Hello!
I was just looking through my old blog posts (memories!), came across the one I wrote about finding a modest wedding dress, and thought “Hey, that was fun. I should do that again sometime.” Well, my friends, sometime has come.
I thought I’d focus a little more this time on how to find the right wedding dress for the right price. Every aspect of a wedding, from the pictures to the food to the flowers, is going to be pretty darn costly. It can be a hard thing to do on a budget.
But budget you must! Seriously, that’s the only way you’re going to have everything just the way you want it, for the right price. And it’s the first step when you’re considering how much you want to pay for your wedding dress: budget and prioritize. If your dress is the most important thing in the world to you and your perfect day, make sure you can allot the cash to get it. If you’d rather focus on stunning flowers or a top of the line reception location, cut back a little on the dress. Figure out what’s most important to you, and put as much of your budget as you can towards it.
Once you’ve decided how much you want to spend on your wedding dress, check out your options. If you’re working on a tight budget, don’t be afraid to think used! Relatives, close friends, etc would probably be very willing to let you borrow or buy a dress from them. If you just want something pretty to wear, and don’t really care for the nostalgic thing, it’s really a great option.
If you really want your own thing, though, you can still get a good deal. David’s Bridal, especially, has really good sales very often. If you’re not too picky, you can definitely find something that will look great and fit your budget! Keep in mind that you’ll probably need it fitted, and you’ll probably have to have sleeves added on to it. But even that will most likely be cheaper than holding out for a pricey gown.
If you’ve got a little more to spend, I recommend Latter Day Bride or Beautifully Modest. Especially if you’re shopping for a modest gown outside of Utah, buying online is a good option. And it isn’t as scary as you might think, especially if you order early (which gives you plenty of time to get it shipped, and time to take care of problems if there’s anything wrong with it). These sites have dresses from several price ranges, and their styles range from simple to extravagant. Take the time and look! Even if you find something you love that is out of your price range, you still might at least get a better idea of what style you’re looking for, and then you can hunt down a cheaper gown in that style.
Just don’t give up! It gets overwhelming sometimes, thinking about how much everything costs (even if your parents are picking up the tab, wink wink), but that doesn’t mean you have to settle. Know what you want, and do what you can to get it. Take the time to look around. There’s plenty out there!
ok, so as i mentioned in the first post, this blog is not going to be just about our humdrum day-to-day lives. having just experienced the whole lds wedding thing, we feel like we can be helpful (to someone, somewhere) in discussing things like wedding planning and life as newlyweds. so let’s try it out! i’ve had a strange obsession with wedding dresses since i was 15, so let’s start there, shall we?
let’s face it. if you’re looking for a modest wedding dress, and you live anywhere OTHER than utah (i.e. arizona, california, wherever), then you’ve got your work cut out for you. i mean, i live in arizona, probably the second most densely lds populated area after utah, and i know of one -one- store that actually carries modest wedding dresses for you to look at and try on. i would imagine that the situation is fairly similar across the board. of course, this doesn’t mean someone looking for a modest wedding dress should completely despair. in fact, i would say that the most important thing to remember when looking for a modest wedding dress is never to compromise. you really do deserve the dress of your dreams, and there are ways to find a perfect, modest gown! here are a few possibilities:
1) buy online
a lot of brides are afraid of this option, but this is what i did, and it worked great! granted, i’m sure i got lucky. my dress fit perfectly without needing any alterations at all! there are a few precautions you should take with this option:
-take your measurements carefully and accurately. find someone who has taken measurements before to take them for you, or just look up how to do it online.
-go to any bridal gown store and try on a dress similar (in style and measurements) to what you are ordering. this will help you make sure the style of your dress (ball gown, a-line, sheath, etc.) flatters you
-order your dress as soon as possible. that way, if it isn’t in stock, you can still get the exact one you want. some dresses can take up to three months to order and ship
-find a trustworthy place to do alterations for you. even if you get lucky and you don’t need any major measurement changes, you’ll still need to have your dress pressed and probably bustled! if you live in the phoenix area, try Sew What? at 2548 W Broadway Rd. in Mesa. they did a great job on mine and have been around for a while!
don’t be afraid to at least look online. i know-shopping online is scary. but the fact that i got a beautiful, already modest wedding dress made up for any negatives. and there really are some beautiful options out there! i really like latterdaybride.com. they have a huge selection, and their dresses are less cookie-cutter than other ones out there. plus, they were very helpful and made the ordering process easy.
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2) buy an immodest dress and add sleeves to it
this option is pretty popular, mostly because it’s cheaper! believe it or not, you can find gorgeous, cheap gowns out there (david’s bridal, group usa), and from there, it’s just a matter of finding a great alterations place, or a jacket or shrug to wear over your dress to make it modest. some things to keep in mind…
-make sure the dress you choose is fairly simple to add sleeves to. certain styles, particularly halter tops, can be difficult to make modest, even if you go with the jacket option.
-try as hard as you can to make sure your dress doesn’t look like a sleeveless dress with sleeves added on. i’m sure you know what i’m talking about. that look is ok for high school prom, but this is your wedding , for crying out loud! make sure the sleeves look like they belong there! this is a matter of finding the right fabric and pattern for adding sleeves to your dress.
-along with that, add a full sleeve to the dress, and not just a thick strap over the top that kind of covers your shoulders and doesn’t really cover your armpit. again, i’m sure you know what i mean. the thick strap option will not cover your garments! and you don’t want that.
remember that this really can work, and it might not be as big a pain as you think. my older sister bought her dress from david’s bridal, and had their alterations department add sleeves to it. they have several styles of sleeves to choose from, and her dress turned out beautifully- and modestly!
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3) start from scratch
this might seem completely daunting. it might even be completely daunting. but honestly- what better way to have the modest wedding dress of your dreams than to design it yourself? this could be especially good if you already know a fabulous seamstress, or if you just enjoy designing! tips:
-make sure you trust your seamstress. please- please make sure you trust your seamstress! ask for pictures of what they’ve done before, etc.
-have a clear cut idea of what you want. i had my bridesmaids’ dresses made for my wedding, and when we went to the store to look for patterns, i was amazed at how many wedding dress patterns there are! if you have an idea of what you want each part of your dress to look like (bodice, skirt, etc.) i’m sure you can find a pattern for it. from there, piece it together!
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really, the most important thing to think about when looking for your modest wedding dress is what YOU want. you’re wearing it, it’s your day, so go for it! have fun!
p.s. my dress ROCKED
