How much was your wedding dress?

[Mannequin]

My wedding gown is literally priceless to me. It was handmade by my mother from a 1930s inspired pattern and took her hours and hours to sew. I watched my dress being made over the course of an entire summer into early fall - it was a true labor of love. The beaded lace purchased for the hem (shown bustled in the photo) took about 40 hours alone to attach to the bottom of the gown. A custom made gown like this, with the materials used, would likely cost thousands. I felt absolutely amazing in the dress and enjoyed wearing it for every moment of my big day.

Would I go off the rack if I had to do it again? Perhaps, and I'd choose a less expensive gown to match the budgeting we did for the entire event.

 

[madiamondgirl]

Better pics of my dress here: http://www.marbelle.com/iGallery/10-03-10/index.html

 

[FrekeChild]

$450 down from $990 on Bluefly.com (and a coupon). Alterations were $10. Badgley Mischka evening gown.

 

[wannaBMrsH]

Mine was $150 on eBay...I definitely don't regret it one bit.

 

[centralsquare]

The average cost for a wedding dress is $1,505, according to The Bridal Association of America.

Fascinating. I would have thought it way less!

 

[Laila619]

I had two dresses, a ceremony and a reception dress. Both of mine were about $1,000 each.

 

[Natylad]

I had two wedding gowns. I wore the first one at the wedding ceremony and the second one at the reception, which took place two days after. The first dress was $1000 and the second one was $4000, including the alterations. It was a lot of money in total but i don't regret it at all and i'd do it again if i had to. The dresses were perfect for me according to my taste and they reflected the spirit and sentiment of the day they were worn. The ceremony dress was more simple and romantic, appropriate for my very private and romantic ceremony, and the dress of the reception was more impressive and ornated, sexier ( ) and...big!!!
Every time i look at my wedding pictures i know that i did the right thing to choose and buy those dresses and to me they are precious. The fact that they were worn only once doesn't really matter, because those two days were the most important days of my life and the two days that i felt i needed to be dressed better than ever, both for myself and for my DH... I admit that every now and then, i open the closet, zip down their cases and take a good look at them...They bring wonderful memories back in my mind....
Pics:

 

[Pandora II]

Thank you all for the lovely compliments.

We had such fun doing the dress. My husband came up with the original idea for the design after seeing the Queen in Swan Lake (my BIL was dating a ballet dancer at the time and we all went to see her dance at the Albert Hall) and then we got stacks of books on Tudor costume and went on trips to museums and galleries for the details. We wanted a modern twist rather than a historical copy so not everything is correct.

My friend in Italy was Head of Design at Versace for 20 years and was then working for Roberto Cavalli - we went to visit them to go and choose wine for the reception and the evening we arrived he produced over 100 fabric samples as a suprise for me to look at. The main fabric was based on a design made for Valentino in the 1940's and was completely reworked and then 10 metres was woven in pure silk (it had to be done twice as he wasn't happy with the first attempt). The underskirt is heat quilted in gold thread and silk (DH picked this fabric) and the linings are all in pure silk. The corset is boned every 1/2 inch but was made in calico for strength so it's functional rather than beautiful!

The pearls on the neck line are real cultured pearls and seed pearls - I collected up necklaces on eBay to have enough and my father made the flower girls necklaces with the left over seed pearls. My tiara was wax orange blossom and from the 1920's and my veil was from 1880 and a hand-made tambour lace.

Oh, even though he had a massive hand in the design of the dress and the fabrics, once I started seeing the dress maker DH had no more involvement and he didn't see anything more than the paper designs until the day so it was still a suprise.

 

[Jennifer W]

I found a dressmaker whose work I liked, told her what I wanted, we drew some sketches, she took some measurements and I went back to see her a couple of weeks later to try a calico version of the dress. We tweaked a few things, then she made it in slightly creamy white silk, with some embroidery in mat gold thread.

It was perfect. She made my MOH and bridesmaid dresses in the same silk, with the beautifully boned bodices in cream silk, and skirts in gold silk. I really loved these dresses. I can't recall what I paid for mine, but the three of them were just under £800.

Once she had my measurements and knew my preferences, the dressmaker was able to make me some simple but unique evening gowns and perfectly fitted tailored suits for work. Since she had my basic' pattern blocks', they were very inexpensive (as far as hand made bespoke tailoring goes). They are certainly very high quality.

I don't have any digital photos, and obviously no stock photos, so you'll just have to imagine them. I'd do it exactly the same way if I had to do it all again, but the lady who made my dress has now retired. I don't think you get many seamstresses like her nowadays. She was awesome.

 

[Jennifer W]

I found a dressmaker whose work I liked, told her what I wanted, we drew some sketches, she took some measurements and I went back to see her a couple of weeks later to try a calico version of the dress. We tweaked a few things, then she made it in slightly creamy white silk, with some embroidery in mat gold thread.

It was perfect. She made my MOH and bridesmaid dresses in the same silk, with the beautifully boned bodices in cream silk, and skirts in gold silk. I really loved these dresses. I can't recall what I paid for mine, but the three of them were just under £800.

Once she had my measurements and knew my preferences, the dressmaker was able to make me some simple but unique evening gowns and perfectly fitted tailored suits for work. Since she had my basic' pattern blocks', they were very inexpensive (as far as hand made bespoke tailoring goes). They are certainly very high quality.

I don't have any digital photos, and obviously no stock photos, so you'll just have to imagine them. I'd do it exactly the same way if I had to do it all again, but the lady who made my dress has now retired. I don't think you get many seamstresses like her nowadays. She was awesome.

 

[Jennifer W]

I found a dressmaker whose work I liked, told her what I wanted, we drew some sketches, she took some measurements and I went back to see her a couple of weeks later to try a calico version of the dress. We tweaked a few things, then she made it in slightly creamy white silk, with some embroidery in mat gold thread.

It was perfect. She made my MOH and bridesmaid dresses in the same silk, with the beautifully boned bodices in cream silk, and skirts in gold silk. I really loved these dresses. I can't recall what I paid for mine, but the three of them were just under £800.

Once she had my measurements and knew my preferences, the dressmaker was able to make me some simple but unique evening gowns and perfectly fitted tailored suits for work. Since she had my basic' pattern blocks', they were very inexpensive (as far as hand made bespoke tailoring goes). They are certainly very high quality.

I don't have any digital photos, and obviously no stock photos, so you'll just have to imagine them. I'd do it exactly the same way if I had to do it all again, but the lady who made my dress has now retired. I don't think you get many seamstresses like her nowadays. She was awesome.

 

[cookies]

I found a $600-ish wedding dress. It looked perfect on me. But later we decided not to have a wedding party. We put the saved time, money, and effort into our first house instead.

 

[rhbgirl24]

Mine was $1200, and then another $200 in alterations. Worth it tho!

 

[Mrsacornblue]

My dress was $1500, made dupioni silk. It was custom, based off a sketch that I did for my dressmaker. While it is now way to big (have lost about45 lbs since marriage), I would love to use the fabric to make something for my child's christening.

 

[that_someone_special]

I think mine was $550.. and something like $250-$300 in alterations (cutting a lot of length off and adding double straps for support, plus a 7 or 9 point bustle).. hair piece was $100 since I nixed the veil.

I really don't regret spending as little as I did (from DB even!). I felt like I really wanted to put the money into the wedding and travel/ hotel. I don't think women who spend a lot on their dresses are stupid either- I feel like every bride has a right to spend as much or as little on their wedding as they want.

The only thing I regret is getting a a dress with a slight train for a vegas wedding. You don't really notice how filthy the floor/ sidewalks are until you have a white dress dragging behind you. Even though I bustled it asap, someone managed to get either blood or bbq sauce or some dark sauce on the hem of the dress. dohhhhhhh....

Anyway, love seeing everyones dresses!

 

[NewEnglandLady]

I just looked back at my wedding spreadsheet and was suprised to see that my dress was $1,700 and my shoes/veil and alterations were $700. I had budgeted $3,500 for the dress and $500 for the shoes/veil and alterations, so I guess the good news is that I came in under budget. I really did love that dress, though, and we had a small wedding that was easy on our pocketbooks.

 

[dragonfly411]

I haven't bought one, but had to comment - PANDORA your dress is absolutely AMAZING!!!!!!!!!

 

[kas baby]

I spent $800 on mine, alterations included. I love the dress, however, they totally dropped the ball on customer service. I've been quite upset with them. First, they pressured me to order a different size, and I went with it because I figured well they know the business and have done this a lot, they should know. When it came in though, I realized I should have gone with what I wanted. I was happy with the fitting they did, it was perfect (even though I had to play charades in order to communicate with their seamstress who had the thickest accent I've ever heard.) The bustle on the other hand is atrocious. The design is nice, the execution is like a slap in the face. The fabric is a silk-satin according to the designer, and they put huge, glaring, plastic buttons, along with yarn looking loops for the bustle. Not happy. If I knew this was going to happen I definitely wouldn't go there. no way.

hindsight is 20/20 though, right?

 

[partgypsy]

I am really enjoying looking at the photos and hearing about the wonderful memories of the dresses.

We were trying for a beach wedding so I was basically looking for a white beachy dress in February (not an easy task!) I think I paid $70 for the dress, another $30 for a flesh colored unitard from White House/Black Market (the dress was rather sheer), and around $50 for super cute white leather mary janes with a stacked wooden heel. I didn't even go to my prom so I don't have much experiences with fancy dresses in my life, so I will probably overcompensate when my daughters hit prom age!

My mother had a beautiful dress with formfitting lace arms and deep v front with full satin skirt, she looked like Elizabeth Taylor with red/blonde hair, even her hairstyle. I never got to see it in person as one of her cousins used it for her wedding, and it was passed on from there. Even if she still had it I probably couldn't have used it as my mother at her smallest was a size 10 and I was around a size 6 when I got married.

 

[HollyS]

I can't educate you. Because I never caught dress fever.

In a world where more than half of all marriages break up before the ten year mark, I don't understand the whole wedding industry business of making everyone a "Princess" on the "Most Wonderful Day Of Their Life", being darn sure to have "Spectactular Moments We'll Always Remember", and one-up every friend or relative with "The Best Party of the Century". The romantic in me says phooey to the cookie-cutter bridal extravaganza from proposal to after-party. Actually, a true romantic probably elopes. But I digress . . .

I ordered my dress, sight unseen, no sample to try on, from a bridal shop owner who said "trust me". We asked for customized features on a dress that I had decided was "okay". The end result was amazing, perfect for me, perfect for my wedding, and completely and totally my own gown . . . unlike the designer gowns that are sold at Kleinfeld or Amsale. Anyone can buy the same exact gown as the next gal there, and pay big bucks to be a copycat.

I spent less than $1000.00. The gown, the customizing, the fittings. All of it. Less than 1K. Oh, and I ordered it in June, had it by September, and got married in October.

The only real reason to agonize over a dress: "What will he think?" My DH thought I was gorgeous. Mission accomplished.

 

[oobiecoo]

$200.... it was silk dupioni but actually a Watters bridesmaid dress.

 

[jstarfireb]

My original choice was about $350 from David's Bridal. When my mom made me take it back and exchange it for another one (there's a whole dramatic saga behind that), it ended up being about $500, plus $375 for alterations. I couldn't imagine paying any more for a dress you only get to wear once.

 

[jaysonsmom]

Mine was under $300 and on sale, almost 28 years ago. We didn't have a long engagement, and I had no pre-conceived notions of what I wanted, so I went out on my lunch hour from work and picked the one that looked best. I have 2 daughters, and neither one is particularly conventional so I'm not concerned about what they might pick one day. They are down to earth, but I'd say anywhere up to $1500 would work fine no matter what for them.

Pandora, your dress is exquisite. You really look like a princess in those pictures! I've never seen a dress like that before, thanks for sharing.

That is similar to what I did, except I bought mine about 12 years ago. I got it on sale for $299, and it's natural raw silk, fit perfectly (no alterations ) and purchased during my lunch hour.

 

[swingirl]

Thank you all for the lovely compliments.

We had such fun doing the dress. My husband came up with the original idea for the design after seeing the Queen in Swan Lake (my BIL was dating a ballet dancer at the time and we all went to see her dance at the Albert Hall) and then we got stacks of books on Tudor costume and went on trips to museums and galleries for the details. We wanted a modern twist rather than a historical copy so not everything is correct.

My friend in Italy was Head of Design at Versace for 20 years and was then working for Roberto Cavalli - we went to visit them to go and choose wine for the reception and the evening we arrived he produced over 100 fabric samples as a suprise for me to look at. The main fabric was based on a design made for Valentino in the 1940's and was completely reworked and then 10 metres was woven in pure silk (it had to be done twice as he wasn't happy with the first attempt). The underskirt is heat quilted in gold thread and silk (DH picked this fabric) and the linings are all in pure silk. The corset is boned every 1/2 inch but was made in calico for strength so it's functional rather than beautiful!

The pearls on the neck line are real cultured pearls and seed pearls - I collected up necklaces on eBay to have enough and my father made the flower girls necklaces with the left over seed pearls. My tiara was wax orange blossom and from the 1920's and my veil was from 1880 and a hand-made tambour lace.

Oh, even though he had a massive hand in the design of the dress and the fabrics, once I started seeing the dress maker DH had no more involvement and he didn't see anything more than the paper designs until the day so it was still a surprise.

Your dress is beautiful and my favorite of anything I've ever seen! The thought and work involved in yours is impressive!

Mine was plain cream satin in a Lady Guinevere style. $500 in 1982.

 

[calibali]

I bought a sample for $500 (regularly $2500) and then also spent $500 for alterations (so much because it was a pleated silk chiffon that had to be taken from a size 8 to a size 2).

Probably a bit too much to spend for an elopement, but the dress looked great in our location and I felt so beautiful in it.

 

[jaysonsmom]

Oh, and your wedding dress doesn't have to only worn once! I pull mine out every year on my anniversary to try on to make sure I stay the same size as my wedding day (haha). My kids watch me play dress up, and my daughter has already stated that she wants to wear it for her wedding. I don't know if it'll last because I never got it professionally cleaned and boxed. It's just in a clothing bag.

 

[Jennifer W]

My mother's dress was just put in the closet. I don't think she even had it cleaned. It was made of silk, with an overlay of lace. It lasted 38 years, till it was cleaned and cut up to make my daughter's Christening gown. I think she kept a plastic suit carrier over it, but it didn't come to any harm at all. Yours should be fine for being cleaned and boxed.

 

[MustangGal]

10 years ago I spent $500 for a sample dress plus veil, cleaning and alterations (just the bustle). I paid for my own dress, and would not have spent more than that. I also sold it a few years later for $150.

A couple years ago I snagged a $5,000+ dress off the clearence rack at a shop for $70. I had never had the chance to really see what the fuss was all about over these fancy dresses (this thing retailed for as much as I spent on my entire wedding for 150 people!) and while it was made very well, the fabric was lovely, and the beading/details were very well done, I just can't see spending that much more for one! I sold it on ebay for a nice little profit .

 

[jstarfireb]

We were married 20 years ago. My mom made my dress so it only cost a few hundred dollars. It was off white Satan, square color, covered with lace and pearls.

I just had a little chuckle at this...I thought of the Church Lady from SNL saying "SATAN!!!"

 

[ChloeTheGreat]

I am going to the courthouse in a few months and planning to purchase a $150 dress from White House Black Market.
Hypothetically it will be something I can wear again. (I am not a dress kinda girl and haven't even owned a dress in several years...)