Cookie Cutter...

[Fishlips]

I have a small budget, we are paying for the wedding ourselves. I know an easy way to save is with a cheaper dress. A $1000 dress can look just as nice as a $99 dress. Anyways, I like to be unique, I'm not very cookie cutter, and I worry about going to a David's Bridal sort of place because so many brides get their dress there, but they can have amazing deals and sales.

Has anyone else worried about this? As far as I know no one in my immediate circle is getting married in 2010, but it's so far away things may change.

[WebLady]

I think it is going to be hard to get a budget friendly dress that is unique unless you have it made, and I'd expect that would cost more.

I wouldn't care all that much if someone else wore/wears the same dress as you; it is not like there will be two brides at your wedding ;)

[Moon.Dust.]

If you know someone that sews I suggest going that route. That way you can get a cheaper dress and have something made to your likes and body shape. translation: you don't have to pay for the label, the work that already went into the dress, the shipping of the dress, alterations, ect. you're getting all that from the beginning.

[RosieAngel]

I got my dress from David's since I actually wanted to look like the cookie-cutter bride I dreamed of being as a little girl! I'm unapologetic there! But from day to day, I love dressing in clothes that nobody else has (designer sales racks FTW)! If you want to go a more original wedding dress route and you can afford to pay around $200 give or take a couple of dollars, you canfind some amazing dresses at Nordstrom. They have some really great dresses in white that are more couture than the gowns you'll see for comparable prices elsewhere!

[NOTKT]

There are actually TONS of dresses at David's. There are styles that are popular, so you will see all different dresses in the same style, but there is so much of a selection, you don't have to worry.

[EarlyBird]

i purchased my dress online. it is a traditional bridal gown but a designer name, not davids. i have heard great things about then and negative things about them, i would have chosen my dress from there if i found one i loved. however, my 200 dress was great since it was a sample dress that had only been tried on, never worn for a wedding. ii suggest ebay. if you go at it, armed with the style dress you want, you can find something in your price range

[sandy03]

I got my dress from Davids, and perhaps it is a little cookie cutter, but I'm going to have it modified a little bit - I really didn't want strapless and I didn't like the straps they had (none of them matched my dress) and I really wanted to incorporate something of my mom's dress since she passed away a couple of years ago. The same type of lace is on her dress and on the bottom mine (although hers is a little bit larger and I think a little nicer) so I'm going to have some of the lace taken off of her dress and made into the straps for mine. Since I've already got to pay to have my dress altered, it shouldn't add too much to my cost and will make my dress look at least slightly different from every other dress like this one, plus it will be really meaningful to me!

You can also do a simpler dress (which is what most of their $99 dresses are anyway) and then add unique touches like embroidery or something to it. It would add a little to your final cost, but it wouldn't be recognizable as the same dress from the store. You can also show off your personality through things like funky shoes, great jewelry, or doing something besides a traditional veil like a cute hat or just fun hair clips or something.

[gwenshack]

I think personality is everything, and your unique perspective on how to wear the dress, what to wear with it, how you do your hair and makeup, etc will allow "cookie cutter" to be personalized. I think you'll find something you love and will know how to make it just perfect for you. :)

[Fishlips]

I think personality is everything, and your unique perspective on how to wear the dress, what to wear with it, how you do your hair and makeup, etc will allow "cookie cutter" to be personalized. I think you'll find something you love and will know how to make it just perfect for you. :)

Didn't think of that...but that is an amazing point!

[Docsgirl]

There are also websites and classified boards out there where there are 2 dress brides trying to sell the dress they have changed their mind about for a lot cheaper than it retails for. I just ordered my dress a few days ago from a girl that posted on a popular classifieds board. The dress is new with tags, never been worn. It's a $1,300 dress on the price tag, but I paid $500!!

[KMS]

Resale/Consignment shop, baby! ;) That's how I got my dress. It ended up being $600 because of course I fell in love with the most expensive designer dress in the shop. :snide: But there were several dresses that were just a couple hundred dollars. You might wanna check into that!

[Fishlips]

There are also websites and classified boards out there where there are 2 dress brides trying to sell the dress they have changed their mind about for a lot cheaper than it retails for. I just ordered my dress a few days ago from a girl that posted on a popular classifieds board. The dress is new with tags, never been worn. It's a $1,300 dress on the price tag, but I paid $500!!

Do you have an example? Like web addresses?

[Docsgirl]

I'll PM you. =)

[rockchalkchick]

Also, I'm not sure this has been mentioned, but I wouldn't rule out some of the more traditional wedding shops. Granted, a good percentage of them are really evil businesses that really don't want to help people, but there are some decent ones out there.

I went into a shop to try to shop around and get an idea of what I wanted. I had absolutely no intention of buying from them, but I had heard good things from my friends who bought their dresses there and figured I needed to get a feel for my own taste. I tried on a lot of dresses - $3000 dresses and $400 dresses, and most of them were really not my taste -too poofy, too traditional. I explained this to the girl helping me, and she pulled out a few more light chiffon pieces that were closer to my taste. Finally, I tried on a dress that I couldn't stop moving in - it felt good, I didn't feel like I was tripping over a beaded down comforter, and it had the simple lines I was looking for. The best part? It was discontinued, and came in just under $200!

I love the dress, it suits me, and while it's not entirely unique, it's traditional while suiting my tastes (my fiance vetoed a colored dress, or this would be an easier choice!)

Bottom line - look everywhere. I looked at department stores, at bridal shops, at david's bridal, at consignment shops, online. I bought a gorgeous JCrew dress on ebay for $34. I looked at bridesmaid dresses (especially if you want a simple dress you can add a detail or two to - great option!). And, surprisingly, I ended up with a great dress from a high-end bridal shop. Keep your options open.

[Whitewater]

Don't worry -- you don't have to go to David's Bridal! Look for online yet local resources like Craigslist (in my neck of the woods there are often Maggie and Lilli-whoever for sale for well under $500, and I've also seen other designers like Vera Wang) or kijiji and you'll be surprised, I think.

You can also try consignment stores (do some homework first and find the ones in your area that cater to wedding stuff -- not all of them do) and high-end shops like Macy's. Macy's will have the thousand dollar dresses, but they also have a large selection of *non* wedding dresses that will still come in white or other pretty bridal colors (particularly around early spring, because they're gearing up for Easter), and you won't pay a lot for those because they're not the white poofy things that are so common.

Bloomingdales and Nordstroms are also good department stores -- but believe it or not, JC Penny has a good selection of fancy dresses too!!! I kid you not! And they're reasonable prices, so if you're looking for a dress that's not traditional, check there.

I found my rehearsal dress at Lane Bryant ('cause I'm a big girl, and will still be curvaceous 6 months from now, though hopefully a lot less fat!) for $14.50 -- because it was on clearance and had been marked down and marked down and marked down for months. Originally I suspect it was a late winter/early spring dress and I bought it as summer was turning into fall for 2008-- to wear in spring/early summer in 2009. The original price tag was $89.50! So if you have time, you might want to consider waiting on the sales. Or taking advantage of the Christmas and post-Christmas shopping -- those sales are often very good. Buy stuff and keep it around! Deals happen on their own schedule. I recently got my wedding shoes for $99 instead of $125 because the store was having their Christmas sale. You just never know. And I realize $25 isn't a big deal, but every little bit helps!

My advice would be to watch the sales and think outside the box when it comes to getting a deal on your wedding dress. It's totally doable!


Whitewater