The Wedding Dress Conundrum

17:00 Steampunk 0 Comments

Last time , I told you how I’m delaying wedding planning for fear of being a bridezilla. Finding my wedding dress is no different… I think for some brides, going out and picking the dress is at the top of their list.

I like pretty things. I’ve also already admitted here that when I’m at home I live in my sweatpants. I’ve been known to spend a ridiculous amount of money on limited edition purses and even treat myself to designer shoes. Then again, the top I wear in my headshots was $18 on sale at Target and my go-to flip flops cost $3.

I love a coupon code. I love a steal. I believe in bargain hunting and buying second hand. I consider myself a Kijiji -ninja. You know that Ikea commercial, where the woman starts running for the car, carrying all her new stuff, yelling for her husband to “START THE CAR!!!” That’s me. I have been known to break in to a happy dance over something as simple as a 10% off discount or finding the perfect hutch for our dining area for a song on Kijiji. Then again, I’m also willing to shell out for shipping and customs fees to have the perfect chairs for our living room.

I’ll admit it. Polar opposites. I’m all over the map with my spending.

I’ve lived to regret impulse buys of inexspensive trendy items, and majority of my costly splurges have lasted fooorevvvver and become classic pieces in my closet. If you “invest” your time (in the change room) and money on a decent pair of jeans, you won’t be sorry and they’ll last soooo much longer than everything else.

Also on opposite ends of the spectrum, I will spend an hour or two on my hair and makeup for date night, but I hate, hate, HATE. Hate to wear dresses. (I wasn’t kidding about sweatpants.) Jeans and t-shirt, easy combo. Leggings boots and a great sweater, yes please. Dress up? Ugh. Skirt? Booo. Dress? Nooooooooooo, anything but that.

Predictably, When it comes to choosing my wedding dress, I am dragging my heels.

I refuse to splurge on an item that I will only get to wear once. If I had my way, I would rent, or buy “pre-loved”. I certainly hope, that we won’t pay full retail price.

My dream dress runs about $8000. EEK! (By the way one of our gorgeous Wedding Obsession brides wore it last year.)

Even with mummy and daddy generously footing the bill for the dress, that is not in their budget and certainly not in mine. There will be no Dahlia or Monique Lhuillier gown for this bride and that is perfectly alright with me. When I consider some of my more expensive pieces of clothing or accessories, I think of cost-per-wear. When you break it down, a few hundred dollars for a purse or jeans that you’ll wear on a regular basis, it isn’t so bad.

When you do the math for a wedding gown, that’s a different story.

Thousands and thousands of dollars for a dress I’ll only wear once, just doesnt add up. To me. If your budget allows for a custom Vera Wang gown, or you’ve saved your hard earned pennies because THE dress is your priority, more power to you. Spend away! I would like the funds to go to other portions of the wedding budget. Like yummy food and an amazing photographer . That’s me. You do you.

If like me, you’re feeling a little more thrifty about your wedding dress there are plenty of options.

You could buy “pre-loved” direct from another bride on sites like Still White or PreownedWeddingDresses.com , or consigment stores like Ginger’s Closet . Or better yet, not-for-profit organizations like The Brides’ Project . Of course, what would one of my posts be with out an Etsy shout out. There are tons of options on the site under $1000 to suit all kinds of brides; vintage, eco-friendly, elegant, modern, you name it. You can even go vintage, or custom, with a local independent designer or a talented seamstress. If you’re really brave you can order online, direct from manufacturers in China. But that seems like a roll of the dice.

Another option is chain stores like David’s Bridal . Truth be told, I have my eye on several gowns from there. Including one from the Vera Wang White collection. Not a bad option for having a “designer” gown at a more budget-friendly price. I’ll likely be heading to David’s in another month or two, when I’ve had a little more sun. (And okay, maybe another month in at the gym).

So how about the rest of you, did you (or are you planning to) save or splurge on your wedding gown? And do you have any suggestions for savings that I forgot to mention?

- Krista