How much is too much to spend on a wedding dress?

View Quoted Comment That’s really great advice! Thank you Lydia!!

View Quoted Comment Thank you! That’s great advice thanks!

I'd just like to chime in with an idea: see if there are any bridal consignment stores in your area. If so, maybe just check it/them out! I ended up finding my dress that way, and I was able to snag an otherwise expensive dress for about half of the retail cost, I believe. It was a sample dress that a regular bridal store was clearing out of their inventory, so it had never been altered, and it was actually free of any snags, stains, or other damage! Of course, alterations cost me almost $300, so that's *definitely* something to consider....along with shoes, veil, jewelry, etc. Good luck!!

I think your 2K as a budget for a wedding dress is good. You also have to think about alterations if needed and other accessories(Veils, belts, and hair clips etc) that will bump up your expense. Depending on your dress weather its branded or not, I think there are plenty of stores that will be able to accommodate your budget Congrats and Good luck!

I spent $1100 on my dress and veil before alterations. I love it and cant wait to wear it on my big day

Don’t forget alterations. Mine was a flat fee of $550.


Also, be careful trying on dresses over your budget. My original budget was $400 and then I tried on a $958 dress and it felt amazing and I ended up having to buy it!
Beware! Haha

My budget max was $2k and I spent that. It depends on how much is too much for you. If I found something I loved a couple hundred more I would have spent it but like $1k more? I wouldn’t have

Also finding something under $2k is very doable

Try looking at Madi Lane, Maggie Sottero, Rebecca Ingram, Allure, BeLoved by Casablanca, Morilee, and WToo by Watters. I'm not sure your style but those designers all have a large selection of dresses that average $1,500 - $2,000.

My dress was $1,400, by Casablanca. Definitely doable.

Also agreeing with factoring in alterations - I spent 1700 for my dress - but basic alterations at my bridal shop are a flat fee of 895. I will be adding straps and shortening train - so I’ll probably spend as much on alterations as the dress !

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That's super helpful thank you!

I don't think there's such a thing as too much because people live different lifestyles, value different things, and have different amounts of money. I'm sure people think spending $500 on a dress is too much and others spending $10,000 would be fine. It depends on the person. $2k is definitely a big enough budget to have many options.

I'd see if the bridal salon you are going with has samples for sale or anything from last season they are discounting...you might be able to get the designer you want a little cheaper. Just an idea.

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I searched these designers and found a lot I like! Thank you for the reccomendations!

It’s really a personal choice my budget was 2500$ and honestly every dress i kept trying on wasn’t for me. i tried on this beautiful mermaid style dress and fell in love the tag said 1500$ and i was in disbelief lol. once i got to the register to pay for it my total was 250$ apparently davids bridal had a huge black friday sale and then the dress was being discontinued so even more discount lol. the alterations though are pretty pricey so make sure to include that in your budget lol also veils hair pieces shoes and other accessories really make a difference so my suggestion is to try on the dress with accessories. look for sample sales small boutiques

Echoing the alterations statements. Alterations were a lot more expensive than I expected. My alterations were basic, hem, take in, take up up at shoulders and a bustle = close to $900. And taxes! Thats another few hundred dollars...which just goes up the more expensive the dress. There's more than just the initial price to consider unfortunately. Your budget is definitely doable. Have fun dress shopping!!

I'd recommend looking at local shops, I managed to find a shop that had new dresses, as well as sampled and consigned dresses. Mine is a stunning dress by Anne Barge. Mine was just under $1000 and those dresses normally run 2-7k! You would also NEVER know it was a sample!!! It's a great way to help out local businesses and great for the environment too!

Totally reasonable!!

I got a full lace a-line dress with a long lace train for $2,000 (including the 8% tax). There were so many options under that price too!!

My original budget was $1,000 and the day I went dress shopping fell in love with a $2,000 dress and was ok with that because I realized dresses were a lot more pricey. I feel like your budget is fine maybe it’s just the places your are looking!