Etsy Wedding Dress Guide: 8 Best Etsy Bridal Boutiques (2024)

FAQs

Is $8,000 too much for a wedding dress? ›

Generally, the average cost of a wedding gown is typically between $1,800 to $2,500. Off-the-rack gowns may be priced lower than $1,800, while more luxurious gowns can sometimes fall in the $3,000 to $8,000 range. Customized dresses can even cost up to $10,000.

Still, while tv shows and movies make the idea of dropping thousands of dollars on a gown seem thrilling, the reality is that spending that much can be totally unnecessary, because it's easy to find wedding dresses under $1000.

On average, brides try on about 4–7 dresses, but we recommend no more than 10. The more wedding gowns you try on, the more confusing things may get. When the bridal gown selection is too big, brides tend to get overwhelmed and struggle to remember what the first gown they tried on looked like.

It doesn't have to be extra

Many brides only visit one store, try on 5-8 dresses, and bring along 1-2 guests. Of course every bride is different, but finding your dress doesn't have to be complicated. Keep it simple, research the store you want to visit beforehand, and really consider who you're bringing.

Generally, the average cost of a wedding dress hasn't changed drastically over the years. The price of a wedding dress was $1,900 in 2022 and $1,800 in 2021. Individual spend, though, depends on the consumer. With many to-be-weds opting for custom details, wedding dress costs can fluctuate based on personal style.

The average wedding costs $30,000–here's how to save enough for your big day. Some people prefer to elope or opt for a small, intimate affair with only a handful of guests and a minimal budget, but if you want a wedding on a more elaborate scale, that can be expensive.

Who traditionally pays for the wedding dress? One of the most closely stuck-to traditions is that the bride's family will pay for the wedding dress. This also includes any accessories the bride may wear, such as a veil, a bag and shoes. For modern weddings, the bride may want to pay for her own dress.

If you guys started off as work place friends at age 25, married other people, got divorced, and decided 20 years later you were always meant to be together, then spending up to $20,000 is probably OK. At 45, your wealth should be much greater than the typical newly wed.

But that's ok - because it's totally possible to plan a beautiful wedding day for less, even as little as $5,000. To help you out, here's a budget breakdown for everything you'll need to plan a $5,000 wedding, along with other money-saving tips to plan a memorable wedding day.

Bridal sizing isn't like typical street wear sizing. While you might be a size 4-6 in jeans, you're in fact a bridal size 8-10, and if you're a size 14-16, you're likely a 18-20. Don't worry about it–sizing is just a number! You'll likely see most of our samples in a bridal size 8, 10, 12, 18, 20 or 22 to try on.

What do most brides wear under their dress? ›

Your wedding day is no time for bunching, clinging, or underwear lines. For the most fitted gowns, choose a bodysuit to smooth from bust to hip. Or, to target your bottom half, we have briefs, shorts, half-slips, and leggings in all cuts and sizes.

Typically, we suggest making your bridal dress appointments 9-12 months prior to your wedding date. This date is suggested with the goal of picking out and ordering a dress 8-9 months before the wedding. This gives you plenty of time to shop around and find the dress of your dreams.

Supportive Family and Friends

Generally, moms are the first person that brides choose to include in their wedding dress shopping trip; however, sisters and grandmothers are also commonly included. More recently, some brides have started including their soon-to-be mothers-in-law to join them.

Traditionally, the mother of the bride, sisters, and the closest friend (or friends) are involved in the dress hunt. Your future mother-in-law can be invited, too, if you're tight with her and you want her to take part.

Our rule of thumb: bring whoever is paying for the gown (mom, sister) and immediate family only (sisters and mom and/or grandma). For everyone else, we suggest doing a fun dinner or brunch afterwards and you can show them pictures, etc.

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.

$10,000 Is Enough for Most Couples. Popular wedding sites claim the average wedding costs $29,000. Countless media reports have repeated that number while leaving out an important caveat: Averages can be misleading.

Bottom line: There's no hard-and-fast rule on how much cash to give as a wedding gift. Wedding experts do, however, advise starting at $100. From there, you may want to adjust up to $500 based on factors such as your relationship with the couple, your budget and the cost of your attendance at the wedding.