For many brides, their wedding dress is the most expensive article of clothing they’ll ever purchase. As you’re shopping for wedding gowns and determining what your budget is, you may find yourself wondering whether or not the gowns you like are worth the cost. Hefty price tags on wedding gowns can result in sticker shock for new brides, but there’s a reason why some gowns are priced so much higher than others!
With designer gowns, you can typically expect excellent construction, top of the line fabrics, and intricate detailing. Things like hand-beaded designs or delicate lace take hours to create. Premium fabrics come with premium prices. While white crinoline runs about $2 a yard, higher quality fabrics can cost up to $100 a yard. These are all features that feed into the higher pricing found in designer boutiques. The higher quality fabrics don’t just look amazing, they also feel amazing. Cheaper fabric choices can end up feeling hot and itchy after you’ve been in your dress for a few hours. No bride wants to worry about their dress feeling uncomfortable and rubbing against their skin while they’re trying to focus on their vows!
Aside from the obvious factors that result in pricier gowns like fabrics and detailing, designer wedding dresses also tend to be constructed more thoughtfully. You won’t have to worry about fashion nightmares like a strap snapping or a button popping off on your big day. Also, many high-end designers often include extra fabric in the seams of their gowns. This small attention to detail will make the alterations process go smoothly to get you the absolute perfect fit. The superior craftsmanship allows the gown to hold up both throughout your wedding night and for years to come if you plan on keeping the dress. You’re guaranteed a level of durability with higher quality dresses that will ensure the gown doesn’t end up falling apart.
Additionally, high end designers typically offer more customization options. Working with a high-end brand will allow you to create a truly one of a kind gown for your wedding day if your dream dress doesn’t already exist on the floor. If you’re a bride looking to stand out, designer dresses also tend to boast the latest and most unique designs. Since the gowns aren’t mass-produced in department stores, the designer has more autonomy to utilize their creativity with each dress design. Wedding dress designers like Rita Viniris of Rivini and Hervé Monroe of Pronovias are known to show their unique styles through their gowns. If you’re hoping for a gown that has a more couture feel, a designer dress is typically the way to go.
Aside from the gown itself, you also get to enjoy a premium experience when shopping at designer boutiques. Higher end shops typically offer a personalized experience that will make you feel like you’re the only person in the world. Having a consultant fully focused on you, your style, and what you’re looking for is going to make all of the difference while finding your dream gown in a sea of wedding dresses. The attention to detail and customized sessions are something that brides will struggle to find in big box stores.
Whether or not a designer gown is right for you is a personal choice. At the end of the day, the amount that you spend on your gown is up to you. If you plan on keeping the dress, the craftsmanship is something you’ll want to consider. A gown that will be passed down through generations needs to have a level of durability that will enable it to hold up for several decades. If you’re wanting a cutting-edge or Avant Garde style dress, you’ll typically have more luck checking out designer gowns. Finally, if you want the experience of a personalized wedding dress shopping session followed by a champagne toast when you pick the dress of your dreams, a designer boutique is where you should start!
Wedding dresses are unlike any other garment. They are a labor of love and take an enormous amount of time and resources to create, which is why they can be so pricy! They’re not meant to last a few hours, they’re built to last throughout your lifetime, even after being worn throughout an entire day of celebrations. In our opinion, they’re worth the splurge. After all, you only get married once!
FAQs
Most of all, it's important to realize that a high-quality dress is about more than the dollar amount on the price tag. A simple dress made of good materials can cost less than a more expensive dress with lots of embellishments but be of higher quality based on the workmanship that went into it.
What makes a gown expensive? ›
Things like hand-beaded designs or delicate lace take hours to create. Premium fabrics come with premium prices. While white crinoline runs about $2 a yard, higher quality fabrics can cost up to $100 a yard. These are all features that feed into the higher pricing found in designer boutiques.
How can you tell if a wedding dress is expensive? ›
A variety of factors affect the overall cost of a dress, "such as the brand, craftsmanship, fabric choice, dress style, construction, embellishments, time, and individual customization," says Dami Olukoya, founder of Imad Eduso, a womenswear and bridal line.
Is $4000 too much for a wedding dress? ›
A $4,000 wedding mistake
You're going to spend considerably more, even if you try your best to keep your costs down. The average cost of a wedding dress in 2022 was $1,900, according to The Knot.
What determines the price of a wedding dress? ›
Many designers will offer wedding dresses at a range of prices and there are a few different elements that factor into the price of a wedding dress, including the labor and the time it takes to manufacture as well as the type of fabric and different embellishments used in the design, such as lace or beads or sparkle.
What makes wedding gown look cheap? ›
This happens with wedding dresses too, especially when they're mass produced. Poor assembly leads to a low-quality look. It's generally the result of a machine that wasn't calibrated properly, an unskilled laborer, or using a machine for a task that requires handcrafting.
Why are some wedding dresses more expensive than others? ›
Exclusive materials
Many wedding gowns are made with luxurious silk and hand-embroidered, sometimes some crystals are even sawn on the dress. All this comes at a very high cost.
Is $1000 a lot for a wedding dress? ›
One rule of thumb suggests that brides allocate ten percent of their total wedding budget to their wedding dress. So, if you're planning to spend $10,000 or less on your big day, wedding dresses under $1000 fit that budget quite nicely (and maybe even leaves you extra for the honeymoon!).
Is $3000 too much for a wedding dress? ›
According to The Knot Real Weddings Study, the average cost of a wedding gown is $2,000. While, of course, off-the-rack gowns may be priced lower, more luxurious gowns can sometimes fall in the $3,000 to $8,000 range. Customized dresses can even cost as much as $10,000.
What's a good budget for a wedding dress? ›
Buying a wedding dress between $1,000-2,000 means that you're in the average cost range, and anything over $2,500 means you're in the higher range, and less than 1,000 is definitely the lower end of the pricing scale.
The price points of having a luxury outdoor wedding will vary based on individual style and preferences. However, by traditional standards, a luxury wedding budget ranges between $100,000 and $500,000. Although the amount of money spent qualifies a wedding as luxurious, the quality of the experience is of more essence.
Is $10000 a good budget for a wedding? ›
The average couple spent nearly $30,000 on their wedding in 2022. That can be an intimidating number when you only have ⅓ of that in your wedding piggy bank — $10,000. Still, 10k isn't hay, and you can totally plan an amazing wedding with that kind of budget.
What is the markup on wedding dresses? ›
According to Business Insider, research company Edited recently released a study that shows that stores will charge customers roughly 3.9 times more for a "wedding" dress than they would a similar white dress not labeled as "wedding." That means a $500 white dress (which is still not cheap) would cost almost $2,000 if ...
How to tell if a wedding dress is expensive? ›
What Makes a Wedding Dress So Expensive?
- Quality of fabric. Let's start with the most obvious factor: the fabric. ...
- Level of detail. Fabric isn't the only material to consider, however. ...
- Structure and silhouette. ...
- Cost of labor. ...
- Designer. ...
- Customization.
Luxurious Materials
Understandably, wedding dresses made from the most luxurious fabrics will cost a lot to produce. This is then reflected in the overall cost charged to the bride-to-be. Materials such as silk, satin, lace, and organza are not cheap to purchase however they should stand the test of time.
Who usually pays for the brides dress? ›
While this responsibility can vary from culture to culture, historically the bride's family will pay for her wedding dress and accessories. This includes everything from the dress itself to the veil and shoes.
What makes a gown couture? ›
Haute couture in fact means the construction of all the pieces by hand from start to finish. They are made from high-quality fabrics and sewn with extreme attention to detail and finished by the most experienced and capable sewers. You can think of couture as the highest of high fashion.
What makes some clothes expensive? ›
Luxury brand name premiums aside, what makes clothing expensive is quality materials, complexity of the design, the cost of paying fair wages, and the cost to develop the garment. It is the materials and the development that relate the most to fit. With fabrics, you generally get what you pay for.
How much does a designer gown cost? ›
Average Wedding Dress Cost by Designer Brands
The average wedding dress cost is usually between $2,000 and $4,000 for luxury brands, although the most extravagant gowns can exceed $10,000 (Oscar De La Renta gowns cost $14,000 on average).
