How Much Should A Wedding Gown Cost?
Calling all brides-to-be!
If you’re newly engaged, just starting your wedding dress search, or are trying to assemble a wedding dress budget, this post is for you. Here at LVB, we feel it is extremely important for brides to educate themselves on the wedding gown industry and what you should realistically be paying when it comes to your wedding dress. According to Wedding Wire’s 2020 Newlywed Report, the average wedding dress cost is $1,600, but many gowns can fall below or above that price depending on the store, designer, fabric, etc. The hefty price tag on wedding dresses is often increased due to hidden fees that aren’t immediately disclosed upon browsing or trying on wedding dresses. If you’re looking to avoid a mark-up on your wedding dress, we’ve compiled answers to a list of four common questions below that will help you navigate how much you should be spending on your wedding dress.
What Impacts Wedding gown Prices?
As a bride-to-be, you’ve definitely asked yourself this question – why are wedding dresses so expensive? Prices for wedding gowns are affected by various factors. The fabric used to make the wedding gown can increase the price - if you desire silk, intricate lace, or beading you can expect to pay a more expensive price than a gown using polyester or taffeta. The making of your wedding dress can also cost you extra money. If any part of your gown requires hand stitching or crafting, that is typically an additional cost. The biggest reason for hefty price tags on wedding gowns? The designer. With popular name brides like Vera Wang or Monique Lhuillier, they do tend to use more expensive fabrics, but you will mostly be paying for the name of the collection or brand. According to a report by Planet Money, designers are also selling you an emotion. Pricing wedding dresses higher because brides are encouraged to pay more for a dress that is tied to the happy and once-in-a-lifetime emotions of a wedding. You can read this extensive list by wedding blogger Brittany of Wayfaring Weddings of all the potential reasons why wedding dresses are so expensive for a fuller picture of wedding dress pricing.
At LVB: We are upfront with our prices and provide a list of every fabric that is used in the making of your gown, we want to provide brides with quality gowns at a reasonable price.
Photography by Ria Mackenzie Photography
How Does the Brick and Mortar Model Encourage High Prices?
Photography by Ria Mackenzie Photography
If you’ve had a dream of creating a wedding gown experience similar to that of “Say Yes to The Dress’’ we don’t want to discourage you from shopping at brick and mortar bridal shops. However, we do want to provide you with the facts, so you’re going into your wedding search with all the knowledge you could need or want to make an informed wedding dress decision. The brick and mortar model, although having its benefits – trying on the gown in person, viewing your options in real-time, figuring out what type of gown doesn’t work with your body type – also has major downfalls. Many brands mark up their gown when selling to a boutique, boutiques then mark up that dress again before selling to a bride, leading to a higher average wedding dress cost. In an interview by the Wall Street Journal, a bridal designer describes the process of how a wedding dress is marked up thousands of dollars from its original price. Concluding that designers can get away with this markup because it is a wedding dress, not an evening gown, and brides are expecting a higher price. Most of the time the pricing in the traditional retail model will also be reflective of the brand name, meaning you are essentially paying a more expensive price for the designer name - this is true of bridal and everyday fashion.
At LVB: We follow a direct-to-consumer model, working directly with our dress manufacturer and brides to create a made-to-measure wedding gown. This allows us to eliminate any brand mark-ups from our prices.
What Additional Prices Should A Bride Expect?
Your wedding gown will be the most expensive part of your bridal ensemble, but also remember to factor in the other additional accessories. Whether you buy a wedding gown in-store, online, or have it custom-made, you will likely need alterations done to ensure the fit of your wedding dress. Jewelry, shoes, veils, headpieces, and undergarments will also factor into your wedding gown budget and can add hundreds more to your final cost.
At LVB: All of our gowns are priced at $1,200 or less. They are meant to be affordable, thus giving you the ability to spend any saved money on other bridal accessories, wedding vendors, or to save for post-married life.
Photography by Ria Mackenzie Photography
How Can You Save Money On Your Wedding Gown?
Photography by Ria Mackenzie Photography
Believe it or not, you’re taking the first step right now! If you walk into dress consultations - in-person or virtually - after reading up on the average wedding dress cost and other wedding gown costs, you can be prepared with any questions for your wedding gown vendor in regards to the price of your dress. If you buy online, you can avoid pushy salespeople, the price of an in-person consultation, hidden fees, and the luxury of shopping from your home. We’ve compiled a list of online companies that offer reasonably priced gowns for you here.
At LVB: You can still have your “Say Yes to the Dress” moment! We offer a free consultation for all our brides with our stylists who will give you advice and talk through any wedding dress questions you may have. You might not get to bring all your friends to your consultation appointment, but you can host an unboxing party where all your favorite gals can watch you try on your gown for the first time!
Share this article with a bride-to-be that has yet to buy her wedding gown and check out our collection of beautiful wedding gowns in our shop! If you want to receive more information about wedding dress shopping, sign up for our email list below for our four-step guide to wedding dress shopping.
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