When you picture your dream wedding there are some images that dominate your thoughts much more than others. A gorgeous chapel. Stunning floral displays. A one-of-a-kind cake. And of course, an eye-popping wedding dress.
Looking for the perfect wedding dress consumes hours and hours of the time you spend planning your wedding, and that time investment leads many brides to think that their dress should take up a proportionate amount of their wedding budget. Soon they find themselves shopping for $8000 gowns when their total budget is less than $15,000. At that point too many brides choose to take on an enormous debt to cover their budget shortage, or they compromise on the rest of the wedding to afford their “perfect” gown, only to be disappointed at how the wedding turns out.
Though your wedding dress is important, it’s only a small part of what goes into your wedding day. Experts agree that you should spend no more than ten percent of your entire budget on all of your attire for the wedding, including the dress, your accessories and everything needed for the groom. Exceeding that budget limit creates incredible problems in other areas of your wedding day, such as:
- Fewer Family And Friends: Every person you invite to your wedding costs between $80 and $150, depending on where you live and what you serve at the reception. When you go overboard on your dress, the first place you have to make cuts in the rest of the budget is the reception, specifically the number of people you can invite. By being reasonable about your dress budget, you ensure you have enough money for all of your loved ones to share in your special day.
- Poor Quality Memories: Despite all of the time that goes into planning the wedding, the ceremony and reception are over in a matter of hours. The most important thing that you carry out of your wedding, other than your spouse, is your memory. An overpriced dress means you have less money to spend on a quality photographer or videographer to document the event. In addition, you may find yourself unable to afford professional wedding gown preservation. All of the money that you spent on your expensive dress will be wasted as it ages and rots away.
- Dull Reception: For the bride and groom the ceremony is the most memorable part of the wedding day; however, for everyone else, the reception is far more important. This is their chance to share in your joy and celebrate with you. Receptions are meant to be lively parties where all of your guests cut loose and have a good time. If you spend too much on your dress, the reception budget is likely to be the hardest hit. You wind up without enough food, or you can’t provide drink service. Instead of an energetic and professional DJ or an experienced wedding band you’re stuck with your neighbor’s cousin with an iPod or the local high school’s second best death metal band.
You should take your time to find the right wedding dress, and it should make you feel beautiful and special, but that doesn’t mean you should break your budget to buy one. Look for affordable gowns via online sellers, outlet stores and other small vendors, and you’ll be able to find the perfect gown at the perfect price for your wedding.
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