If you are a bride who is shopping for your wedding dress or are at the beginning stages of shopping and are thinking about your wedding dress budget, you won’t want to miss today’s advice post. When it comes to planning a wedding, your budget can go very quickly. There are a lot of different components to consider for your wedding and many brides try to come up with ways to save money. Today, we're sharing our best tips for what not to do when trying to save money on your wedding dress.
Some brides may think that their wedding dress is an area where they can save money and have room in the budget for other items. As bridal stylists, we see some very common mistakes that brides make thinking they will be saving money. Wedding dress shopping is not the time to cut corners. We’ll share all the tips brides need to know so you can avoid going over budget with your wedding dress. Follow along to learn the top six things brides do to save money but it ends up costing more in the end so you can avoid these mistakes.
Video: 6 Bridal Fashion Mistakes Brides Make Thinking They Are Saving Money & Ends Up Costing Them
We know many brides are on a tight budget when planning their wedding and wedding dress shopping. There are so many things to consider when determining your wedding dress budget and it can be easy to go over budget if you don't plan ahead a little. Be sure to tune in to our advice video to learn the 6 bridal fashion mistakes that brides make thinking they are saving money so you can avoid these mistakes and save some money in the long run.
Mistake 1: Buying A Dress For Cost Over Love
If you are not familiar with the bridal fashion world, many of the mistakes we are going to discuss today seem like they would save you money. As expert bridal consultants, we unfortunately see brides make the same mistakes again and again and end up spending more money in the long run than if they had followed our advice. The number one thing that ends up costing brides more money is buying their wedding dress because of the price tag versus the the dress they ultimately love.
We certainly understand having a set budget for your wedding dress and you should make your bridal stylist aware of your goal price point, but we urge you not to buy a dress based on cost alone. If you walk down the aisle in a dress you don’t love, is that really worth it? You don’t want to look back at all your wedding photos years later and not love your dress. You really can’t put a price point on feeling beautiful and confident on wedding day. If you walk down the aisle in a dress you love, you’ll be radiant and excited. If you have to settle on your dress, it won’t be the same. Emotions don’t have a dollar amount attached to them, but they are priceless.
We have had brides get to the alterations stage and still can’t stop thinking about the other dress they truly loved but they went with a second best choice because of the price tag. Some brides decide to walk down the aisle in a dress they don’t fully love, but others decide to purchase the original dress and now they’ve spent twice as much versus what they would have spent if they just bought the dress they loved in the first place. You might even have to pay rush fees in order to get the dress in time now as you are only a couple of months away from wedding day.
Mistake 2: Ordering A Smaller Size Dress
The second mistake we see brides make when it comes to trying to save money on their wedding dress is ordering a smaller size. The thought here is that they will lose money before the wedding dress to fit into the smaller size and then they can avoid alterations. In our years of experience, this never seems to work out well. In the end, it will cost you more money than if you had just ordered the size that matches your measurements on the designer’s size chart.
We are all for wellness before the wedding. Some brides stick to their workout goals and do lose some weight. Some brides don’t make it to the gym as much as they would like before the wedding. Other brides actually end up gaining weight or even gaining muscle and then it is a struggle to get into that smaller dress. If you fall into the last category, there is a chance that you order your dress in the correct size and then gain muscle before the wedding and those measurements are now too small. In the end, you are better off ordering a size up with the intention of going down during alterations. There is not a lot of material to let out wedding dresses, it’s much easier to take them down in size.
Do yourself a favor and take into account what the alteration cost is going to be when you set your initial wedding dress budget. This is not the area in which you want to cut corners for your wedding dress. Order the size that is recommended by the store and the designer’s size chart so you don’t end up with a dress that is too small for you and is a waste of money in the end.
Mistake 3: Getting Low-End Alterations
Keeping with the alterations theme, the next mistake we see brides make in trying to save money with their wedding dress is cutting corners with alterations. Many bridal salons will have in-house seamstresses who handle the alterations. You are certainly not obligated to use your bridal store for alterations, but be sure you are choosing a quality seamstress for your bridal alterations. There are amazing seamstresses out there, just make sure they are familiar with wedding dresses and do quality work.
It makes sense that alterations would be a good category to try to save money, but being in the bridal industry, we see this as a top mistake brides make. Remember that you get what you pay for. Alterations is the area you want to spend the money, even if you save money on your initial dress purchase or end up buying a sample sale dress. The alterations stage is where your dress will be perfectly tailored to your body and you want quality work during this process.
Mistake 4: Skipping A Bustle
Another mistake in the alterations process that brides think they can skip to save money is not adding a bustle to their wedding dress. A wedding dress bustle is added to a dress during the alterations process so that the dress train can be gathered up behind the bride for dancing and the reception. We have seen so many brides carrying their train with a string on their wrist and that is not what the string is intended for. That loop on your wedding dress train is meant to go over the dress hanger so the train doesn’t get all wrinkled in your garment bag.
You want to be free to move around on wedding day, hugging your guests and dancing the night away. You don’t want to be tried down with your train hanging off your wrist. It’s just not functional or convenient and can be uncomfortable. There is a good chance that loop will break because of the weight of the dress and then you will just have to hold your train or let it trail behind you all night which can get in the way on the dance floor and you risk your dress getting damage from people stepping on it.
On average, a bustle will cost $100 - $300 depending on your dress so plan on adding this to your wedding dress and alterations budget. It’s so worth the investment. You will be more comfortable throughout your wedding reception and have so much more functionality.
Mistake 5: Buying Accessories Online
Another aspect to consider when determining your wedding dress budget, in addition to alterations, is accessories. Will you wear a veil? Are you buying new jewelry or perhaps a belt or sash for your dress? If you choose to shop for your wedding day accessories online, please be sure that you can return these items. Again, we understand that accessories seem like a place that you could save money when you don’t have the insider knowledge that comes from working in the bridal industry.
We often have brides tell us they are going to get their veil online to save money and then they end up not happy with their choices. Buying a veil online, you risk the color and material not matching your dress or the width of the veil being wrong. We always encourage our brides to “one stop shop” for their entire wedding outfit. Try on veils and accessories when you are in your dress so you can ensure everything is cohesive and you are happy with your overall look for wedding day.
Just like we mentioned with alterations, you get what you pay for. So while you might think you are saving money with a less expensive veil, it may not be the same quality you would get at a bridal salon. Time is also money so save yourself and decide on your accessories while you are in the dress and be done with your bridal outfit.
Mistake 6: Skipping The Hair & Makeup Trial
The last mistake we see brides make when trying to save money is related to bridal hair and makeup. You’ve found your dream wedding dress and now you want to be sure you have the hair and makeup that will truly make you feel like a bride. When you compromise on your hair and makeup, just like we discussed earlier about compromising on the cost of the dress, you could end up with buyer’s remorse. If you really love it, go for it. This advice applies to both your bridal gown and your wedding day hair and makeup.
You're being photographed in the dress with your hair and makeup done and how you look, how you feel on a wedding day, lasts a lifetime. While yes, you're paying for one time, these images are going to last forever. In our opinion, your photographer, your hair and makeup, and what you're wearing are critical and places you do not want to cut any corners. The wedding day comes and goes, and what remains are your photos and memories.
Take advantage of having a hair and makeup trial so you can be sure you like the way they’ve done your hair and makeup and that you like the way it all photographs. Take photos throughout the day, in different lighting, so you can see how the look wears on after a few hours. Don't wait until wedding day to find out you don't like your hair or makeup which will only add stress to a day that should be full of joy.
More Helpful Bridal Fashion Advice
We hope you have found this advice helpful when it comes to knowing what bridal fashion mistakes to avoid when trying to save money on your wedding dress and overall wedding day look. For even more helpful advice when it comes to shopping for your dream wedding dress and finding your bridal style, be sure to check out our past posts:
- The Complete Guide To Wedding Dress Pricing & Costs
- How To Avoid Going Over Budget On Your Wedding Dress
- The Total Cost Of A Wedding Dress Including Alterations & Accessories
- How To Accessorize & Style Your Wedding Dress
- Everything You Need to Know About Wedding Dress Bustles
- How To Decide On Wedding Day Hair & Makeup
About Lovella
If you're shopping for your perfect wedding dress, come visit us at Lovella Bridal in Glendale, CA. We carry wedding dresses in all sizes and styles, including plus-size bridal gowns and a full selection of veils and accessories. Lovella Bridal is the premier, luxury bridal wedding dress shopping boutique located in Los Angeles, California. Lovella features couture, feminine, modern and chic bridal gowns in all sizes from the best wedding dress designers. Schedule an appointment to find the wedding dress of your dreams at Lovella Bridal. We can't wait to help you!
About Wedding Fashion Expert
Our wedding dress shopping tips and advice are from Nayri, Lovella's own, in-house wedding fashion expert. Nayri is truly the expert when it comes to bridal fashion and wedding style. As the Wedding Fashion Expert, Nayri is the top bridal fashion stylist and the best-selling author of the book "I'm Getting Married And I Have Nothing To Wear," the ultimate guide to helping brides find their wedding day style and their perfect wedding dress. You can subscribe to her YouTube channel or listen to her podcast for more helpful and practical advice on wedding dress shopping.
