happyhomemaker25 Posted December 17, 2011 Share Posted December 17, 2011 My girls and I have been watching "Say Yes to the Dress" and I can't get over the price of these dresses. My dress was about $300 and alterations were another $200. I think my whole catered wedding was less than some of these dresses. So, how much was your dress? Did you pay for it or did your parents? One girl's fiancee was paying for the whole wedding. The dress she wanted was something like $15,000 dollars but he'd only budgeted $10,000! She got the dress she wanted anyway. LOL Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Desert Rat Posted December 17, 2011 Share Posted December 17, 2011 Vintage dress (60 years old), no alterations- $600 in 1994. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PeacefulChaos Posted December 17, 2011 Share Posted December 17, 2011 $350 for the dress, no alterations needed. I think... my grandparents paid for it (and everything else, except the customary groom's parents stuff), and it was in 2001. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KnitWit Posted December 17, 2011 Share Posted December 17, 2011 $250, no alterations needed. IKWYM...I don't begrudge anyone's right to spend their own money, but I agree that the prices are daunting! I haven't seen that show often, but we did view a few episodes where it *appeared* that brides were making their mothers feel like garbage for not *pulling out another card*. That was disgusting. I truly hope that it was editing and not the *reality*. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
regentrude Posted December 17, 2011 Share Posted December 17, 2011 Got married as a grad student in a nice turquoise dress for $150 that I could wear again and again. The whole white-wedding-dress-which-can-be-worn-only-once- custom seemed ridiculous for our budget. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Melinda in VT Posted December 17, 2011 Share Posted December 17, 2011 I rented my dress. I think I paid around $400 for the rental and alterations in 1993. I would not have been able to afford to buy that dress, and I really liked it. (Although I like it less now than I did then.) I think we paid $2000 for the wedding. (The photography was a gift from my ILs.) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rivka Posted December 17, 2011 Share Posted December 17, 2011 I think my dress was $325 with the alterations, in 1999. I think my whole budget for the wedding was $3000. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sevilla Posted December 17, 2011 Share Posted December 17, 2011 $850. I loved my dress! My wedding was $25,000 (paid for in cash, no debt). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Unicorn. Posted December 17, 2011 Share Posted December 17, 2011 About $1000. The dress cost more than the entire wedding. :D And I don't even wear dresses. Growing up, I always said I was going to get married in my jeans and boots. It's a really pretty dress! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Parrothead Posted December 17, 2011 Share Posted December 17, 2011 On sale, off the rack (well out of the catalog) at J.C. Penney's for $79.00 This was about 13 years ago. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kebo Posted December 17, 2011 Share Posted December 17, 2011 Under $300, plus a small amount for alterations. I found it at a discount bridal store, and I still think it is lovely many years later. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LG Gone Wild Posted December 17, 2011 Share Posted December 17, 2011 I got two, custom made, for about $75. Love cheap Asian labor! Believe or not, this was done in San Diego (El Cajon) in a little vietnamese shop that I stumbled upon. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pippen Posted December 17, 2011 Share Posted December 17, 2011 I wore my aunt's dress from 1954 so the only costs were for new lace to overlay the bodice and satin to recover the buttons. It cost $75 when originally purchased and I paid $75 for a veil in 1988. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Daisy Posted December 17, 2011 Share Posted December 17, 2011 (edited) $900, with alterations in 1995. It was the most expensive part of the wedding. :blushing: In an era of fancy lacy blechy dresses I found a simple silk dress. It was so worth the money, imo. I paid for it. Edited December 17, 2011 by Daisy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cinder Posted December 17, 2011 Share Posted December 17, 2011 Mine was probably around $75-100. I don't know the exact cost because I only paid for the fabric. Mil made the dress and paid for the lace and buttons. Of course the cost doesn't include the hours upon hours of labor she put in to get it just right. Is it any wonder I still have the dress hanging in my closet 25 years later? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gingersmom Posted December 17, 2011 Share Posted December 17, 2011 I got mine at Kleinfields!!! The store was in Brooklyn back then. I think mine was around $2000. I don't really remember having a budget, though there is no way I would have spent much more. My parents paid for it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lailasmum Posted December 17, 2011 Share Posted December 17, 2011 (edited) We had a wedding and a seperate blessing, I ended up with 2 dresses. The first dress was about £90 it got damaged when it was cleaned after our wedding. The second dress I borrowed from a friend who managed the Droopy and Browns dress shop in Covent Garden, I worked there between theatre jobs occasionally, that was worth £3000ish. Luckily I fitted the sample, it was a really stunning dress so I can see that there is some value to paying more as the fabric and cut were nicer but there is probably somewhere between £90 and £3000 that you could get value and great quality. My best friend bought her dress from that shop and it was about £3-4K, can't remember exactly now. Unfortunately we fell out for about a year around that time and I didn't attend her wedding so didn't get to see her in it. Edited December 17, 2011 by lailasmum Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BigMamaBird Posted December 17, 2011 Share Posted December 17, 2011 The dress, crinoline and veil put me back $600. This was in 2000. I was really not into fashion or anything and had no idea what I wanted. The lady at the dress store pretty much picked my dress out for me. She looked me up and down, grabbed a dress off the rack and after trying on three or four more too, her's was the one I chose. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Carol in Cal. Posted December 17, 2011 Share Posted December 17, 2011 $804 plus tax and alterations, in 1987. I paid for it, but then my mother gave me part of the money for it. The veil was another $75-125 IIRC. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
happyhomemaker25 Posted December 17, 2011 Author Share Posted December 17, 2011 Oh, Daisy it is so pretty! I had to have sleeves on mine and a higher neckline than was fashionable. It was almost impossible to find in 2000. Surely every plus sized bride wanted a strapless dress, right?? My parents paid for the dress. I think my whole wedding between $2,500 and $3,000. It was my mom's bonus for the year, I remember that. We were married in December at our church so we saved a lot of money on flowers. The church was decorated so beautifully with Christmas trees with white lights and poinsettas. A friend catered the wedding for a big discount. We did not serve alcohol being Southern Baptist and all. Also, that meant no DJ or dancing. :) It was a nice wedding. Some friends and I decided that one day we are going to have a new wedding with dancing. LOL Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
iamrachelle Posted December 17, 2011 Share Posted December 17, 2011 Mine was $2000 in 1996... I'm almost embarrassed to admit what my sweet Daddy paid for it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ellie Posted December 17, 2011 Share Posted December 17, 2011 My future mil paid for the fabric, a friend from church made it. Probably less than $200. Also, we had the reception in the church fellowship hall, and served punch and mints and mixed nuts and cake. The cake was less than $200 (hard to remember the exact cost, since the wedding was over 37 years ago :D ). Flowers were less than $100. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KnitWit Posted December 17, 2011 Share Posted December 17, 2011 I got mine at Kleinfields!!! The store was in Brooklyn back then. I think mine was around $2000. I don't really remember having a budget, though there is no way I would have spent much more. My parents paid for it. Well, that is cool. :) Did you get the whole *experience*? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mommaduck Posted December 17, 2011 Share Posted December 17, 2011 $25 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
catz Posted December 17, 2011 Share Posted December 17, 2011 My dress was $2000 in 1999. I paid for it on my own. My parents did contribute a flat fee to the wedding, but they also wanted to invite many of their friends and have a bigger affair than we would have had on our own. DH and I paid for about 2/3rds of it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
newbie Posted December 17, 2011 Share Posted December 17, 2011 1500 in 93. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chepyl Posted December 17, 2011 Share Posted December 17, 2011 $500 and the store did alterations at no extra cost. The veil was about $50-75. That was in 2000, wedding in Jan 2001. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
i.love.lucy Posted December 17, 2011 Share Posted December 17, 2011 Mine was about $600 I think. My mom bought it for me. I had been sending her pics of what I wanted and she went on a trip to New York about that time. The went to the garment district where she spotted what she knew would be the perfect dress. She called me in my dorm room and swore that I could be honest and if I didn't like it we'd sell it. I loved it!! I think I only paid another $75 for alterations. That was 1988. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MissKNG Posted December 17, 2011 Share Posted December 17, 2011 My dress was $800, no alterations. It was the most expense thing of our wedding because the rest of the wedding was rather simple. I just wanted a big, beautiful dress! My dress went to a friend for her wedding then that friend's daughter for her wedding. So it got used for three weddings!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cin Posted December 17, 2011 Share Posted December 17, 2011 Dress, veil and alterations were about $220, in 1988. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Xuzi Posted December 17, 2011 Share Posted December 17, 2011 ~$600 with alterations in 2002. I bought it at a store where you could buy off the rack too, so from the time I bought it to the time I got to bring it home after alterations was about 5 weeks. :D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mommy22alyns Posted December 17, 2011 Share Posted December 17, 2011 I rented mine for around $150. I don't regret it one bit! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ciyates Posted December 17, 2011 Share Posted December 17, 2011 450 in 93. The whole wedding was less than 3k for 400 people (gotta love a big southern wedding!) The most expensive thing was the photographer. I think he was 600 but I love pictures so for me it was worth it. DH and I paid for everything because my parents could not afford it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
elegantlion Posted December 17, 2011 Share Posted December 17, 2011 I think it was 350.00. Bought off the rack at JC Penney Outlet store. No alterations needed. Mom made my veil, which was simple, and I think I borrowed the shoes. This was 1992. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Just Another Jen Posted December 17, 2011 Share Posted December 17, 2011 $200 from the jcpenney wedding dress outlet. I really liked it. A few years later a raccoon got into our house and hid in our closet destroying it. At least I have pictures. ;) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mommylaw Posted December 17, 2011 Share Posted December 17, 2011 $29.99. 15 years ago. First and only dress I tired on. Bought it on a clearance rack at Marshalls. I think my entire wedding was less than $400. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dana Posted December 17, 2011 Share Posted December 17, 2011 I was married in 1994. I think the cake and dress were the most expensive parts of the wedding. Dress was about $400 and cake about $200 (VERY tasty and pretty). FiL and his brother did our flowers (husband's uncle is florist) - beautiful. Reception was at church and was potluck. Husband's cousin took our pictures & they were what we wanted & we got the negatives. Rehearsal dinner was at a pizza place. We're pretty low-key :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tarreymere Posted December 17, 2011 Share Posted December 17, 2011 (edited) My first wedding dress was at a discount because it had been worn in wedding fashion show. It was $75 in 1984. The reception was in the church hall and was potluck. The groom's parents paid for the cake. It was great. My second dress came from the thrift shop. Reception was at my house and a friend made the cake. We had a cook-out. The groom's parents gave us an air conditioner, which we installed immediately in the kitchen. It was great. For my third wedding, DH and I eloped to Vegas and I didn't have a dress. I wanted to get married by Elvis in a drive-thru, but DH wanted something a little bit more traditional, so we got married by a bailbondsman. It was great. If I have a fourth wedding I am going to hold out for the Elvis thing........ Edited December 17, 2011 by Rainefox Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mrs Mungo Posted December 17, 2011 Share Posted December 17, 2011 My dress was $300, including veil and alterations in 1994. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Plink Posted December 17, 2011 Share Posted December 17, 2011 $90. in 1998. I loved my dress! It was a sample dress, so was a year "out of date" which was no big deal to me because I'm not a huge slave to fashion. I actually saw it in a magazine and cut out the picture, but never expected to find it. I saw it on the rack and absolutely KNEW that it was the dress for me. It still makes me smile when I think of that moment. My dad bought my veil - I bet it cost more than the dress, but I don't remember anymore. It was such a sweet moment to share with him. He isn't one to get misty, but that day definitely put him over the edge. My entire wedding cost less than $20,000 (no debt) for a nice hall, seated meal (including palate cleansing sorbet which seemed very fancy at the time), my musicians, photographers, flowers ... the works. I did a lot haggling and deal making, but in the end I got exactly what I wanted for what I was willing to pay. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SweetMissMagnolia Posted December 17, 2011 Share Posted December 17, 2011 roughly about $300--my mom got it for me and didn't tell me.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jennifer3141 Posted December 17, 2011 Share Posted December 17, 2011 My dress for my current marriage was $2000 back in 2001. DH and I actually went together and picked it out. My mother was ticked but we were the ones who bought it and she picked the god-awful first wedding dress out so it was MY turn. :lol: I didn't wear a veil to my wedding - we got married at a park with just parents and best friends and had a formal reception for everyone the next day. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mytwomonkeys Posted December 17, 2011 Share Posted December 17, 2011 i got married in 2000. my dress was a few hundred? i found it on the clearance rack. i had no alterations. i remember the cake cost more than my dress; that blew my mind! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mrs Mungo Posted December 17, 2011 Share Posted December 17, 2011 (edited) I just bumped an old thread with lots of wedding dress pics because I am too lazy to upload it again.:) Edited December 17, 2011 by Mrs Mungo Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Farrar Posted December 17, 2011 Share Posted December 17, 2011 About $100 iirc. The whole wedding (dress, food, garden rental, little details, gifts for the wedding party, even the hotel for the wedding night) was well under a thousand. I don't "get" weddings that cost money. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wendi Posted December 17, 2011 Share Posted December 17, 2011 $700 in 1991. Wendi Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
coralloyd Posted December 17, 2011 Share Posted December 17, 2011 About $500, with alterations, in 1999. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shellers Posted December 17, 2011 Share Posted December 17, 2011 (edited) $30 I wore a white short sleeve sun dress. We eleped and got married in a tiny A frame chapel in Lake Tahoe. The place is now a real-estate office. At the time I had a broken foot and had just gotten over a bone infection. I walked down the short isle in a walking cast. Our 17 year anniversary is in June. :001_smile: Edited December 17, 2011 by Shellers Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LibraryLover Posted December 17, 2011 Share Posted December 17, 2011 (edited) I actually had a very formal wedding at a lovely hotel on the ocean. It was a gorgeous day. There is a lighthouse in the group photos, and my dh is wearing a traditional pinstripe morning suit. However, my dress was free. It was made by an old friend of my mother's (she was a seamstress and did many wedding dresses). It was my wedding gift from her. I'll date myself by saying that while it was not as fancy (It was actually quite simple, no train etc) as Princess Diana's, not by a loooong shot, you can see that there are certain poofs about it, especially in the short sleeve, although it had a nice scoop neckline. :) The flower girls wore very poofy little dresses with baby's breath crowns. :) I don't cringe too much when I look at the pix. They make me very happy. I don't even have lipstick on...lol. Thank goodness I got married so young! I look young and the no lipstick seems perfectly me. The thing that most dates us is my dh's hair. That should not have been allowed. lol Edited December 17, 2011 by LibraryLover Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
momofkhm Posted December 17, 2011 Share Posted December 17, 2011 Mom made my dress. I think the fabric was $20 or less a yard but it was a lot of yards. Then there was the beading and stuff. It was custom made to fit me though. I get the feeling it was under $500. The whole wedding was under $5000, I think. Mom and dad paid for it all. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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