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The price range on bridal gowns is so wide that many women do not know where to begin. Should they take a chance on a $ 99 sale or break the bank with a designer gown they saw on "Say Yes to the Dress"? While the ultimate choice is a very individual one, these are some useful guidelines to help you determine how much you should spend on a wedding gown.
In standard wedding budget tools, it is recommended that 10% of the wedding budget be allocated to attire. Some people take that to mean all of the wedding attire, including the groom's, particularly when the bride and groom are paying for their own wedding. If the bride's parents are picking up the wedding tab, it would be reasonable to assume that the 10% figure applies only to the bridal ensemble, since the few items for which the groom is responsible (his attire, bride's wedding band and bouquet, wedding gifts) would fall outside of their budget.
When people say that 10% of the wedding budget should be set aside for the bride's attire, they mean her bridal bridal ensemble, including the wedding gown, veil, crystal bridal jewelry, shoes, headpiece, and even the alterations on the gown. All of those little extras can really add up. For instance, if you were planning a $ 20,000 wedding and spend the entire 10% for attire on a $ 2000 gown, you could easily end up over budget by $ 500 or more with the accessories and alterations. The choices would either be to select a less expensive gown, or to purchase the accessories with funds from the "extras" category, which should have a cushion of about 8% of your total wedding budget. Some brides also get around this problem by asking for wedding accessories like their crystal bridal jewelry or shoes for their birthday or as a holiday gift.
A lot of what will determine the right price point for your bridal gown depends on what is important to you. To some brides, nothing short of a made-to-order silk gown will do. Going back to the example of the $ 20,000 wedding, $ 2000 would be rock bottom for the gown wanted, and closer to $ 4000 or even $ 5000 would have been more realistic, especially for a gown with lace or beadwork. Those women may need to allot more than the standard 10% of their budget towards attire. That is perfectly fine, as long as the wedding budget is set up that way from the beginning. There are always other areas where you can trim expenses, as long as they do not detract from entertaining your guests graciously.
On the other hand, some women would not dream of spending thousands of dollars for a dress which they will wear only one time. For those women, spending less than 10% of their budget on attire might feel more comfortable. A great money-saving tip is to shop for an elegant white or ivory bridesmaid or special occasion dress instead of a traditional bridal gown. Those gowns can be in the hundreds, rather than the thousands, of dollars. Of course, a less expensive dress will not feature the same elaborate details as a designer gown, nor will the quality of the fabric or construction be identical. So it really comes down to where your priorities are.
Still not sure what you should plan to spend on your wedding gown? Start visiting bridal salons. Bring along pictures of wedding gowns that have worn your eye, and find out what they cost. If they are way out of your price range, ask the bridal consultant to show you similar styles which are closer to that standard 10% of your budget. Then you can determine if you will be happy with a more modestly priced bridal gown or if you need to shift your budget around to afford a more expensive gown. Settling on an affordable gown that you do not love will make for a very sad bride, but so will blowing your budget on something that you simply can not afford. The happiest brides are those who make sure to balance their budget while also getting a bridal gown which they absolutely adore.
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Source by Laura Firenze
