The Bride’s Maid: Dressing the Bride with $500 – From head to toes!

The current state of the economy got me thinking about budgets and what I would do personally if I had $500 to spend on looking the part of the bride. Can it be done? I am not talking about just the dress, but all the bits and pieces that go with a wedding gown. It is hard to find a full blown wedding gown for much under $500. Maybe you could find an informal gown (without train) or if you are lucky you could find something on a sale rack. Even if you found a gown for under or around $500 you would still need hundreds of dollars to finish the look…alterations, undergarments, veil, shoes.

So is it possible to dress a bride for $500? Absolutely, you just need to get creative. I would suggest looking at some of the nicer lines of bridesmaid gowns. For example, Beloise style #L2059 or style #L2019 would make beautiful informal wedding gowns. Beloise gowns (a line of Jasmine Bridal) are available in whites and ivory colors and can be made with additional lining fabric to add substance to the gown. A third example is Dessy Style #2758, it’s make of silk, can come in white or ivory and you can have it made with a contrasting sash color. Imagine it with a few strands of pearls, simple veil and a sassy pair of shoes. What if you want a train? You can order most bridesmaid gowns with extra length and then have just the front hemmed to create a small train. What if you want a lot of sparkle? You could add sparkle with your jewelry or add a beaded trim to the gown. Beaded trims are available at most fabric stores.

So at this point we have spent about half of our $500 budget on the gown. Next we need to find great undergarments. You do not want to skimp. A bride should feel and look like a “hottie” on her wedding day! You will need a great bra or bustier and maybe controlling undergarments to make sure the gown falls smoothly over your curves. Next you will need to find a seamstress who can make the gown fit you perfect. Good alterations are going to run you about $100 on a bridesmaid type gown.

This leaves us with about $75 bucks and we still need something for the head and toes. I would suggest looking to borrow a veil or head piece and jewelry if you can. If you can borrow at least one of these finishing touches our $500 will work out. As far as shoes go, you do not need to limit yourself to “bridal” type shoes. There’s nothing wrong with wearing a great pair of shoes you already have as long as they’re comfortable and coordinate with the gown (think about a great pair of metallic heels).

So if I had $500, I would buy the nicest gown I could for the money. I’d rather have a simple well made bridesmaid gown of a nice fabric then a poorly constructed formal gown of cheap fabric!

Happy Planning,
Jeri

Have "Your" Wedding

There are many traditions and customs surrounding weddings. So many of the things we do at and for our wedding are identical to the bride who is getting married next weekend and the one who got married last weekend. Insert personality! I love it when a bride breaks out of the “traditional” box a little. I think your wedding should have some of you in it. Some ways I’ve seen brides & grooms show some personality are with their shoes. Sassy red pumps for her and converse for him. I’ve seen it all from boots, flip flops, ruby red slippers, to Danskos, Romeos and glass slippers. I’ve also seen people dedicate their wedding to a loved one who has passed or ask that gifts be made to a cause important to the couple. This certainly makes the event very personal for the bride and groom.
At my own wedding (eight years ago) I wanted guests to get a sense of who we were as a couple while at our wedding reception. On each table we had a picture of us at some point during our court ship with a favorite quote or poem that we felt epitomized us. We also sent out a “save the date” that described our courtship and engagement. These things gave our guests that may have only known us as individuals, a chance to get to know us before and at the wedding and be more invested emotionally in the event.
I get asked about the “rules” a lot. “Can I do that…is that okay”. It’s okay to break with tradition. Just remember the comfort of your guests. This is probably one of the biggest events you’ll host. And remember the importance of the event…..you’re marrying the person of your dreams.