Finding a wedding dress for under $1,000 that you love is not the easiest task. When I started looking for wedding dresses two months ago all I could think was, “Why are they all so expensive?” I determined I wanted to have a moderate budget for my wedding dress, because after all I’m only going to wear it once. During my search I found multiple places where you can find an affordable wedding dress.
The show Say Yes To The Dress had a huge impact on the way I looked at wedding dresses. I spent countless hours watching the show in high school and middle school. The women on that show generally spend a minimum of $5,000 and I just don’t think that’s realistic for the average bride.
If you highly value your dress and have the money to spend on it, then go for it. However, my mentality has changed quite a bit on weddings and the costs associated with them since I have been engaged.
Basically, my view on wedding dress shopping is to get the dress that you want and feels right, but don’t tempt yourself with the big sticker items. It’s one day and the thousands of dollars that you can throw at the dress can be spent on so many other things that may bring you more joy. Things like a down payment on a house, paying off student loan debt or even your honeymoon.
My Wedding Dress Shopping Experience
I scoured the Internet for hours looking at dress styles and inspiration. Then I started looking at the numbers and would sort different websites by the price of the dress. I realized that there were a lot of dresses that were affordable and beautiful.
However, since I only had eight months until my wedding I was a little too scared to order a dress online. I am also the kind of person who prefers to try things on.
Pictured throughout this post are dresses that I tried on that are NOT the one I decided to purchase.
Dress Appointment at the Bridal Connection
At my wedding dress appointment I went in with an open mind, willing to try on different styles, but I knew the general shape I wanted. I tried on a lot fewer dresses than I assumed I would, only around 10.
I went to the Bridal Connection in Ankeny, Iowa and had a great experience. My mom and grandma were the only ones I brought along. I knew having too many people present would stress me out.
There were multiple options of dresses that were in my price range at the Bridal Connection, but the one I bought was by far my favorite.
Buying a Wedding Dress For Under $1,000
After talking to a few brides, I feel like $1,000 for a dress is often a cut off point. In my wedding dress research, I found a lot of dresses that fall into this price range. I’ve listed them below!
Buy A Used Dress
This may not be the most “glamorous” option, but it may be a more affordable way to get a designer gown. You can have it cleaned, or the person selling it has likely already had it cleaned. I just looked on Facebook Marketplace and found a few options of beautiful dresses in the $600 range. You will likely have to get them fitted for you body, but this is a good option to save some money.
Look at Prom Dresses
Remove the words “wedding dress” from your search and look at white prom dresses. I found a ton of options, which are showcased below. I can guarantee you that no one would look at you wearing any of these dresses and think that it’s a prom dress. Prices range from $97 to $550.
Websites with Affordable Dresses
BHLDN
This site has so many great options! Pricing of the dresses linked below range from $295 to $995.
ASOS
ASOS has its own exclusive line of wedding gowns. Prices range from $151 to $435.
Nordstrom
Nordstrom also carries wedding dresses. They have dresses that go into the several thousand range, but I linked pretty ones under $1,000. Prices range from $520 to $995.
David’s Bridal
I did some browsing on the David’s Bridal website and I decided to go in and take a look at what they had before my dress appointment. I didn’t schedule an appointment, we just popped in to look. There were a variety of reasonably priced dresses I would have been willing to try on. They also had a clearance rack! Prices linked here range from $349 to $799.99.
H&M
H&M had a couple options I thought were worth noting as well. Prices are $249 and $299.
Lulu’s
Lulu’s also has a few wedding dress options. Wedding dress options from Lulu’s start at around $50.
I’ve also been looking at bridesmaid dresses here as well. The dress I wore for our engagement photos is from Lulu’s. Click here to check out our engagement photos if you haven’t already!
If you’re a bride on a tight budget, I hope this post can give you some peace of mind. There are a lot of options for wedding dresses for under $1,000 out there. To get the one you want, ordering online might be an option to consider.
Thanks for reading!
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