Say yes to the cheap dress?

kmcconnell21 · February 2010

Hello future Brides. My name is Kim, and I'm new to the message boards, but not new to theknot.com. My Fiance and I have been engaged for a while, and have a little over a year to go before the big day . . . so I have plenty of time to plan!

One dilemma-

I believe in splurging in some areas of my budget and saving in others.

I'm thinking about cutting back on my budget for wedding dresses by purchasing a gown for under $2,000. My Mom thinks I shouldn't skimp on the dress, because "it's one of the most important elements of the wedding," and that this is one area in my budget to splurge.

With a dress under $2000 I will probably have to forgo the fancy beading, designer label, and high quality fabric. But, I think there are some pretty good options out there, especially over at J. Crew. Plus, I believe you can always jazz up a plain dress with the right accessories.

So what does everyone think? Save or Splurge on the dress?

Oh, and I posted my 3 top picks for gowns under $2000 from J. Crew here:

http://kimsharper.wordpress.com/

Looking forward to your thoughts . . .

*tinkertoy* · February 2010

I think it's insane to spend $2000 on anything you are going to only wear/use once. You can DEFINITELY find gorgeous, quality dresses under that amount.

I personally am going to set my dress budget at $800 total.

hope2005r · February 2010

My dress was normally a $1000 dress..I found it on sale for $500! I would be sick if I spent more than that on a dress that will be worn once. You can can an amazing dress well under $2000. I am assuming your wedding is going to be a top dollar wedding if you think 2K is skimping...

kmcconnell21 · February 2010

Hope - I wouldn't say that I'm having a top dollar wedding. I think my budget is close to what's considered "average" for a wedding in California.

And thanks everyone for the Pronovias and Demetrios link. I'm checking that out right now!

crazykate2011 · February 2010

you should do what you want - if mom is paying for the wedding maybe get it some thought

brokenhallelujah · February 2010

I only spent $200 on mine... just didn't have a big budget, but I fell in love with it and love it. It just totally fits my personality and the feel of the wedding I'm going for. It's not lacey or beaded, but I'm having my mom make me some accessories out of gemstones for the dress & hair piece.

I think JCrew's dresses are absolutely fabulous. Their bridesmaid dress are beautiful, too.

I think you just need to find something you love & feel your best in. You will probably find just that for less than $2000.

LisaTyler1984 · February 2010

Why is it that when I went to Pronovias I tried on a gown, fell in love and it was over 12k! Haha only me...

JHS16 · February 2010

I didn't have a strict budget for my dress, and I was willing to spend up to $6000 for the perfect dress, but I fell in love with the first dress I tried on, and it was "only" $1500. So yes, my dream dress was under $2000, I'm sure you can find plenty more.

Say Yes to the Dress is filmed at a high-end New York boutique for bigger budget weddings, it's definitely not the average price range.

themclarens · February 2010

OMG! I wish I had $2000 to spend on a dress. My whole budget for my wedding is $3500. I found my dress which was normally $1000, for $199. I had found my dress, which is Alfred Angelo at a local store in my hometown. I kept waiting for it to atleast go on sale... I was going to the bridal shop to go buy my tickets to the local bridal show here and I turned around and almost fainted. My dress was on the clearance rack! I called my mom and we went down the next morning and my mom bought my dress right there. So you can get a cheaper dress and still look GORGEOUS! Best of luck.

BreStellar · February 2010

My cousin got her amazing wedding dress from www.colettejeanbridal.com. It was very pretty and she was extremely happy. Customer service was great too so we all just ordered our bridesmaid dresses there as well.

Good Luck!

NCLatina · February 2010

I would also try Maggie Sottero. I've seen some dresses that are very beautiful and under 2000 dollars.

MrsJPalamar · February 2010

Also check out used gowns, you can get 4-6k gowns for under 2k easy!

bravobride.com
oncewed.com
preownedweddingdresses.com

future-mrs · February 2010

Although, I'm a huge fan of Say Yes to the Dress, that show is really not realistic for most brides as PP have said. $2K or under will get you a GORGEOUS dress...especially the little more simple styles that you like. Beautiful dresses you have picked out btw. GL searching!!! I would say keep an open mind and you might be surprised at what you find.

razdazzle · February 2010

I thought I would "splurge" on the dress and budgeted $2,500-$3,000 on the dress - I ended up falling in love with a dress for $1,800. I love it and am so glad I ended up saving a little room in the budget for other expenses.

My advice would be to set a budget - but if you find something you love for under that number than get it! There are other areas where the money could be used like caterering, photography, or flowers. Plus in the end none of your guests are going to be like "beautiful dress, but she should have spent more"...Just a thought.

razdazzle · February 2010

Oh btw, my dress is by Marisa, style 815 - highly recommend her dresses

quotequeen · February 2010

I tried on dresses in the $2-4k range and didn't like any of them. I ended up getting a dress that cost $250 that was much more what I was looking for than any of the dresses at the fancier shops.

MrsJPalamar · February 2010

Oh yeah as for designers you can look at, you have a huge list in that price range. Check out anything wiht a $ or $$ mark on the knots dress search.

kate51485 · February 2010

Basing anything wedding related on tv shows is not a good idea. They're on tv for a reason, which is that it's not reality for the overwhelming majority of people.

TurtlesAllTheWayDown · February 2010

Honestly, it is NOT one of the most important elements of a wedding. It doesn't do anything for the guests - it is something for you, personally. Sure, you want something that you feel comfortable in, and that looks good in pictures. But the guests are going to care about things like food, alcohol, maybe even venue (i.e. they don't want to be squished like sardines, or be too hot, or too cold). They'll care about good music and dancing, if applicable. Not attire, which is something you are wearing for one day in your life. I'd splurge on things for the guests. The other thing I'd splurge on is good photographer - the photos will last you much longer than one day.

If you have the money to have a GREAT reception and still have some leftover, get an expensive dress, too.

ETA: There are pics of my dress (which was under $1,000) in my bio. It does not have a lot of beading and it doesn't have any lace. If you like a more simple dress, that's perfect! Sometimes very inexpensive dresses with lots of lace or beading can look cheap because the lace and beading isn't as high quality as it would be on a $15,000 dress. But I think you'll find something you love!

stinkerbell6879 · February 2010

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/wedding-boards_attire-accessories_say-yes-cheap-dress?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Wedding%20BoardsForum:15Discussion:583c55eb-14a7-4b84-b7ee-fcbd1be02e45Post:d19d8037-bbf6-450a-bd8f-976967c40ad8">Re: Say yes to the cheap dress?</a>:
[QUOTE]I would also try Maggie Sottero. I've seen some dresses that are very beautiful and under 2000 dollars.
Posted by NCLatina[/QUOTE]

I 2nd this! I got mine for $800. PIB.

Amalyn1984 · February 2010

there are PLENTY if beautiful Options for under 2k. I got mine for 600 and it doesn't look at all like i spent that much. but i think that if you have 2k to spend on the dress, i'd go for it. In the end i think that if you like the dress.... buy it

khornack · February 2010

I would just like to emphasize how much I love my JCrew dress. I fell in love with one but was really weary about buying a wedding dress over the internet. After talking to the manager at my local store, she said they would be happy to accept it back as long as I was within their return policy (60 days unworn). I was given a very generous budget by my parents, but for me, I just couldn't justify a $4,000 gown when I will be starting grad school and setting up an apartment. No judgement on people who spend that much on a dress, it was just my personal preference.

When I got the dress from JCrew in, it was more beautiful and flattering on me that anything else I had tried. My mom wanted to shop around some more, to give me more of the "expereince" but I have found my perfect dress. The silk is beautiful quality, and the construction and attention to details are wonderful.

Oh! And if you do decide to order a dress from JCrew, sign up for their emails. About every 3-4 weeks I get coupons offering an extra 20% off, and they are actually good on the wedding dresses too!

burnsbaby · February 2010

Why does it matter how much it is? Just get out there and try them on.. what matters is if you love it right?

slbriz34 · February 2010

"With a dress under $2000 I will probably have to forgo the fancy beading, designer label, and high quality fabric."

I think you are equating expense with good and that's just not the case. There are nice dresses that you'd be surprised fall well under $2k and there are those that are well above $2k. And all dresses are designed by someone, not wearing Vera Wang or a Priscilla of Boston doesn't make a dress any less special.

Decide what style you want, color, fit, etc., and go into a few salons and try on dresses and see what you like. If your dress is under $2k, great, if not and your agree with your mom that your dress should require a little spluring, then go for it.

I kept within my budget because to me spending anything over $2k (I can't imagine those that spend $5k+) just wasn't going to happen. I happen to think I can look good in a $1 dress and while I want to rock it for my wedding, going into debt for a one day wearing a dress for 10 hours wasn't worth it.

I researched and looked until I found the one and it's better than many of the pricey dresses I've seen on the knot or magazines or what friends have worn. And most importantly, it's still me.

Do what makes you happen but don't feel you have to spend more to achieve that, or that you can't spend less.

ButtonsPepper · February 2010

My dress was a Casablanca, and about 1k. That was my budget, and I stuck to it. I couldn't imagine paying much over that, but I know people who think even 1k is a ton of money, and people who think 5k is "skimping". It all depends what your budget for your wedding is/what is really important to you.

If you have fallen in love with a designer dress, (vera, monique, etc.) and you only want to spend 2k you could even buy it second hand, but there are many other designer options that aren't "cheap" but will run you less then 2k.

Good luck finding your dress! AND yes, SYTTD is redic., they give people the side eye when they say they want to stay under 3k. The stores I went to, maybe had like 5 dresses over 2k..... and that place can't find anything under it, so don't go off what Klienfelds has.

kd.joseph · February 2010

Mine is a Mori Lee, and I paid $970 for her. And everyone I've showed it to just falls in love. The material is not cheap, and there is beading all over the bodice.
Good luck finding a dress, but I think I'd want to spend that extra money on the HM.

Ashrose83 · February 2010

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/wedding-boards_attire-accessories_say-yes-cheap-dress?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Wedding%20BoardsForum:15Discussion:583c55eb-14a7-4b84-b7ee-fcbd1be02e45Post:8f056fe5-371e-4325-a9e2-ce0f8c74f8e1">Re: Say yes to the cheap dress?</a>:
[QUOTE]OMG! Say Yes to the Dress is insane if you have a lower budget. I get cracked up watching it. That is not reality for a lot of brides.
Posted by fairy_diva[/QUOTE]

<div>I don't know how many times I've watched that show and seen a dress similar to mine for at least 3 times the price. it's a fun show to watch but I would never go there to buy a dress....it's just too unrealistic. </div><div>
</div><div>My dress is from Davids Bridal by Oleg Cassini style number CT258 and cost about $1000. this is the higher end of DB but it's still affordable. </div><div>
</div><div>if you go the DB route just make sure you don't get pulled in to buying anything extra that you aren't 100% positive on from them. It happened to me and I ended up getting a LONG veil I later changed my mind on and couldn't return it unless I got something else *thankfully my one of my BM and FG hadn't gotten there dresses yet so I put the credit towards their dresses and they paid me back. </div><div>
</div><div>but yeah "Say yes to the dress" is VERY high end</div>

tommyandy · February 2010

Start at a super low price range & try on every style you can. What looks great in your head may not look great on your body. Take your most honest & best dressed friend with you (male or female). Don't take your mom shopping until you have narrowed your selection to 3 or 4 gowns. Don't forget to shop for used gowns online, some still have the tags on them. I just can't see spending 1k or more on a 1 time use dress in today's economy.

lwogsland · February 2010

My mori-lee gown was $400 and full of detail...you CAN find beautiful dresses for under 2K!

faydre · February 2010

spent $700 on my dress...

love it.
went WAY over budget on it too...
don't forget how much alterations will cost too...
You should have no problem finding THE dress on less than $2000
best of luck!

sonya_hoff · February 2010

i LOVED my dress when i tried it on without knowing the price (the tag had fallen off and I don't even know where in the store it came from). I asked the salesperson the price and she was like "Oh, this one must have been misplaced, it's only $99!"

Needless to say, I was sold and I'm super happy with the cheap dress. You will only wear it once anyway...and i've been thinking about doing a Trash the Dress photo session once I'm done with it. That is something I would have never thought of doing if i had spent a great deal.

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