Wedding Dresses
 

OOFTA!

So I went wedding dress shopping for the first time yesterday....Wow! The wedding is Sept 7th, 2013....

It went pretty good, but, of course the one that I love is $1800:dizzy:!

So, mom says she wants to pay for it, but they were thinking along the lines of 700...lol. Well, I can afford it no problem. I am cheap, really cheap..and it makes me cringe to think of spending that much for one day (well two as I will be wearing it again for a separate reception)...

Well I still should check some other places..but that dress was amazing...the photos don't do it justice.

My question to you all is have you ever found a website that creates mock dresses for a good price?

I googled a few and found several that were offering it (the CASABLANCA 2098) for 300-400...but they seem kinda shady...I'm sure they are knockoffs but are they scams or not?

Blah I hate my stingyness! Any suggestions?

Those sites that are selling knock offs for 300-400 dollars are usually from China and the general consensus on wedding forums is to NOT use those sites.

Here is a sample of one person got (with pics)

http://www.weddingwire.com/wedding-f...d01140467.html

Some more real life experiences: http://www.weddingwire.com/wedding-f...85a8fc452.html

No dress is worth $1800. Whenever you get tempted, just think of what else you could spend $1800 on.

Check out recycledbride.com. It's girls re-selling their gowns, some have never been worn ( :( ) You may be able to get a good deal there.

That dress is really pretty. Also try David's Bridal. They have a huge selection and very reasonable prices.

Get a gown second hand, Craigslist is a good place, or maybe eBay.

No dress is worth $1800.

Depending on what you want, I think you can definitely cut down on the price. Honestly, I went dress shopping initially at David's Bridal with no price tag in mind. I'm cheap and figured it'd cost a few hundred dollars. I ended up finding a bridesmaid dress (super pale yellow) on clearance for $80. It is a heavily beaded top, almost similar to that one and floor length, no train.

Our entire wedding including professional photography cost around $3,000 for our 20 some guests. Although we could've spent a lot more, it was nice to have a small wedding that we wanted inexpensively.

And I think you'll look great no matter what dress you buy. At the end of the day, as long as you stick with the classic stylings, no one is going to be able to tell the difference between that dress and one that is 1/10th the cost. My overall advice is don't stress too much as it can be stressful planning a wedding, just go with the flow. It is only one day but the days after it are really the ones that count.

I think if you can afford it and it makes your heart sing then go for the real thing.
My gown cost almost as much and that was 20 years ago. Id hate to think of what it cost today. We cut back in other areas that were less important to me personally and it comes down to your financial circumstance. Youll be looking at the photos forever and you dont wanna be looking and regretting the dress that got away.
BUT if this is a great dress but you just cant or dont want to afford it then find a less expensive dress avoid the knockoffs.
Everyones priorities and finances are different dont feel bad or guilty about buying an expensive dress IF you can afford it. Once in a lifetime there are many dresses that are "worth it" to the wearer it just depends on your financial circumstance at the time. Only you know that.
:)
ps and yeah berryblondeboys, my dress was TOTALLY worth it and Ive never ever had any regrets :)

I REALLY lucked up and got mine on eBay for $56. And when I recd it I was ecstatic it needed no alterations. Not just an everyday dress either an actual wedding dress.

I keep trying to post pics but I can't figure out how

David's Bridal.

I guess it depends on the person. I spent $10 on my dress (as I got married in a courthouse wearing a suit dress). It just happened to be the best fitting/looking thing I found was a $10 dress off a Sears clearance rack nearly 20 years ago after looking at tons and tons of dresses ranging from $50-$250 in department stores.

I look at my wedding pictures (snapshots from a point and shoot camera) and I still smile and get the same "ahhh" feeling as you probably do. My entire wedding (all clothing, rings, honeymoon - everything) was $500 and my memories of that day are just as special as someone who spent $50,000. I do know for myself though that I would regret spending tons of money on things I could use only once - no matter how special a day it is.

My best friend, on the other hand, spent $1300 on hers about 6 years ago for her very small wedding, but the dress was the one thing she wanted to splurge on as it had always been her dream to have a dream wedding gown. The rest of their wedding was soooo modest, but that dress was her dream and she doesn't regret it.

So I do understand, but it wouldn't be me - I would rather sink that into the house or a nice vacation, but we each have what is important to us, I guess.

Grab some pictures of the dress and go to other salons to look for something similar. I went wedding dress shopping with one dress in mind, but the salon didn't have it. The sales lady brought out another one that was similar, and as soon as I tried it on, I knew that was it. Yes, you may only love this one, but don't count others out just yet! Keep looking. But if you keep coming back to this one, well, go for it. Yes it's a lot of money but if you can't find anything else that makes you feel that beautiful and special, you won't be happy.

Thanks so much guys! I do need to check out David's Bridal yet...Actually a few more stores. I have heard about some places making the mock dresses around here..but there we go again to wondering if they can pull it off...especially with the embroidery.

1800 is redonkulous, and I am hoping a cheaper dress will give me that "wow" factor!

I clicked to suggest "recycled bride" and I see someone else did too.
Also, you might be able to find it on ebay.

It all depends on what (if anything) you want to "splurge" on. Some women choose the dress and I don't think there's anything wrong with that. (I spent $400 on my dress, pretty cheap by today's standards). If you can afford it and you love it, there's nothing wrong with buying it. However, if you are unsure about spending that money, then definitely shop around.
But get the dress you want (that's within your means, of course), regardless of what anyone says.

A co-worker of mine is getting her dress through David's Bridal. She looks gorgeous in her gown (seen pics from the fitting) & I think her total was like $750. But with the internet, I'd also try recycledbride. You never know what amazing deal you might find online. You might just find the gown of your dreams who's price tag won't give you nightmares.

There is NOTHING wrong with being trifty (cheap---your word). It is a dress, what matters is your commitment & love of one another. I went super inexpensive for my wedding. Small, intimate wedding at a local historical church with just family & a few select friends. My SIL made my dress (a gift from her & my bro), rented 3 tuxes (rent at least 2 groomsmen suits get groom's free), my attendants wore cocktail dresses that they could use again & again, and I bought red long stemmed roses for my maidron of honor to carry. DONE! We were able to do it on a shoestring & we still giggle about the day nearly 24 yrs. later! (We were married on April Fool's Day!!!)

Or if you want to make yourself feel better when you are budgeting for your wedding, you can use an investment calculator like...
http://www.daveramsey.com/article/in...g/#/entry_form

If you spent $35,000 total, which is about the average wedding cost these days, then in 20 years, without adding anymore money to an investment account, you'd have approximately $260k in 20 years :)

I got mine from jkdress.com, they can make a copy of your dream dress if you send pictures...Really satisfied!

I will be ordering my dress from www.jasminesbridalshop.com/. They do replica dresses. They are more pricey than your average from-China-dress but from what I understand it's worth it. They even update their blog with actual dresses that they've made, http://www.jasminesbridalshop.com/blog/. Personally, I have two major reasons for choosing a replica dress company over a designer. The first being that I just can't bring myself to spend so much money on a dress. The second is that I want a WEDDING dress but I don't want it in white or ivory. Wedding dresses have a certain look that other formal gowns don't and it isn't because they are white.

Jasmine's Bridal Shop has premium grade fabric or designer grade fabric. Regular, premium or designer grade craftmanship (From what I understand wedding dresses are premium or designer grade only). For premium or designer grade craftsmanship they will send you photos of YOUR dress BEFORE they ship it. In order for them to ship it, you have to approve it. That's where you can tell them to make the skirt more full or to fix this or that.

You can request swatches of fabric, it will cost $45 because shipping is $20 and they require you request at least $25 worth of swatches (a dollar a piece).

I've only had one email exchange with them but unlike other Chinese dressmaker sites, the person you communicate is fluent in English. I believe he even lives in the US. This is really helpful so they clearly understand what you want.

The key to ordering a replica is to be very clear and concise and to provide as many pictures and close ups as you can get your hands on. Make sure you specify what exactly about the dress is important to you.

Check out this: http://www.weddingbee.com/search/?se...&sa.x=0&sa.y=0 (Click on boards) A bunch of brides on the WeddingBee boards have ordered from Jasmine's and posted pictures of their dress.

Thanks to all the further suggestions! I can't believe how many sites are out there.....I think Sunday my mom and I will venture to David's Bridal first. If I can't find something I like there, then I may have to look into those knockoff sites. My only concern is the beading, I LOVE the bling bling rhinestones and beads sown in and am concerned about who can pull that off...if I were to have it made.

Alas, I am frugal, an $1800 dress is crazy for sure. We plan on spending as little as possible on the wedding. I want to do a bunch of DIY projects for the wedding. The venue is costing us $3445, and that will give us 3 nights and 4 days. It is actually a huge Tuscan styled house at the bottom of a mountain! This way my family can stay with us, and we can have the grooms supper (a cookout probably), and the wedding/reception at the location. So the other major expense will be food and alcohol.

So for an update, I did go to David's Bridal Monday.......and well nothing.

Not saying I didn't like any of them, which I did. I guess a part of me wants to keep looking before buying. I know I can't justify that 1800 on a dress to myself but I can't get over that "WOW" I feeling I got in that dress.

It didn't help I was cramping and my lower back kicked my *** while trying on dresses!

DAVIDS BRIDAL!!!!!

The other suggestions are wonderful as well. I had the most luck with Davids Bridal. I ended up with the dress I have always wanted, it was so perfect in so many ways, and it was marked down from over 1K to $399 plus tax. It was a steal, and everything I had ever wanted. You should never have to spend over $500 for a wedding dress. You might even be able to find dresses for even cheaper, exactly the way you want it!

I spent nearly $2,400 on my dress. I know, I know. I'm only getting married once, my parents offered to pay for it, and it's a very special event. A wedding is different to everyone. For my family they want to splurge to celebrate our marriage and our family and friends. Do what makes you happy and what you can afford :)

wow! that is a lot!

Well I'm starting to think if I can't find another dress that I like as much as the 1800$ one, then I may buy it and sell it later. That way I can get some money back for it and I won't feel bad....that is if I can avoid staining it!