How much is too much?

lisalaroc · November 2009

After getting engaged, I was set on buying my dress at David's Bridal to save money. I am not big into designer anything anyway. Well for fun, my mom and I went to a bridal salon to try on dresses and of course I fell IN LOVE with one that costs $1500. Is that too much to spend on a dress? I am on a bit of a budget since my parents can only cover the reception (which is very generous of them!). Is it selfish to spend that much on a dress? That doesn't even include alterations, headpiece, etc. I just can'timagine anything else being as perfect as this dress. My mom and I both can't stop talking about it. I am really stuck on this!

Anon I. Mouse · November 2009

If you and FI are paying for the wedding I think you only can determine what is comfortable for you. We are paying for our entire wedding - albeit we are having a very small and informal one - and I did not want to spend much on a dress to wear one day. I found a beautiful one that works for me for under $600.For others maybe they are comfortable adding a couple zeros to that but I am not! At the end of the day if you are paying then only you need to decide!

Brie2010 · November 2009

"Too much" is different for everyone. My dress was about $1500 and I don't think it was too much.I would say it's "too much" if it means you have to cut things that benefit your guests. I hate going to a wedding where the bride is clearly wearing a $7,000 Kenneth Pool dress but we're being forced to eat rubber chicken with a cash bar.

hippie4yahweh · November 2009

When I found my dress I shopped around at my local bridal shops. The store I originally found it at did not include alterations and was obviously the lowest price. I ended up buying it from a store that includes alterations (except the bustle, but we already settled that price) and they couldn't match the first shop's price but they cut the difference in half for me! (Plus they've given me 20% off anything else in the store, but I'm going to DIY my veil and I'm getting a headpiece from Etsy) I do not think that $1500 is too much, but it totally depends on how much you have to spend. You should NOT put your budget in jeopardy/ put yourself into debt for a dress. GL!! Shop it around- I hope you can get it!

jenaw · November 2009

I think it's up to you. But if the cost makes you uncomfortable, then my personal opinion is that you should pass and find something you like AND that's in your price range. Even if you don't believe it's out there yet. =^)My Fiance' and I are paying for our entire wedding - from rehearsal dinner to the honeymoon and everything in between. We're really committed to waking up the morning after the wedding and not being in debt. So we really have to stick to our budget. I found a dress I really wanted, but it was out of my price range. Spent the next 6 weeks trying to find someone who could make it, or a used one in my size. Finally came across a boutique in Orange County that was selling their 2008 samples to make room for the 2010 models. (totally stumbled across it doing a google image search for the dress I liked) They had a dress that was similar, but so much more expensive I'd never tried it on. It ended up looking fantastic! Even better than the one I'd originally wanted. What was funny was that when I first tried it on, I liked it. Looked around the store to see what else they had, liked it even more. Decided this was the best price on the best dress I could get, decided to buy it. Took some pictures to send my mom, and when I looked at them the next day, started loving the dress. Went it to the alternations place and put it on, loved, loved, loved it! Can't wait to wear it when we get married.So I got my dress - one that usually costs about $2000 - for $450. Plus $120 with alterations and dry-cleaning. Meaning I stayed under budget! (barely...) I didn't care so much about it being a sample dress, though. Everyone I show the pictures too absolutely loves it too. Do what makes you comfortable - but don't think you have to make a decision immediately. And if you LOVE the dress and don't mind if it's been worn already, check out some of the sites where people are selling theirs. Some good deals on oncewed, preownedweddingdresses, and a few others.

alliecarrie41 · November 2009

too much is what you cannot afford. it is amazing your parents are covering the reception, that is not as common as ppl tend to think anymore. if it's what you love and can afford, get it. you only get married once.

ring_pop · November 2009

$1,500 was way too much for me, but that's me. It really depends what else you have to give up to buy this dress. I decided that I couldn't spend more than $800 total, because if I did, I wouldn't have enough money to invite all of our guests, pay for the photographer & videographer (which were way more important to me than the dress), etc.

luv2race1320 · November 2009

I wouldn't spend $1500, but that's me. I bought a dress for $400 and didn't love it, then found a dress i LOVE for $600. It's never too much if you can afford it :-) People just choose where they want to spend the most and save in other areas to make up for it!!! I'm all about getting the most bang for my buck, I guess cause I'm a mother of 2 I've learned to save whenever I can. Good luck :-)

Moneypenny424 · November 2009

I agree with Brie (as usual

). Too much is what you can't afford. My dress was several thousand dollars, but I could afford it and didn't have to sacrifice anything else to have that dress. Since you feel uncomfortable with it, you really need to look at your numbers. If there is no room for it, keep looking around, get creative and search online, etc. to find something you love that is in your budget.

lacebride · November 2009

Too much is definitely what you can't afford, but if you're looking for 'ballpark' or average dress figures, I would imagine that that is not far off. Whilst the average is irrelevant to some people, it was useful for me because I had no idea how much these things all cost. One I had a ballpark I could place myself better. I personally think that $1500 sounds reasonable if you can afford it. $3000 sounds too much even if someone can afford that. I hope this makes sense.

Mouche1 · November 2009

I agree with everyone who says it's up to you and what you can afford, I don't think 1,500 is too much if it's what you want and can afford.

lookame3639 · November 2009

If you feel uncomfortable with the price but absolutely must have the dress then I suggest try oncewed.com or preownedweddingdresses.com A lot of times you can find a dress you want at a discounted price because they're already owned by another bride. Sometimes they weren't worn at all. I was able to get my Reem Acra gown for 560 and it's original price was 4 grand.

kjane12 · November 2009

I asked that question A LOT before going dress shopping. I got a lot of various answers. Some like to use their entire wedding budget as a guideline, such that your dress can be anywhere from 6% to 12%.Because I'm getting contribution from my parents, my budget is not in stone on their side and my side, which is very dangerous LOL. However when I asked my fiance, he said I should budget the dress as a cost of a paycheck (biweekly), and not feel guilty. And that's what I used. I thought that was awfully generous! I found my dress for much less than that. And I feel much better knowing I'm not sacrificing much else to get my dream dress.I also read the average cost for a wedding dress in the United States is $800. I know some girls can find it for much less, and some girls are willing to pay MUCH MUCH more. That should put your dress shopping in perspective. hope that helps, good luck!

jodyplustwinsx2 · November 2009

I spent $4800 on my dress, including tax and a 20% discount for paying in full. I have no regrets, either. It's THE DRESS and we can afford it. Like pp said, too much is what you can't afford. But $1500 is average to low, I think, and not crazy at all!

VTChristi07 · November 2009

I'm in similar spot as you are. My parents are paying for the reception and everything, they were even going to pay for my dress. But I felt guilty that they were paying for everything that I insisted that I pay for at least something. They agreed that I pay half for a dress. I didn't know how much I wanted to spend. I ended up getting a dress for 1650, which was discounted at 1500. I paid 750 for it, because my parents wanted to pay for the other half of it, even though they felt guilty that they let me pay a dime for it. They wanted to pay for it all. It depends on what you're comfortable with. IF you're comfortable with spending 1500 dollars, then go for it. It's that one day for the rest of your life. Have you tried dresses at Davids Bridal? They have beautiful dresses, but they're not made as well as some of the designer dresses I've tried on. I'm a size four, pretty flat as a board, but I have few flaws that's rarely noticed and when I tried on some of David's Bridal, I felt like the dresses didn't hide all of my tiny flaws. I'm talking about my flat butt, the dresses at David's bridal made me look so FLAT on the back that it looked horrendous. But when I tried on designers I felt like there was more support and there was more details that my butt didn't look flat. David's bridal also throw in that bra/corset piece because lot of girls need it with the dress they get at David's...but with designers you don't really need them, because there's corset sewn in, cup sewn in, etc. etc. There's difference between designers and David's. If you go with David's you may feel a little uncomfortable with some things and end up buying the bra/corset piece when you probably wouldn't with other designer dresses because they're made throughly. Make sense? Davids Bridal has gorgeous dresses, for great prices, but they're not as "supportive" as other dresses.

nvdmeulen · November 2009

if you can find it at another salon then be tricky and try to work the two salons against each other to haggle a better price. I actually did this with my BM dresses (I ordered the ones the girls each picked, and paid for half), and got the one salon to take $50 off each dress. not a lot, but it adds up (saved us $200).my dress was much more than I had planned on it being, and that's AFTER getting them to take $630 off to make it an even $1000. if ever there is a time for one to learn the art of haggling it's when paying for a wedding. I usually just pay the ticket price for whatever, but I haggled EVERYTHING for my wedding.

Barakins · November 2009

I noticed that you are not getting married for a year and 7 months yet. Many girls have dress regrets after making an impulse buy, so I would suggest waiting a bit. Take a note of the dress that you like, and start working with your overall budget. You might check reputable online places, like Pearl's Place, to see if they could do you better for the same dress.

Then again, in 7 months, you might find a dress you like even better.

luv2race1320 · November 2009

I agree on the impulse buying. I know first hand. I bought a gown and bridesmaids dresses and ended up returning them all and buying new gown and new bridesmaids dresses. Fortunately I was able to return them or I would have been stuck like chuck. I would definitely take time to shop around!

liashke · November 2009

Obviously what you can or can't afford is going to factor into the decision. Only you can truly judge that.My suggestion is to do all the research you can about that particular dress. You found it in a salon. Did you get the style number/name/designer and all that info? Or even if you only have the designer name, you can dig through a website to hopefully find out the name/style number. Then start looking for other places to get it. Some reputable online places might carry it for less (Pearl's Place is often recommended). Find other prices. Consider alteration costs. If the price doesn't change much or at all after your research, then you're down to the individual decision of can you afford it. But you might feel more comfortable with that decision if you know you did all you could to get the best deal.I'd also suggest looking around more if that was the first/only salon you've been to. Again, if you decide to spend the money, you'll have the reassurance that you did look for one you like as much but costs less.In my case, I fell in love with a Limited Edition dress that Pearl's Place wouldn't sell online even though they carry the line in-store and there was only one local shop I could get it. Kind of limited my options there, so I was down to the can-I-afford-it question (mine was also $1500). I decided I liked it enough and yes, I could personally afford it even though it would have made more sense to use that money elsewhere. I consider the extra money my personal expense and not part of the combined budget. And I tried on enough dresses in the search process that I was quite sure this one was different enough and more Me than anything else I'd seen.

[Deleted User] · November 2009

How much is too much is a question that depends on two things:1. Your individual budget for your entire wedding.2. What the market has to offer.I would avoid committing to any dress, no matter how beautiful, until you have visited all of the surrounding stores in your area and see what they have to offer.Since this gown is probably going to be the most expensive garment you are going to buy for a long time, you need to be certain you are making an informed decision.You don't just want to buy the first dress that looks fabulous on you and then find out there was one that you liked better.You want to buy the best dress that looks fabulous on you for the amount of money you are willing to spend.Before committing to this dress, be certain to look at other stores too. At least that way you will have the peace of mind that you explored all your options, and you will have a greater sense of certainty when you make a decision.

kjane12 · November 2009

When I googled it, I found another source reading that the cost of the average wedding dress is $1505 (bridal Associatino of America). They seemed to have the numbers to back up those statistics. The source that said it was $800 was from WETV's Bridezillas. Now it's up to you and your budget to make the decision if 1500 is too much for you to spend. If you can bargain them down to your price point, you'll feel much better. Good luck!

jenn.daniel · November 2009

This is one of those things, IMO, where if you have to ask...don't do it. pp suggested waiting; maybe you should find other things you can save money on so paying $1500 doesn't sound like so much.

XOXOBride09 · November 2009

Seriously try Pearl's Place in New Orleans. I found my dress at a salon in Virginia and it was $800. I got it from Pearls for $450 and paid $12 shipping. My mom was really skeptical and wanted to pay the full price at the salon just to be "safe" but I told her that was ridiculous. I am proud to say that I got the right dress in the right size earlier than I expected and it is awesome. If you are on a budget and you love that dress at least call them and see what they say.I don't think it is selfish to pay that much for a dress.

luv2race1320 · November 2009

It never hurts to ask. I love a bargain but never been one to haggle till now. The 2nd dress that I saw and loved and wanted that I have now, when I asked how much, she said $780, which was $180 more then I wanted to spend and I let her know that it was out of my price range. I had set in my mind that if I could get that dress for $200 more then what I paid for my first dress it was a done deal. So she asked what price range was I looking for and I told her $600. She thought about it and was like "ok I can work with that, plus tax" LOL When I got the dress for the price I wanted (which was totally within reason, it's not like I was askign her to take off $500 or anything) I knew it was meant to be :-) BUT never ever did I think I would spend $600 on a dress, I'm just not a big spender, I'm all about getting the most bang for my buck LOL but really $600 for a beautiful wedding gown is so worth it. I personally would never spend thousands on a dress, it's just not me. What I don't understand is how some girls spend so much money on a beautiful dress then only wear it for the ceremony and have a 2nd dress for the reception??? Forget that, my dress is so beautfiul I want to wear it the whole night since after all it is the only night I will be wearing it. My $.02

jjax214 · November 2009

I get to boost that my dress happened to be on the $99 sales at Davids the day I was dragged in (literally) by my mother, and I will also say that even if it had been regular price ($900) I would have bought it because it is fabulous. My parents are giving us a certain amount, so my goal is to stay under that - but I would have happily paid for the perfect dress myself. I think if you love this dress then its completely worth it!

tommyandy · November 2009

I agree with a pp, wait until another bride buys it & doesn't wear it.

blondie82784 · November 2009

I found that davids bridal had a lot of the same dresses as a lot of designers. I ended up getting two dresses for the price of one because I choose to go to davids bridal. I found the same dress I wanted at half the price and the material seemed close enough to the other one. You have time to choose so go out and look more.

karinam530 · November 2009

I suggest shopping around first. I ended up spending more on my dress than I originally intended, but only after I tried on less expensive dresses. If you find something that is less expensive that you equally love, you'll get exactly what you wanted. If you end up going for the more expensive dress, at least you know that there wasn't a cheaper option out there and you won't feel guilty about spending that much money.

mrsbaker2009 · November 2009

My situation is different than yours, but we had a set budget for our wedding (including the reception). I personally didn't want to spend more than a $600 on a wedding dress because I wanted us to use our money elsewhere for the wedding--photographer, catering, and venues. I didn't feel comfortable spending more than that on a dress I would only wear one day, and luckily, I found a dress at David's Bridal for $565. However, if you have the money, and you don't have a tight budget, I would say go for it! It's your big day, and if there are no financial costs holding you back, you should do it.

Calypso1977 · November 2009

personally, i think it is. but, you are really the only one who can decide this.you wear it once. would you spend $1500 on anything else taht only had a one time use/need?a good rule of thumb for all brides is only look at/try on dresses that are at or below your pre-set budgeted amount. then you never fall in love with somethign you cannot afford.

pamfr12 · November 2009

I agree with pp, "too much" depends on your budget. My sister spent $4000 on her dress (lucky for me we are the same size and it was a classic dress so I wore it a few years later). That same year I just happen to be looking around on ebay (mostly out of curiosity and because another friend of mine told me she got her beautiful wedding dress on ebay for only $25) and I found the exact dress for only $600. If you find the dress at a shop and not a designer's shop there are also online shops (like Pearl's Place) that you can check out that may be able to order the dress from the designer for a fraction of the price a brick and mortar shop can get it to you for. I would shop around and check other shops if this is the dress you have your heart set on, IMHO if you love it that much, it should be yours on your special day.

How much is too much?

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