Balancing Fashion and Budget (bride’s dress, bridesmaid dresses, tuxedo)

When it comes to your wedding day, the costs of the event add up very quickly. These days many people are on very tight budgets and using your limited funds to pull of your wedding day can be very stressful. I would like to share a few tips when it comes to the attire that the bride, groom and the wedding party will be wearing. A lot of people don’t realize how much the cost of the formal wear can add up.

The Wedding Dress:

This is the most important part of all of the entire wedding when it comes to attire. Most women have been dreaming of their perfect dress since they were little girls. The perfect dress is probably out of the question as they can run into the hundreds of thousands of dollars. Let’s be a little more reasonable. Most dresses can range from $800.00 to $5000.00 and it all depends on the style and the fabric used to make the dress. If you have the luxury to spend close to $5000.00 on a wedding dress, you will probably get everything you want for your gown. More than likely the spending budget will be on the lower end of that range. You can find many quality dresses for under $1000.00 and you can even find very nice ones below $500.00. You may want to consider having a dress made for you from a local seamstress and you can get the design you like for a far cheaper price. If you have any family members or friends that can perform this service for you then ask if they would be willing to help you out. Most of the time they are honored and more than willing to help out. You may also want to go to thrift stores and see if they have a dress that is attractive and in good condition. You can save hundreds of dollars by shopping at these types of stores. If a family member has a dress that they want to pass down to you, the savings of buying a dress are obvious. The only cost you would have is in the alterations of the dress. Keep these options in mind; it could save you a lot of money.

The Bridesmaids Dresses:

It is common practice for the bridesmaids to purchase their own dresses for you wedding day. Keep in mind that many of your friends and family are also budget conscious. You always hear about the bride picking out the most hideous dresses and colors for their bridesmaids. This is not a myth; I have seen some very ugly dresses in my day. Try to pick out a design that your bridesmaids will enjoy and will wear again at some other formal event. This gives your bridal party some actual value out of their purchase.

The Tuxedos:

For most formal weddings it is common place that the groom’s party will be wearing tuxedos. Not many men actually own their own tuxedo, plus you will probably want everyone to be wear matching attire. Spending $200.00 to $500.00 to rent one for a day seems a little wasteful if you are on a tight budget. You may want to have the men dress up in matching suits that can be purchased and then they get to add that to their wardrobe for future use. You can find nicely made suits for under $200.00. You can also save money by purchasing the shoes and the tuxedo shirt and bowtie from a department store instead of renting them. Many stores sell these in packages for under $25.00(shoes excluded).

All in all, you can find many ways to save money on the wedding attire if you take the time to look for less expensive alternatives.