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how much is too much for a wedding dress.....

21 replies

mum2sam · 01/03/2007 13:57

getting married in 3wks in gretna green just the three of us. Tried on a few dresses yesterday and have another appointment tommarrow. Im limited to what dresses i can buy as its short notice so im having to look at the sale items etc which is good but means i need to act fast as they are one of a kind.Found a lovely dress which was reduced from £750 down to £550 the lady also included the veil (was £39.99 on its own) and tiara (£79.99) but said i would need to decide fast. I tried another dress somewhere else for £350 not as nicee but nice so deciding upon the two.

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mumto3girls · 01/03/2007 13:59

Hopefully you'll only do this once, so go with your favourite if you can afford it. It's always worth seeing if you can get a little more off the expensive one too, or something else thrown in...Congratulations!

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janinlondon · 01/03/2007 16:09

Spent a fortune on mine but then sold it, offsetting the cost. Depends how attached to it you think you will be? In my experience people keep it in a cupboard and then weep over it on their 10th anniversary because (a) moths have eaten holes in it, (b) it has gone mouldy, or (c) they don't fit into it anymore...so I averted the catastrophe. In any case it would be a good justification for the more expensive of the two...?

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BuffysMum · 01/03/2007 16:15

you will only wear it for a few hours, put the money towards something longer lasting - like a really nice wedding or eternity ring?

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ssd · 01/03/2007 16:15

samsmum, get the dear one!

yoiu'll regret anything else

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FluffyMummy123 · 01/03/2007 16:15

Message withdrawn

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nailpolish · 01/03/2007 16:17

i fyou dont get the dear on eyou will kick yourslef in years to come

also, i would compromise and have the tiara and not the veil

(thats what i did - v classy )

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mum2sam · 01/03/2007 17:18

well the cheaper dress is £350 and the more expensive one is £550 but shes including the veil and tiara for the price so it is a good deal.It just seems alot of money especially when its just the two of us and ds-do you think its still worth it? Its not completely out my price range just might not have to spend on the rings etc its a very last min wedding so havent got alot saved just budgeting ourselves and cutting back on takeaways etc. How much do you spend on a wedding ring?

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Crazydazy · 01/03/2007 17:19

Not wishing to boast but I bought mine for £12 on Ebay and its brand new and really perfect for a beach in Cyprus which is where we are getting married. The dressmaker couldn't believe it when she saw it (am having it altered only slightly as its a little tight )

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Wheelybug · 01/03/2007 17:21

agree with getthe one you really like, if you can afford it.

You don't need to spend too much on rings if you just go for plain. YOu don't even really need to get high carat gold for them as the higher the carat, the softer they are so less resilient (unless you go for platinum of course which is the ideal choice but much more expensive.)

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fleacircus · 01/03/2007 17:27

I'd prioritise the rings over the dress as you'll be wearing them forever. If you're not having the conventional wedding do you need the conventional dress? Friend of mine recently got married in a very beautiful but very simple dress, white but not 'weddingy' at all. It was a fairly big wedding in a church, she looked amazing and would definitely be able to wear it again if she wanted to. But obviously it's also about what's going to make you happy - it's your wedding, you should be happy!

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BuffysMum · 01/03/2007 17:27

it's about what you want. I couldn't find an unusual ring that I liked so looked on line and fell in love with one which is smattered with diamonds but cost £1200!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Anyway everything else is costing around £1,000 - recption, our outfits, drinks, flowers etc etc etc and the ring is our unexpected extra but I didn't get an egagement ring and won't be getting an eternity ring and I'd rather spend £1200 that I will wear/enjoy every day rather than £500 on a dress I will only wear once.....

Go with what you want in your heart it doesn't matter if you have the money go for it.....look on ebay too get some good dress bargains there

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BuffysMum · 01/03/2007 17:28

I'm getting married in church but not in a convential dress IYSWIM and it costs around £100 to get a dress altered to fit so bear that in mind too.

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crunchie · 01/03/2007 18:55

well I spent double that, so who am I to say

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mum2sam · 01/03/2007 19:47

shit do you have to pay extra for that to have the dress altered? They said they could alter it for me but didnt say that would cost extra etci must check that out

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yomellamoHelly · 01/03/2007 19:55

Don't think the price difference is that big personally, so would go for the one you prefer. I had a similar situation, but it was £3,300 or £800 so was an easy decision to make.

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NomDePlume · 01/03/2007 20:01

Obviously it depends on your overall wedding budget. If you have £1000 in total, then £550 is a massive amount, but if you have £10k+ then it isn't.


In all honesty, I don't think £550 is a lot for a wedding dress. I spent considerably less than that on mine, but having been into a zillion and one dress shops I can honestly say that it is difficult to find anything below the £500 mark

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kittylette · 01/03/2007 20:03

i paid £300 and think that i was expensive (but not really when it is brandnew and in a shop it would be £900)

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mum2sam · 01/03/2007 20:13

yeah agree it isnt alot really but its just the fact weve had to plan a wedding in 3wks without saving any money for it. So do you normally have to pay extra for the shop to alter it? How much did you spend on wedding rings?

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crunchie · 01/03/2007 21:11

you do usually have ot pay for alterations, our wedding rings cost £40! DH doesn't wear one and mine was a plain gold band from Ernest Jones

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grouchyoscar · 01/03/2007 21:39

my wedding dress was less than £25...and I still wear it!

Ring was $14

Ceremony etc was £120

Cheap me...But happy

BF getting hitched this year and it's a different world! My undies cost £50 before I even get dressed!

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NomDePlume · 01/03/2007 21:45

My wedding ring was £90, titanium band. It's lightweight, comfortable, goes perfectly with my engagement ring and is so tough it will last forever.

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