Wedding dress prices..

I spent a fortune (IMO) on my dress and whilst it was the perfect dress for me, I do find myself wondering if I could have achieved the same thing cheaper - ie by going down the route venart did of buying a basic dress and then altering/making additions to it. So don't be too hasty in making a decision and explore all avenues if you can.

What I did first was email shops that I'd be willing to travel to, up to an hour away and asked what their dresses range in price from, most of them had something from £200 up, depending on whether they were sale/off the rack or even bridesmaid dresses.

When I went to try dresses on I specified I didn't want to look at anything over £800, so I didn't get tempted!

Luckily I ended up getting mine in my home town for £549, cheapest in the shop and I didn't have a clue when I picked it With veil and hair piece it's cost £640. I feel I've 'saved' £150 to spend elsewhere

Nutella - Thanks, yeah i'd be equally afraid of spending a lot on the dress and then afterwards wondering why I spent so much money, I like the idea of the custom made dresses too Will be worth shopping around plenty before making a decision n going to try my best and make sure i'm getting the best deal I can manage lol

Chippet - Thanks, i'll probably do that actually send e-mails to a lot and see what their average price lists like, i'd hate to walk into shops and try ones I love to find out they're over £1k then i'd have to be dragged out sobbing lol Good saving you had then that's great! Think i'll have to set myself a budget and be realistic on how much i'll have to spend on one and stick to it once I've made a decision lol.

Thanks again for everyones help xx

I got mine from a wedding dress outlet, might be worth seeing if there's one close to you, the shop I went to is based in Leicestershire and they have another near London so a bit far for you, but there might be something similar closer to you

Never thought of that! Thank you, done some google and theres one near me so will have a look there too Brill thanks!?

I'm havng mine custom made by a local dressmaker. Originally thought it would be £800-900 or so, but due to the fact that the material I've chosen was a bit cheaper and the fact its a tea dress its come in at £640. Its been such a special experience seeing my dress go from a few sketches to the finished artical (well it will be when I see it on Thursday)... I can't recommend the whole process more. I definately know that my dress will be a one off... which was sadly quite important to me (its a bit of a theme really, had my engagement ring made too).

Good luck OP... remember it doesn't matter whether you spend 200 or 2000 pounds on a dress as long as you love it and it makes to feel like a princess.

I totally agree with this. I tried on a couple of ex-sample dresses that I was praying would be the one - 3k dresses down to under £500, but nope, nothing made me feel as good as my little bridesmaid dress.

It depends upon your selection and present cloth rates. But there are lot of good suggestions mentioned above, you can check them.

MarkSharma, by advertising in your avatar you are breaking hitched rules which state that in order to advertise you must join hitched as a HIB (hitcher in business).

I have reported you to the forum admin.

The dresses I've seen so far that I like have ranged from £1250 to £1700. ?

Mine was £2500. Eeeekkk!

i didn't plan on spending that much -the original budget was £1500- but I fell in love and found a way to make it happen!!

I did manage to buy it on a designer day when I didn't have to pay an extra £300 for alterations otherwise it would have been bread and water for the next year!!

Thanks for all the replies ladies
I also agree you don't have to spend a fortune to feel fab in your dress, and hoping I find the perfect dress within a reasonable budgt, still e-mailing around shops and going to look into the custom made dresses & outlets too Think it's great for the girls who have the perfect dress regardless of the expense, whatever makes the bride happy on that day it's worth it Thanks again everyone x

I got mine in a sample sale reduced from the usual price of £2K to £1K. I was bloomin lucky it fit (just about did up...que diet).

When I saw it on the rail I knew I wanted it no matter what the price, the fact that it was not overstretching the budget was a bonus

Wise words.

You can be sure you'll be getting an authentic gown at a good price and without the worry.

We have a range of sample gowns up to size UK 34 available online as well as in store - all at half price or less!

Oh, thanks for the advice! I haven't asked for any material samples so far! The dress I'm intending on buying is made from tulle and organza so perhaps I should see a little square of it first before going ahead! I did wonder too if the dresses are produced in China. They said they could send photos of it whilst in production which would definitely reassure me more...

My budget was £2k and I was prepared to squeek it up to £2500 if I had to, but then I fell in love with a Justin Alexander design that was just under £1,500. Watch out though for the alterations - I was a size 10/12 when I bought the dress but ordered an 8, diet has gone better than expected and I am now a size 6! Alterations to the dress to take in, shorten, alter the bolero and attach a belt is costing me about £450!

xxx

Thanks again girls, writing all these tips down
Loads of great help & ideas, would be hopeless at this by myself lol

Prices depend on what you want, making your own dress the way you want it would cost you more than buying on line, first decide on your budget and look for what you within your budget, even some custom made dresses would not be as expensive as is believed to be.

Good luck with your dress search.