wedding dress budgets????

Well my budget ended up not all being used. OH said I could spend around £1000 on a dress (he is the one who is good with numbers) but I got mine in a sample sale for £300! I also hated the idea of wasting money on things just for one day.

But I ended up spending:

Dress - 300

Shoes - 80

Tiara (which I then didn't wear, grr) - 50

Veil -55

Headband - 5

So a total of £490 (jewellery was a gift from OH for the wedding). So it is doable without wasting a fortune, especially if you don;t mind a secondhand or non-designer bargain.

It occurs to me, with questions like this, that absolute amounts don't really reflect the true level of spending girls make on their dress.

So, if two girls both spend, say, one year's disposable income on a dress, they've spent equally frivolously, even if the absolute amounts differ. Does that make sense?

Yep, makes sense to me.

After looking at the prices of wedding dresses I'm actually quite happy I don't like 'wedding' dresses!

After the brilliant job she did on my bridesmaid dress for my brothers wedding I'm most likely going to have a dress made by the dressmaker my SIL found. We haven't settled on a wedding budget yet but I don't want to spend more than £200/300 on a dress. Photography, venue & and food are my priorities so that's where the money is going. Also, If I spent upwards of a grand on a dress, I'd just want to sell it ASAP after I'd worn it, to at least get some money back & I don't really want to do that with my wedding dress.

Maybe a question could be, what percentage of your budget is being spent on your dress? But this would need to make allowances for gifts/donations somehow

Mine was £260 + £105 on taxes (!!) because it was shipped from US. So that's 365 + about £40 for alterations. I think veil will only be about £40 too. Jewellery will be my borrowed as my mum has some beautiful pearls. Shoes however is a different matter - I've got petite size 2 feet, so I'm limited where I can get shoes from, so will probably end up spending between £150-200 on them, but I'm going to get some in a colour I can wear again. I sometimes am surprised by how much people can afford to spend on dresses/honeymoon too, but tbh, if I had the money, I would as well! As it is, we can't afford a honeymoon, and my mum and dad are basically paying for most of the wedding (for which I am eternally grateful!).

I was looking at £500- i am planning on doing lots of research and then finding the same- if not very similar dress second hand or at a factory shop. ive been told to go to the factory shop in Leicester- advice from H2B!!!!

I've just had an unashamed stalk of your wedding report Mini *newbie weirdo alert* and now am searching tea dress wedding dresses. Absolutely beautiful! ?

I know, and I am sorry for sounding judgemental, I was just shocked! Didn't mean to offend anyone of course, I never would, it was just surprise. I know it's horses for courses and everyone prioritises their money differently and earns different amounts.

Honestly didn't mean to upset anyone! Your day your choice of course xx

I didn't have that problem as I had a short dress made. Which I designed myself and it only cost £150.

Thank you for telling me about this place! My dress budget will be about the same so very useful to know!

if it helps there is also a place called Belle Bridal in North London which only does end of line, last season stock at very good prices too.

I spent £150 on an ivory number, with plenty of skirt and a bit of bling around the midriff in a closing down sale. I'd never intended to spend more than £300 on the dress and had planned to shop at lightinthebox or lilywedding but saw there was a closing down sale and thought I'd go along and see what suited me, knowing of I saw something I loved I could buy it.

I'm borrowing my veil from my brothers wife and my FMIL had some Bridal shoes she bought for her daughters wedding and never used. My handbag was £8.95 from Deichmans. My mum is buying me a locket for my birthday that will hold a picture of her parents. Several people have offered to lend me tiaras.

Total spend £158.95 but I plan to sell my dress afterwards.

I had an idea of around £1200 in my head...ended up falling in love with a Pronovias dress that was £1800, plus veil and alterations its about £2100. I could have comprimised but for once I decided not to! Then I bought a pair of Jimmy Choos so I can safely say my wedding day outfit is by far the most expensive one I'll ever wear!

Why thankyou.

Look at http://www.joanneflemingdesign.com/ my dress is one of hers but was a sample so cheaper.

I had imagined I would spend around £600-1000 (I am too fat for sample dresses to be an option) but ended up paying £1300 for my lovely Maggie Sottero dress. Then I spent £75 on shoes, ~£40 on a veil and £85 on a headband and necklace.

I this dress. When it's made you must flash it!!!!!!

Chiffon.... Chiffon floats better

Have fun!!!! ?