What are wedding dress prices?

By Catalogs Editorial Staff

Ever wondered what the price ranges for wedding dresses are lately?

So he popped the question. Or maybe you’re a new age woman and you popped the question on him! Maybe it wasn’t popped, just decided!

Any way you see it, you’re now engaged and ready to start shopping for the most important clothing piece of your life: your wedding dress!

Shopping for a wedding dress can be exciting and fun, as well as nerve-racking and tedious.

You have a picture in your mind of how you want to look the day of your wedding and trying to explain this over and over to friends, parents and vendors is getting old.

You want the perfect dress! Oh, and you want it not to cost an arm and a leg!

If you are wondering what are wedding dress prices, you have probably quickly realized that wedding dress prices vary depending on a few elements: who designed it, has it been used, and can you get it at a sample sale?

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Dresses – Designer and not

New wedding dress prices can start off at $500 and go up to as much as $30,000 and more!

The sky is the limit for designer wedding gowns and it all depends on if you have a budget to stick to or if the sky is also YOUR limit.

One of the first things that your bridal dress consultant will ask you is your price range. Be honest, realistic and stick to your own budget. Know that you will still have to purchase your undergarments, shoes, headpiece and other accessories, which can add to your dress price. Don’t forget tax, which may be a significant number depending upon the price of your dress.

Sample Sales

A sample sale sometimes happens in the middle of the night; other times it happens smack middle of the week when you randomly receive a text from a frantic friend saying she’s been in line for 3 hours waiting for the sample sale to being and you can’t even get dressed completely as you bolt out the door.

Sample sales come and go as wedding dress boutique owners please and they usually come unannounced. Sign up for them via email, but sometimes you’ll just be walking down the city streets and someone will give you an inconspicuous piece of paper “SAMPLE SALE!!! 453rd St and Nine! TUESDAY ONLY!” and you’ll feel your heart flutter.

Sample sales are so great because here you can get a wedding dress that originally costs $7,000 for $600! A few drawbacks are that the wedding dress comes in that size only. You’ll have to get alterations elsewhere and you might have to fight for that delicate veil with another eager bride.

But all in all, the savings are very worth it! (Sample sales are also called “trunk shows.”)

Second Time Around Dress

Another money saving option is to purchase a used wedding dress, either online like on Once Wed or via a reliable vendor. Once Wed has dresses starting at … $50!

Wedding Price Ranges

Sample Sales: prices vary but you will get amazing discounts on designer dresses
Used Dresses: starting at $50
New Dresses: usually start off at $500, but will vary widely

When shopping for a wedding dress:

Know your limit! Everyone, even princesses, have budgets. Make sure to tell your vendor what your highest price would be and stay within that range!
Don’t go with your entire family and dog. Choose two to three close friends/family members you trust.
Don’t do crash diets. Everyone wants to look their best on that special day, but not eating or just drinking juice for 3 months before your wedding is NOT the way. Have a diet and exercise plan and stick to it. Try on dresses being realistic of your current and future weight.

Happy Shopping!

References
Once Wed: Used Wedding Dresses
Trunk Shop Tips