trying to do some browsing online and dont know which designers to look into budget wise - Thanks!

DEETZEL

you can try blush bridal boutique in gainesville, va or moni's bridal boutique in old town manassas, va.  i didn't really have a budget in mind when i was dress shopping, but both places had dresses well within that price point, and i ended up with a dress from blush that was under 1k, so it's definitely a realistic number.

essian

Not at all. It was Allure Bridal. Maggie Sottero and Demetrios also make beautiful gowns around 1k.

mayabear

Look at Essense of Australia dresses too. There are some good "once worn" bridal websites as well where ladies sell their designer dresses for way less than you'd pay in a boutique

katemvirginia

I got my gown @ TLC Bridal in Frederick MD. the whole store has georgeous dresses & the whole runs to about $1200 tops. MY dress is by Justin Alexander. It was my first time there so I got 10% off & paid $700ish for my gown. happy to help!

Kate

2dBride

We got each of our dresses for under $500 from La Bella Bridal in Occoquan, VA, which I can heartily recommend.  They have consignment, sample, and new gowns.  The owner, Ellalyne Brayman, was totally amazing!

When we made our appointment, Ellalyne asked us about our preferences and sizes, so she could have some items picked out for us before we even arrived. Our requirements were tough. I'm a plus size. I was 55, and NotFroofy was 40, so dresses designed for people in their 20s wouldn't work for us. Because there were two brides, we needed outfits that would complement each other. NotFroofy is 5'1", and I'm 5'9", so identical gowns were not going to happen for us. Our budget was low: no more than $500 per dress.

When we arrived, we were the only people in the store, and Ellalyne gave us her full attention. She listened carefully to our preferences, and had an eye for what would look good on us, so we weren't trying on a bunch of impossible gowns. LaBella has consignment gowns as well as new ones, which helped keep the price down. (And she didn't try to push us toward more expensive ones than we could afford.) Throughout the visit, she was warm and gracious. While it was clear that working with a lesbian couple was a new experience for her, she was clearly accepting of us. And unlike some salons, she worked to find something that would look good with our figures, instead of suggesting that we were the "wrong" size or shape.

Both of us found "the dress" there. In each case, it was a dress that we never would have given a second glance to on the rack. However, Ellalyne picked it out, and it turned out to be perfect, with clean, elegant lines that covered our problem figure areas and enhanced our good areas.

Ellalyne showed us veils on our first visit. There were a couple that we really liked, but we were still going through sticker shock on veil prices, and decided to look for something less expensive. However, she called us a few weeks later to let us know that veils would be 50% off that week. We went back and got two gorgeous veils (again different, but complementary) for under $100 each.

Another possibility, closer to home, is I Do, I Do in Gaithersburg.