Daughters Getting Married

Why is David's Bridal the last resort? I found my dress there and it was gorgeous.

Anytime you hit up a bridal shop you are going to be paying higher prices as they typically are going to have higher end dresses. There is a lot of work that goes into the construction of a wedding dress along with quality materials.

She will probably do well at David's and find something in her price range. Keep in mind too that alterations get expensive fast so the more simple the dress the better in that respect. I was lucky though. I didn't have to have any alterations at all so it can happen.

A simple outdoor wedding I attended had the bride beautifully dressed in an ivory sheath dress. She was beautiful and still looked elegant in a non-traditional wedding dress. Dress aside, a bride's real beauty comes from the genuine beauty she feels inside on that very special day. Her groom would see her as beautiful if she just wore jeans and a t!! -- Glad to hear she's keeping the cost down. Extravagant weddings aren't the cause for a marriage happy or what makes it last.

I went to Alfred Angelo, if you have one near you. It's a bit like David's Bridal, but I found their dresses less generic. I got a beautiful dress for around $400, and they take payments. I paid for it over several months.

Another tip, DON'T get it altered at the store you buy the dress. They overprice tailoring. Go to a tailor, instead.

l

My sister and I both found beautiful dresses off the rack (discontinued models maybe?) it helps that we are 'average" sizes. In our family we also consider it a great compliment if someone asks to wear your wedding dress or veil or... is there a cousin or aunt she could ask? My cousin who could well afford a new dress asked to wear mine and she added bead work etc to it Again it is a compliment!

Get on ebay and start looking. She can email the person and get exact measurements. Craigs list is a good one too. Start calling thrift shops, I saw a gorgeous one yesterday. Look for a prom dress in stores, even on craigs list, you could post wanted and ecplain that it is a casual wedding. I feel certin that you can find one for that. Have a wonderful wedding, my mother made me my outfit, I flew to Italy and married my sweetheart. We had 12 guests. That was 44 yrs ago.

I understand your frustration at trying to find something in the budget, but a lot of work goes into making even a simple wedding dress. It is something that a woman hopefully only buys once in her life...that also drives up costs. Not to mention that brides are about the most resource intensive clients out there. Can you tell I've worked in the industry before? Not dresses, but flowers and I can tell you that the margins on most weddings are very slim.

David's Bridal isn't the root of all evil. Local salons can be a good place to start...make sure you are clear on your budget from the beginning.

Don't look at bridal magazines...they set your expectations too high!

I got a beautiful Alfred Angelo on a website called www.usedweddingdresses.com. You have the opportunity to try on and return dresses.

Your daughter will be able to find the perfect dress for her. I know it is countr-intuitive, but don't try on too many dresses or overthink it. When she finds one she likes and looks good on her...that is the dress. The dress isn't what makes the wedding...the special moments do.

David's Bridal and Jessica McClintock are fine. I went to Davids to find a style I liked and was going to get mine there. I just happened to get luck and a Bridal Shop had a retirement sale so I got it there. "Traditional" gowns ARE stupidly overpriced and I refused to pay that much for a dress I was going to wear once. You might want to play around visiting consignment shops, thrift shops, craigslist.com, etc. You may find something really interesting that way. Good luck!

http://stores.ebay.com/Cinderellas-Bridal-Shop?_rdc=1

Here is where I ordered my dress 4 years ago. They are in China, but they make awesome dresses, check their Feedback. I did get so many compliments on my dress. They involve you with the process through a step by step guide of manufacturing. People asked if I was wearing David's bridal. They make you send your exact measurements and give you a guide on how to do it right and ship DHL. I loved my dress, so did hubby and all my guests.

I found a vendor on Ebay, let them know what I was looking for in a gown and they sent me photos of what they had that matched up. I sent my measurements and they mailed me a dress. Final price tag was $245 (including shipping.) I went to a local bridal store for my veil (That was $50.) You've got lots of time to place an order and make any adjustments that might be needed once you get it in hand. (I had lost a little weight, so my dress had to be taken in at the waist, but my grandmother managed that with no problem, and added a bustel.)

I got many compliments on my gown and no one could believe me when I said I got it from e-bay.

Good luck to your daughter.

Look on Craigslist.. I have seen beautiful wedding gowns for sale on there..

Here is Austin, here the Goodwill's also have incredible wedding gowns for very inexpensive. Go quick, before the Halloween crowd go and snap them up..

Wedding dresses can also be rented. Look at cities around where you live..

Singlestill,
I recently watched a bridal show and the bridal gown was a soft shade of pink. Apparently white bridal gowns are a result of a queen who married in the 1840s. Anyway, on this show, brides-to-be wore gowns that represented themselves. A soft blue dress would be lovely.

I attend formal events because of hubby's job and often have to buy gowns. I find the bridal shops are good a source of sales, "end of the season" or "discontinued" dresses.

What an exciting event for you. Have fun and enjoy the experience. Best wishes to your daughter.
~Kyeen

I agree that I'm confused about why David's is so horrible...yes it's cheesy and kind of cliche, but if you have a small budget, they really are the place to go. They often have sales and markdowns and you'd probably be able to find more gowns in your price range there than anywhere else.

I don't know if you have a Jessica McClintock store near you, or maybe look up the website but I got my dress there and I loved it! It was very reasonably priced...about $400 as well and I was surprised. The stores are generally smaller without a huge selection of wedding dresses, but they always have some! Also, their bridesmaids dresses are adorable too!!! The only problem with the bridesmaids gowns is that they only go up to a size 12 or 14, so that could be a problem for her girls, don't know.

For an outdoor wedding, you might want to consider checking out JCrew. They have a few dresses that are in her price range, but I don't know if she's trying for a more traditional look. Outdoor weddings, especially potlucks, usually have a more casual feel.

http://www.jcrew.com/wedding/Wedding_Bride.jsp

You could also check Nordstroms' website. I just found 30 dresses in the $100-300 range.

** Here is another site I found while doing a Google search for "informal wedding dresses" http://www.queenisagirl.com/Informal-Wedding-Dresses/ **

There's nothing wrong with David's Bridal. They have THOUSANDS of dresses in every price range, so there's a pretty great chance she'd find something she loves. Who cares where it comes from - if it is in budget and looks great, that's all that matters. I've gotten flower girls dresses from there twice in the last 5 years. The place is always full of brides, the alterations dept in the back is always busy and everybody's always smiling and happy. Obviously, they're doing something right and have many satisfied customers. Unfortunately, these days, $400 will not get you a brand new custom wedding dress very easily. I've seen a couple at www.whitehouseblackmarket.com around that price, or you could try j.Crew - I'm pretty sure I saw several in the $250 - $500 range on their website. Good luck!

I got my awesome gown at a trunk show at a local bridal shop....I didn't care for the stuff at David's Bridal either. My budget was under $500, and what I did was when I would get to a store I would straight out tell the girl not to bring me any dress over $500 or I would walk out. No use falling in love with a dress I couldn't have. Most shops were great, one I did walk out on when the girl insisted that I "just have to try this dress on" and it was $1200! Keep in mind that the dress is before tax and alterations. Mine was a Maggie Sotero on sale at a trunk show for $420 plus 10% tax (live in chgo) and it was $100 for alterations (from a lady I know) so about $600 all said and done. Thank goodness my dad bought my veil, headpiece, and shoes! Definitely find a good tailor if you can, the bridal shops around here start at like $250-$300 even if you only need a hem! You could also check out white house black market or look for prom dresses instead of bridal. If she's a size 8, she can buy mine...lol!

Shop online then get it tailored. Check out the following link.

http://www.weddingdress2012.com/wedding-dresses.html

You know some women have dresses they have never worn but bought. She could always go on craigslist and see if someone has one that she likes.

As far as the cake, good for you it is not too hard to make a wedding cake, and if you find the accessories on sale or clearance they are not too expensive either. I have made a few and now it is a hobbie, so you can look up on the internet styles and things like that.

Try j.crew bridal. My stepdaughter bought a lovely simple wedding dress there for about $300 - 400. I see from their site they've added more expensive dresses, but some are still very reasonable. She also went to the local store and opened an account which gave her a significant discount on both her and the bridesmades' dresses.

http://www.jcrew.com/wedding.jsp

I would check out a bridal boutique's clearance rack. When I was getting married six years ago, I bought my brand new dress at a boutique....for $20.00 dollars:) Yes, twenty bucks. It was on the clearance rack due to being out of season...but you'd never know it. It fit me perfectly and I got many compliments. Keep looking at bridal boutiques...you may just get lucky:)

I found my dress in Anoka at Classy consignment. I have also seen dresses at unique thrift stores. I bet if you google a list of wedding consignment shops would come up. My dress was new someone cancelled there wedding and I bought my bridesmaid dress and flower girl dresses there too.

Look at consignment stores in the Yellow Pages, and call to see if they have any bridal gowns in your daughters size. Also, run your own ad in the newspaper for "Seeking reasonably priced used, like new bridal gown, size 8". Instead of looking for bridal gowns, look for prom and evening gowns. White may be a little harder to find in those categories, but not impossible. Some places rent bridal gowns & accessories.

I see you have some answers, but here is my advice. I got married 7 years ago, but my SIL just got married in August and we both bought our gowns at the Wedding Shoppe on Grand Ave. in St. Paul. This is a description from a review I found:

In Short – The Shoppe occupies a cute old home whose top floor is dedicated to bridal attire. It's usually staffed to provide one-on-one consultations, but be warned: Saturdays are wild, wild, wild. Expect modish, new styles from the collections of 50-odd designers (mostly second-stringers such as Mori Lee, Marisa and Sweetheart). The bridesmaids' department is stocked with standard two-piece taffetas and full-length sheaths. Mix and match these with the goods in the accessories department.

We both bought "last years" dresses and mine was around $300. I'm not sure what my SIL spent, but it was less than $400. Alterations are extra, and it did cost me about $175 for that.

I found them great to work with.

Jessica

This was already mentioned...EBAY! I don't mean a used, already worn dress. There are vendors who have brand new dresses at great prices. The downfall- you can't try them on, but if she certain of her dress size (usually 2 sizes larger than pant size) then you could luck out!

I was going to suggest Brides of France and noticed that another reader beat me to it.

You should look into local bridal shops (like Macy's) and see when they are having their sample sale. I purchased a sample dress there for approx $400 and it originally sold for $1,500. It was in excellent condition! I know other shops in the area have these sales too but it's all about timing.

I ended up selling the dress I mentioned above (I found another dress that was 'the one' at another sample sale.) online. I can't remember the name of the site but it was an online ebay like site for wedding dresses. I would do a google search for used wedding dresses as I know there are several sites out there.

One more option is to find a dress she loves and have some one recreate it. I met with a women in Edina (The Dressmaker at thedressmaker.com) and her work was stunning! I saw several of her finished pieces and they were intricate and amazing. It will all come down to design and material options but she works with your budget. Honestly, if your daughter has seen a dress that is out of her budget but she loves it you HAVE to go to meet this woman.

I also agree with the other readers that if you do go through a bridal store to purchase the dress you might consider having the alterations done elsewhere. It can be VERY expensive otherwise.

Good luck!

Has anyone mentioned the Running of the Brides. Google Filene's Basement and they do the Running of the Brides where you get designer dresses at a discount price. I had the same feelings about David's Bridal, but it's worth just going to try some on. Both of my sisters got beautiful gowns from David's. They were on clearance and one paid $199 and the other paid $225.

Luckily you have plenty of time. Look into bridal shows. The ones I have been to (though it has been a while) have last years designs and some that have been only worn by models on the runway for sale for really cheap. They don't always have the sizes you are looking for but a friend of mine who is plus size found one that was too big and normally 800 for only 150 at a show and then had it altered. Good Luck!

Mary Kay Bridal is a wonderful place to look. If you can get over the rundown look of the building the staff and dresses are great. I got mine for less then $400 7 years ago. It is in Edina/Richfield area (Penn and 62). Good luck!

If she finds a dress on clearance or used, it doesn't have to fit...can be too small or too big...as long as she loves it. Then take it to be altered. My friend, Brenda, specializes in bridal alterations. Check out her website at www.amazingalterations.com. Good luck!

We bought my dress at JCPenney's Outlet store 19 years ago for $174.95 and I still love that dress. I plan on trying it on again for our 20th anniversary.

My bridesmaids dresses were $14.95 and bought them for them and they were all (6) very happy. It's amazing what you can find if you're open to not so obvious places and take your time looking. Good luck.

E-Bay! You can really find some gems there, but you have to look hard. My friend got her dress on e-bay for $200...it was previously worn, but was well taken care of and cleaned and boxed. It was absolutely beautiful!

Hi there
I got my dress from the wedding chapel at the Mall of America (Chapel of Love) and it was less than $400 and I loved it. The customer service there could not be beat either. Another place to check out is The Hope Chest in Ham Lake. They are wonderful too.
There are a lot of good suggestions here; if she is having a simple outdoor wedding she may want to check bridesmaid's dresses. They often come in white, but of course that's something that most retailers don't make public knowledge. And bridesmaid's dresses are so much cheaper!
In any case it sounds like it will be a beautiful wedding. I got married 2 years ago and we did most of the work/food/etc ourselves, had the reception in my dad's yard, and it was SO beautiful and SO fun.. and the whole thing cost around $3500 total including the dress.
Good Luck!!

Has she considered a bridesmaids dress in the color she wants? That is what I did. Price is so much more reasonable and it opens up a lot of possibilities! They can be ordered in any color. Even places like Ann Taylor and J Crew have them now and they might work. I got mine at an actual bridal store because of the color selection though.

i was 5 months pregnant when i got married almost 3 years ago now. we went to JC Penney's and found a really nice white dress for like $20 on sale, which was originally $80 i think. it looked fabulous, and no one knew it wasn't a wedding dress unless we had already told them. don't know if you've found anything yet, but just thought i'd throw my suggestion in there.

In the spring there is a few of the designers and yes one is David's bridal, have what they call the $99 sale. All dresses are for $99. Both my daughter in laws bought theirs during this sale and have beautiful wedding dresses. I know that is cutting it short on looking for it but to save a lot, it might be an option if you don't find one in her budget before then.

I was just on Ann Taylor's web site and saw beautiful white gowns starting at $295. Good luck and congrats!

have her check out places like Deb, Boston Store....when my cousin got married she found her dress at Boston Store...she was married in July and when it was prom season that's when she found hers.....try to google low bridal dresses for her area also they may have websites to go to...i hope that helps...have her stick to her budget...when i married 12 years ago i got mine at an outlet store for a total of 100!!! So it can be done and will be done for her

Try consignment shops if she doesn't mind used. There are consignment shops specifically for wedding/formal dresses. Most were only worn once.

Do you know someone who sews? Perhaps they'd make a dress as their wedding gift if you pay for the materials.

For some reason I can't read the other answers, so you may have heard this already, but if she doesn't mind a previously worn gown, she might try Brides of France. Good luck.

Eight years ago, I went to an expensive bridal store and headed to the bridesmaid's section. I bought a beautiful Vera Wang "bridesmaid" gown in ivory for about $300. It's a trick I'd heard about in a bridal magazine. Worked beautifully, and I got tons of compliments. Good luck!

David's Bridal has reasonable dresses - what's the hang up? My niece got a beautiful $900 gown for $400. I've sent many brides there - I've been doing weddings for 20 years and unless you know of a reasonable small shop in your area - David's is the place to go

I found the dress I wanted in a magazine and then took the picture to a really good seamstress who made it for like 1/4 the price - and it really was custom couture!

How about looking for a dress that's already been down the aisle? You can get one within your budget and make any alterations you want!