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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

to think I can get a nice wedding dress...

119 replies

guiltynetter · 21/01/2015 22:01

on a budget of £800?

I don't know if I was being naive but I genuinely thought this was an okay sum of money. I've been to 3 shops so far, the first shop had no dresses under £1000. A shop I went to today that advertises having dresses for all budgets had 3 I could try on in my price range. Another one I went to said they only had their sample gowns for that price (but in strange sizes).

feeling slightly dejected. I thought wedding dress shopping would be fun! am I being unreasonable, and any tips for me? do you think it's a bad idea to maybe call or email the wedding shops beforehand to check if they have something in my budget, as the one I went to where they had none under £1000 was just embarrassing. is that just how much they all are?

I feel as if I've got £100 to spend or something, not £800...

OP posts:
monkeymamma · 22/01/2015 09:25

My advice is to buy an ex sample gown - I did this and so did my sister, we both got designer frocks. The shops have dresses for people to try on and sell them off when no longer that season's. Mine was Maggie Sotero and originally priced £2500, reduced to £150! The alterations to get it my size were £500 but it was corseted and beaded quite elaborately so a different style might have cost less. Might this be a way to make your £800 go further (btw yanbu, £800 is an insane amount of money!)?

TerrorAustralis · 22/01/2015 09:36

This site has some gorgeous dresses, many for well under your budget. www.bhldn.com

Chickens1987 · 22/01/2015 09:45

My Wedding dress was from Romantica of Devon and was £856. I bought a veil online for a third of the cost (£38) of the same thing in the shop (Over £100). I bought my Wedding Shoes in the sale at Debenhams for £27. I gave myself a budget of £1000 for my dress and got all of that for under £1000. Good Luck and Congratulations on getting married! X

WhatWouldFlopDo · 22/01/2015 09:46

Mine was a sample for £300, worth a look if you're anywhere near Bolton. I needed to take the dress there and then because there wasn't any time to order one, and they had lots of choice.

www.blissweddingservices.co.uk/

The staff were lovely too.

JennyBlueWren · 22/01/2015 09:55

I got mine for less than £100. It was a vintage 1950s dress which was exactly what I wanted. I bought it online from USA and even with customs charges and alterations it was less than £100 and beautiful.

If you want/need a wedding on a budget you can do it! Mine came to £5000 but there were some things that could have been cheaper (but that we didn't want to save on).

manechanger · 22/01/2015 09:55

i had a wedding dress and long brown velvet coat made for 800 at a local dressmaker, think the dress (skirt and bust thing with nets and lining) was about 400 and the coat was long velvet with matching lining as was a spring wedding and thought would be cold. It was fine. I only had it made cos I was fat, short and booby i would have bought a nice dress for about 150 or even less if possible from monsoon if I'd been the right shape to do so. I didn't go in wedding shops when i went to the first one and was offered a chance to win £1500 OFF MY PHOTOS. I realised we were in a different ball game at that point and that I would go to non-wedding suppliers. This was 13 years ago so prices may have changed a bit but would def look at local dressmakers.

I organised my wedding in 3months so I guess i had about 8 weeks to get dress made if that helps.

manechanger · 22/01/2015 09:57

yeah and for other bits of wedding you can get them done cheaply if you want. we had takeaway curry for 140 in the evening and that was £10 a head. We started wanting a takeaway and then had to find a venue which was happy to accept food. Mine was £7k with two meals (70 people and 140) and free wine and beer.

StrangeGlue · 22/01/2015 10:02

Wedding dress sale! I went to one I. London. Got my Amanda wakely dress for £650 (down from £1600) plus £150 alterations (just hemming really - wedding word effect!)

Google dress sales they have them all over.

Or try 'swoon' online - preloved or end of line dresses - seriously good!

Or try other stores. Many are way cheaper than £1000 starting price. Don't write off berkatex bride - some hidden gems in those stores

Hth

DaffyDuck88 · 22/01/2015 11:42

Have you tried Ghost ? Big sale still on and they have some gorgeous dresses that I would consider for a wedding dresses. Might not be to everyone's taste but the prices are great at the moment.

HelloItsStillMeFell · 22/01/2015 11:45

You could easily get a nice dress for even half that money. It might not be from some small fancy wedding shop, probably from a chain store. It doesn't mean it will be any less lovely or lesser quality, just that it won't be so exclusive.

Have you looked at hiring one?

Binglesplodge · 22/01/2015 12:10

My beautiful wedding dress was £300 because it was a line they were discontinuing and they only had the sample left. I didn't know that when I tried it on and fell in love with it, so it was a nice surprise as I'd budgeted £1000... There are definitely bargains to be found!

littlejohnnydory · 22/01/2015 12:21

I had mine made, cost about £700 but I did pick the most expensive material! My sister got hers second hand for £120 and it was beautiful.

BendyMum15 · 22/01/2015 12:27

My wedding dress was £500 reduced from £1500 as the lady who owned the shop was retiring and so was getting rid of stock. Was exactly what I was looking for.

Serafinaaa · 22/01/2015 12:39

You can haggle on wedding dresses too! They have a big profit margin. So try on ones of up to £1000 because they will likely reduce them to £800 if you umm and ahh over the price.

TestingTestingWonTooFree · 22/01/2015 13:49

I called a load of stockists of the dress I wanted to get their prices and then negotiated with my local one. Saved me a load of cash.

SaucyMare · 22/01/2015 13:57

can you still hire dresses? (married 20 years so a little out of touch)

slithytove · 22/01/2015 14:00

I got a Maggie sottero from a bridal boutique reduced from £1200 to £700 as it was last years design. A size too big but it has a corset back so £100 of alterations got it fitting perfect.

PenguinTuxedo · 22/01/2015 14:01

Mine was £80 plus £100 for alterations. I actually got it from a little boutique in a local garden centre! Wasn't looking for it, but fell in love as soon as I saw it. The seamstress couldn't believe the price, because the quality was so good. It just shows that you don't have to get a dress from a fancy, designer shop for it to be lovely.

I agree with pp re debenhams and BHS. Have a look online, there are some lovely ones. Also, don't rule ebay out. They're not all from china. Some are even brand new, but the wedding has been called off so they need to sell. Preloved is another good website, and there are lots of pages on Facebook too.

YANBU tho, to think you can go into a bridal shop and be able to find something, because £800 is a very healthy budget.

slithytove · 22/01/2015 14:01

I'm in the north west too, my dress was from Maria modes in Macclesfield

sparechange · 22/01/2015 14:02

What size are you?
If you are are about a 10, you'll be able to get a sample from a shop and then get it altered a bit to be a perfect fit
Most bridal shops have sample sales at about this time of year and while the dresses have been tried on lots, they've not been properly worn and are a fraction of their usual price.
This is how I got my dress with a usual price tag of £7500 (who the HELL pays that for a dress they'll wear once?!) for a grand...

Jackieharris · 22/01/2015 14:03

I don't see the point in buying a new dress.

I honestly don't understand why more brides don't hire them.

There's also oxfam.

RockinHippy · 22/01/2015 14:05

Easily that's a very decent budget (& make them to order in a not inexpensive part of the country)

Look around & see what you like & what suits you, collect pictures & fabric ideas & if you can't buy it, have it made

MonstrousPippin · 22/01/2015 14:09

Op, I'm really surprised by this. I married about 18 months ago and the shop I got mine from had dresses from £300-several thousand. Mine was £650 but lots of the bridal shops I looked in had ones around that price. There were a few that only had dresses that were really expensive and I didn't even bother going in there. YANBU - you should be able to find somewhere if you go for the right shops. Check wedding fairs too.

Schweetheart · 22/01/2015 14:13

Haven't read through the whole post so apologies if someone has already mentioned house of Fraser and phase eight already, but these are worth a try IMO.

I got my dress from HOF for £150 and it was just what I wanted!

Awakeagain · 22/01/2015 14:15

Guilty could you get to leeds?? I've seen you said you live northwest so depending where abouts possibly not too far? There is a ship here called abbey wedding warehouse, I got my dress for £400
Yes you have to pay for alterations on top but might be worth trip

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