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Wedding Help with ideas for inexpensive wedding dresses?

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WishfulThinking

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Hello wedding planners and everyone else! I''ve seen you all work absolute MAGIC with suggestions for everything from invitations, to favors, to dresses, so I am hoping you will be kind enough to come to our rescue in the dress search department.

I am getting a little bit gutsier about wedding planning now that we''ve been through a bit of drama with announcing the wedding to many people, and have a more solid idea of when we are having the ceremony. We are really starting to feel ready for starting the planning! Being a same-sex couple we are trying to find dresses that don''t clash horribly with one another, and I''m hoping all of you can help! We don''t want to be too matchy, but want to look nice in pictures and in person when we''re together.

We have a pretty tight budget and are hoping to spend about $150-200 on each dress. I know this is tight! We are looking for more traditional white or ivory, and long. For me, I like strapless. She prefers v-neck. However, we''re open to many different possibilities and new ideas, and would love any help you could give us in locating some more options. I am very petite and short, and FI is curvy and a size 14, so sometimes she has trouble with finding sizes that fit well. Perhaps that info is helpful.

So far we have these ideas:

JCPenny #1
JC Penny #2
JC Penny #3
JC Penny #4
From Macy''s

Any thoughts on these? Other suggestions?

Thanks in advance, everyone.
 
I love jcp. Also Target has a line of simple wedding gowns you might one to check out.
 
Bridesmaids dresses in white!! I know there''s at least one girl on PS doing this. There''s so many options and so many pretty dresses for under $300. Some under $100. Let me find some ideas and post!
 
Wow- such fast replies. Thanks so much to both of you!

I will go look at target''s website and report back.
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Congratulations!!!! Planning is so exciting! I really like ALL of the dresses you posted! I had no idea JC Penny''s had bridal dresses.

I found quite a few dresses but UGH the site is just not letting me copy..... looks like it''s having a few glitches!!
Have you tried David''s Bridal? They have quite a few dresses in your price range, and in what styles you''re looking for....

HERE go down to the SALE.


I will look for more.... have you and FI tried on the dresses from Penny''s/Macy''s yet? Are you sure on the styles??? Let us know!! And Congrats again!!!
 
Ohh, I am liking the target dresses, too.

This one
It comes in ivory and white, which is good... options!
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also, This one

Does anyone know off-hand whether JC Penny, or Macy''s has their wedding dresses in the B&M stores? I know that target''s are only online.
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I would love to try them on and look at them in person and not pay for shipping!
 
I never thought I'd say this but check out David's Bridal. They have sale gowns available & are really good for curvy gals (like myself).

ETA: I wore this dress in black as a bridesmaid dress and felt KICKY and CUTE and SEXY and all KATE SPADEish. Ended up with a very similar cut for my own wedding dress (in ivory lace). Can't beat $99!
 
You are all so sweet- and fueling my excitement about starting to plan!
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SanDiegoLady [I love San Diego, by the way!!] - I will check out elegantgowns.com. Thanks for the great suggestions!

Laurie- Thanks again for the target recommendation.

Sarah- I love the idea of bridesmaids dresses! I'd love to see what you can come up with. I looked at a few but saw that they didn't come in white. Thanks for the help.

Neveah- Thanks so much! I am glad you like them. I can't believe I randomly thought to check those websites and was so pleasantly surprised. I haven't tried any on yet [actually EVER] and I'm not sure if they're available in stores, but I hope so. We plan to go soon to dress shop and get a better idea of the styles that really look good on us and compare that to what we like that we've seen so far.
The Davis' Bridal stuff is AWESOME! I'm loving it. I will post when I've found a few I really like and see what y'all think.

ETA: Thanks Deco! It's good that you seconded the recommendation, and always nice to hear from other curvy ladies who really understand what FI might be looking for in a dress.
ETA 2: I love the one you linked to! We are both apprehensive about gowns that are not floor-length, but open to anything, especially once we start trying them on!
 
Oh Sarah- All of those are BEAUTIFUL! It''s so fun to look them over and imagine which ones I love best for myself and which my beautiful FI would look great in.
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I am so thrilled right now to see all these great gowns in our pricerange [it is going to be SO hard to stick to it- but stick we must!] and know we have more options than I could have imagined.

I still haven''t looked through all the David''s Bridal ones!
 
Yaay! She definitely has a ton of options, so don''t worry about that. Just take your time and find the best dress for her at the best price. Even go to some bridal salons and try on the bridesmaid dresses if you can before you order them. So many options! You can start to narrow it down a bit more if you find out what style dress he wants and what kind of material. In other words, does she want something that hugs her curves more or is more like a ball gown? And does she want a lighter fabric like chiffon or organza or a heavier fabric like satin?
 
I am loving these! Oh YAYAYAYAY!! Do I sound excited or something?
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I think FI would look awesome in this one
I am totally into this look, which you''ll find is a reoccurring theme in this search.
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I really like this one for either of us, but especially FI- pretty dress in her style
Again, for either of us
I like that this one has a unique twist to my usual style!
I am not sure if I would look good in this style, but i love it
Similar to the last one
I LOVE THIS ONE!
I really love this one too!

Oh man, I just realized that 2nd to last one that I loved so much I had to use caps to describe it [lol] is way over budget. Darn!
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Oh well- I love almost everything so far. I think we might be pretty easy to please, which is good! We have some idea from proms and formals in our not so distant past what we''ve looked and felt good in, so a lot of these options are likely to look good!

Do you all think that my 5''0'''' self would look terrible in a mermaid style?
 
Date: 7/1/2008 12:14:09 AM
Author: WishfulThinking
Oh Sarah- All of those are BEAUTIFUL! It''s so fun to look them over and imagine which ones I love best for myself and which my beautiful FI would look great in.
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I am so thrilled right now to see all these great gowns in our pricerange [it is going to be SO hard to stick to it- but stick we must!] and know we have more options than I could have imagined.

I still haven''t looked through all the David''s Bridal ones!
Click to expand...

Okay, but you can''t go TOGETHER!!! Nope, that''s a huge NO NO!!! You want to be floored, surprised on your big day! You must not see what the other has chosen!!! It''s a rule, you know???????????
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Date: 7/1/2008 12:23:07 AM
Author: WishfulThinking
I am loving these! Oh YAYAYAYAY!! Do I sound excited or something?
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31.gif
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I think FI would look awesome in this one

I am totally into this look, which you'll find is a reoccurring theme in this search.
9.gif


I really like this one for either of us, but especially FI- pretty dress in her style

Again, for either of us

I like that this one has a unique twist to my usual style!

I am not sure if I would look good in this style, but i love it

Similar to the last one

I LOVE THIS ONE!

I really love this one too!


Oh man, I just realized that 2nd to last one that I loved so much I had to use caps to describe it [lol] is way over budget. Darn!
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Oh well- I love almost everything so far. I think we might be pretty easy to please, which is good! We have some idea from proms and formals in our not so distant past what we've looked and felt good in, so a lot of these options are likely to look good!


Do you all think that my 5'0'' self would look terrible in a mermaid style?
Click to expand...

No I don't think so. I think it would look great, but try it on to make sure. I mean it would definitely look better than a huge ball-gown dress. Those swallow a lot of people that are on the smaller side. But either way, at David's Bridal you definitely can try it on! I went to David's just to see what kind of styles I liked on me. They have tons of sizes and styles.

ETA: I have to say..it's really fun getting to pick out two dresses!!
 
Deco- that one is GORGEOUS! I second you that someone must wear it. Too bad it can''t be me.
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But, alas, we will find something! Meanwhile, who is going to volunteer to wear that beauty?
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Sarah- I am so glad to hear that. We will take our time. I just thought of something, though... we are right now 11 months out, but we will be looking more seriously maybe starting in sept... is 9 months too quickie to pull off ordering, etc? We are hoping to either not need alterations--haha, fat chance for the short chick--or to not be so picky about them to keep costs down. Is this totally insane of us? I have no idea what I should expect with all of this!

I am not sure what S likes for fabrics. She wants something that looks nice on her curves, but is not too clingy, especially in the tummy, hip and thigh area. She also gets warm pretty quickly, unlike my prone-to-cold self, so a lighter fabric would probably be more comfortable. I think this might be feasible, from what I have seen so far, which is relieving. We''re long distance until sept, but I will be sending her all of these to look over now for sure!
 
Date: 7/1/2008 12:25:43 AM
Author: Neveah
Date: 7/1/2008 12:14:09 AM

Author: WishfulThinking

Oh Sarah- All of those are BEAUTIFUL! It''s so fun to look them over and imagine which ones I love best for myself and which my beautiful FI would look great in.
36.gif
36.gif
36.gif



I am so thrilled right now to see all these great gowns in our pricerange [it is going to be SO hard to stick to it- but stick we must!] and know we have more options than I could have imagined.


I still haven''t looked through all the David''s Bridal ones!
Click to expand...


Okay, but you can''t go TOGETHER!!! Nope, that''s a huge NO NO!!! You want to be floored, surprised on your big day! You must not see what the other has chosen!!! It''s a rule, you know???????????
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Click to expand...
Oh no!! Really? That makes me so nervous! We always do everything together! We will have to discuss this more. Separation anxiety! It''s alright, though, we will figure it out! We''re rule breakers by nature, though!
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Sarah- I will definitely try them on. I love that they''re something I haven''t worn before, but I have not an idea how they will look. I love the large ballgown look, but you''re right that it will probably swallow me whole. Booo. But it''s alright- there''s hope for me yet! I love the idea of going to a David''s Bridal and trying them on. What fun!
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We,too, think it''s so fun to both be picking out dresses, and we love to shop together [oh the joys of lesbian romance!
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] so it is so hard to think about doing this solo and being surprised! We will figure something out, though.
 
Date: 7/1/2008 12:28:30 AM
Author: WishfulThinking
Deco- that one is GORGEOUS! I second you that someone must wear it. Too bad it can''t be me.
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But, alas, we will find something! Meanwhile, who is going to volunteer to wear that beauty?
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Sarah- I am so glad to hear that. We will take our time. I just thought of something, though... we are right now 11 months out, but we will be looking more seriously maybe starting in sept... is 9 months too quickie to pull off ordering, etc? We are hoping to either not need alterations--haha, fat chance for the short chick--or to not be so picky about them to keep costs down. Is this totally insane of us? I have no idea what I should expect with all of this!


I am not sure what S likes for fabrics. She wants something that looks nice on her curves, but is not too clingy, especially in the tummy, hip and thigh area. She also gets warm pretty quickly, unlike my prone-to-cold self, so a lighter fabric would probably be more comfortable. I think this might be feasible, from what I have seen so far, which is relieving. We''re long distance until sept, but I will be sending her all of these to look over now for sure!
Click to expand...

Hmm, a lighter fabric or dress would probably be better for her then if she gets warm quickly. You could wear a heavier fabric if you didn''t want to be too matchy. That would be neat. You could wear a slipper satin or silky fabric and she could wear a chiffon, taffeta, organza, etc. I don''t think 9 months is too pushy, but I wouldn''t wait too much longer. Bridesmaids dresses take about 5-6 months to come in typically. Then alterations take a few weeks. If you go to David''s Bridal then it''s relatively instant, you buy it right off the rack so the only delay is the few weeks for alterations.
 
SanDiegoLady- I love all the gowns at elegantgowns.com, but sadly the sale ones, which are the ones in our pricerange, are final sale. Too bad, though- they''re gorgeous.
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Sarah- Good to know. I loved so many of the ones at David''s Bridal, and I think she will too, so that is potentially good news in terms of speedy dress-shopping. Thanks for the fabric suggestions. Ignorant as I am, I have NO idea which fabrics are the heavier ones, and now I know what to be keeping an eye out for. I like the idea of being a bit non-matchy on the fabrics, that is a great suggestion. As is the idea that I would wear something silky- I love that look!

This is overall going to be a very small affair, with only immediate family present, and the budget is minuscule. One fun part of dress-shopping is that in another 7 years or so, when we willhopefully be doing better financially, we are planning to have a more formal, larger vow renewal with friends and other relatives; the whole shebang! So we''ll likely have two sets of gorgeous gowns to shop for, and many of the pricier dresses I see and love might be sometime in our future.
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However, we''re NOT thinking about that too much in our planning for our first and *real* [to us!] wedding ceremony and making sure everything is absolutely perfect.
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Sounds good to me wishful! You can do a ton with a small budget, just have to do your research and look for good deals.
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I really like the Macy''s dress. Maybe it''s the chiffon; I''m a sucker for ''floaty''!

Bridesmaid''s dresses, definitely. Many of them come in ivory, white, or very pale pastels and are in the price range you''re looking for. Surfgirl''s wedding dress was a bridesmaid''s dress, if I''m remembering correctly. Some good ones to look at would be: Belsoi, Jade, Jim Hjelm, Watters & Watters, Dessy.

Oh my gosh. I think I may still have a picture of a beautiful Dessy BM dress that comes in ivory. Lovely chiffon V-neck like your partner wants, with a ribbon/brooch right under the bustline. (Very forgiving for Size 14s; I considered ordering this dress for myself last year.) Let me see if I can find the picture or link. I''ll be back.
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Couldn''t find the dress I was thinking of, but these two styles are very nice on the Dessy website:

#2511

#2732

Sorry, my work computer very often doesn''t allow downloads from websites, so I couldn''t link the photos to here.
 
I love, love, love #2. #3 and Macy''s looks more like a bridesmaid dress than a wedding dress.

How exciting for you!!
 
This advice in contigent on you posting pics when you get them
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The best place for you to look in that price range is Alfred Angelo''s bridesmaids. He stuff is very affordable and much nicer than david''s bridal, IMO. Here are a few you two might like
For you:
http://www.alfredangelo.com/Collections/ProductDisplay.aspx?productID=834d9e95-5b0c-4f12-a536-2f713f15fb43&categoryID=772f03c9-de43-4942-bfa0-da77e21ebd65&pg=1

http://www.alfredangelo.com/Collections/ProductDisplay.aspx?productID=bef15164-6caa-4013-9f14-cfe2dc896895&categoryID=772f03c9-de43-4942-bfa0-da77e21ebd65&pg=3

http://www.alfredangelo.com/Collections/ProductDisplay.aspx?productID=fe3e6a1b-ed60-4134-9d1c-50b3434ea851&categoryID=772f03c9-de43-4942-bfa0-da77e21ebd65&pg=4
For your FI:
http://www.alfredangelo.com/Collections/ProductDisplay.aspx?productID=178ca87b-0330-4204-a591-ecb346e61c14&categoryID=772f03c9-de43-4942-bfa0-da77e21ebd65&pg=1

http://www.alfredangelo.com/Collections/ProductDisplay.aspx?productID=40368d94-d9b3-460b-8266-e387f4525d72&categoryID=772f03c9-de43-4942-bfa0-da77e21ebd65&pg=3

http://www.alfredangelo.com/Collections/ProductDisplay.aspx?productID=54933601-1453-4ae6-a212-a5a2aa863b49&categoryID=772f03c9-de43-4942-bfa0-da77e21ebd65&pg=6


There are also lots of great seperates.

Question, how do you get a link to look like something else so it isn''t this long line of jargon?
 
Wow- so many great suggestions!

SanDiegoLady- I know, it is really disappointing to see how lovely they are and not have the option to return. I wish we were brave enough for that, but both of us are really picky and we can''t afford significant alterations, so I''m terrified we''d mess it up! Thanks for the great suggestion, though- it was perfect eyecandy.
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HollyS- I love that dress, too! I think FI would look awesome in it, too. I want her to try it on, even though she doesn''t like that it''s not floor length. Who knows? Maybe she''d fall in love. I am definitely going to look at bridesmaid dresses. I have a question about that that I will address to everyone at the end of this post...
Thanks for all the names of designers and for those great options on the Dessy site! They''re beautiful.

fireyred- Thanks for weighing in. #2 is definitely one of my favourites so far.
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brazen_irish_hussy- We will definitely post pictures! It''s always helpful to have the extra opinions, and I know how much everyone here enjoys the photos people post- I know I do.
The options you posted are gorgeous and I love them all! Unfortunately the stores that stock that designer seem to be reeeeally far from where I live according to the store-finder on the website.
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I will try to get there, though, because not trying those beautiful dresses on would make me very sad, and I''d hate to not be able to.
For links I click the little button on top of the text box, next to the bold, italics, etc, the one on the far right with the green circle. Then you type in the text you want and in the next window that popus up you paste the url. Hope that helps!

To everyone: Do you think that if I were to be upfront with the bridal shop about wanting a white or cream colored bridesmaid dress to wear as a wedding dress that I would run into issues or that they would raise the price? I''ve heard rumors about this, and I was just wondering what everyone thought. It might be difficult to lie to them. I''m not sure if it would be really obvious?
 
i just wanted to say that the dress deco described as making her feel kate spadeish is great for someone curvy--my best friend is wearing it in my wedding. she''s a size 18/20 but looks like a 10 in it. also, if you''re short, you may want to look for something plain along the bottom so it''ll be simpler to hem if you need it. i''m 5''2" with a lace dress that has a scalloped hem, and there''s a distinct possibility they may have to chop off my favorite part of the dress just so i can walk in it! hope this helps, and congratulations!
 
I think you''ll find that BM dresses already have the retail prices on them; and you can actually find many websites that will sell them directly at a discount. I doubt you''ll have too much of a problem with pricing even in the stores.
 
my dress is a bm dress in white
seen here:

https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/dress-is-in-pictures.85031/

it is the best, best money saver!!
plus allll my alterations through the bridal shop are priced waaaay less just because it is categorized as a bm dress, not a wedding gown.

: )
 
Date: 7/2/2008 1:44:36 AM
Author: MMM
my dress is a bm dress in white

seen here:


https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/dress-is-in-pictures.85031/


it is the best, best money saver!!

plus allll my alterations through the bridal shop are priced waaaay less just because it is categorized as a bm dress, not a wedding gown.


: )
Click to expand...

Thank you for posting your dress MMM! I knew someone had a beautiful BM dress/wedding dress, but I couldn''t remember who!
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I think 9 months is plenty of time, especially if you look at Davids. I just bought a dress there and will have it in 3 months.
 
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