Splurge or Save on your bridal attire

When to Splurge & When to Save – Wedding Attire

According to wickipedia.com, the average American bride spends $1,075 on just the dress alone; depending on your budget, that price tag may look like a hefty amount or a mere drop in the bucket. Your dress is usually the first thing you buy, long before you really start handing out the big bucks to your chosen vendors. And after watching “Platinum Weddings” or “Say Yes to the Dress,” you may think obtaining your dream dress is out of your financial reach. So how do you come up with a realistic figure to spend on your dress? Here’s some tips to help you decide what to budget for your wedding attire.

Wedding Dress – SPLURGE.
Your wedding dress selection should not be based solely on price alone. Your gown is the centerpiece of your entire wedding, and is possibly the most important bridal decision you’ll make. You won’t just be wearing this gown for one day – you’ll be wearing it for decades to come, and you want it to be special. You may be enticed by a $99 price tag, but if you’re not in love with the dress, it may cost you more when you keep looking and end up buying a second gown. There are plenty of options well under $1,000 that can incorporate the look of a Platinum wedding without the price tag of one. If you’ve set your gown budget at one price, but fall in love with a gown that costs a little more, it’s worth it to refigure your wedding budget in other areas to accommodate your dream dress.

Wedding Veil – SAVE.
Your veil doesn’t have to cost more than your dress. With the trend of separate veiling that’s not attached to the tiara, you can get very creative in an affordable way. Find with what works with your dress, your venue, and the formality of your event. You don’t have to focus on plain, unadorned veiling – you’ll find lots of veils adorned with bead work, crystals and embroidery that are well within your budget.

Wedding Tiara – SAVE.
You may not have your spouses’ family crowns to choose from, like Kate Middleton, but you don’t need to splurge on a tiara worthy of becoming a family heirloom. There are many affordable options to decorate your updo, not only with the traditional tiara, but with flowers, crystal pins, and feathers.

Wedding Shoes – SPLURGE.
Accessories finish off an outfit and bring it all together, and you can make a statement about your personality and uniqueness with the shoes you choose. You’ll need to determine the height based on the height of your fiancée, the length of your gown, and your comfort level. After all, you’ll be wearing this pair of shoes for at least 8 hours on your wedding day, plus for your portraits. You’ll also need your shoes for your gown alterations, so don’t put the decision on hold until the last moment. The new trend in bridal shoes? Having your shoes dyed to match the bridesmaid color, or choosing silver jeweled creations, which can be worn over and over again.

Wedding Jewelry – SAVE.
You may be able to get your “something old” covered with ancestors heirlooms. But if you don’t have any family jewels that accentuate your dress, you can still afford beautiful jewelry that will work within your budget. There are plenty of reasonably priced options for your wedding jewelry that are exquisite, tasteful and that compliment your bridal gown brilliantly. Rule of thumb: the less ornate your dress is, the more ornate your jewelry can be. Or you can go for broke and bling it up!

Wedding Foundations – SPLURGE.

An important part of getting the correct fit on your gown is having on the right foundations. A quality longline bra will make your bodice fit smoother, give your chest the right lift, and transform how you carry the dress. And do you really need a crinoline? Absolutely. The crinoline slip is a necessity for properly shaping the gown so it will lay correctly, enhance the overall look of your gown, and effectively show off the gown’s embellishments.  

Wedding Dress Alterations – SPLURGE.

Don’t think that because a family member has a sewing machine that your alterations are covered – we’ve seen so many brides in tears because their dress was ruined by a well-meaning relative who thought alterations would be easy. Dresses are created using a fixed set of measurements for an average 5’8” height woman; so unless you are those exact measurements, you will probably need some alterations done for the dress to fit perfectly. A well fitting gown will fit flawlessly, and will really showcase your beautiful figure in your wedding photos.  

While the average bride spends $1,075 on just the dress alone, at A Bridal World you can get your entire ensemble covered for around the same cost. Come by today and see how everything’s a SAVE at A Bridal World.

An interview with Carol King, owner of A Bridal World

An interview with…

CAROL KING, owner of A Bridal World

A Bridal World is celebrating 18 years of serving the Triangle with beautiful and affordable bridal and prom gowns. Here are some helpful tips and hints when shopping for that perfect gown!

How did you get into the bridal business, and what made you want to open A Bridal World?

I worked as a manager for Thalhimers in Crabtree Valley Mall for many years. I gained a lot of experience, but I also knew that advancement opportunities were limited. I also knew I wanted to be my own boss, open my own store, and make a positive mark on other people’s lives. I started out opening a shop in the then relatively new field of consignment. Through that store I had the opportunity to work with several bridal shops, including the well-known store A Bride’s World, which inspired me to want to specialize in bridal. I felt I could become an affordable choice for bridal wear in the Triangle area, working to find the best deals and then pass the savings onto our brides.

What do you feel is the most important area a bride should allocate more money towards?

Definitely the bridal gown. If you have a limited budget and need to be careful where to allocate your money, the last place you need to shave funds from is on your bridal gown. This is your day, the one day that will stand out as the most important day in your life. Your wedding gown is an expression of your love and your dreams of a beautiful new life together. Not only will all eyes be on you on the day of your wedding, but you’ll be looking at pictures of this one dress for decades to come. You should be able to look back at how incredible you looked and felt in your gown & how perfect it was for you, because you chose the right one.

When shopping for bridal gowns, what tips can you offer?

Shop early. Just about every decision you make about your wedding will hinge on the bridal gown you choose, including your wedding colors, your flowers, your bridesmaid’s gowns, and the formality of your event.

My second tip is to stop shopping for a dress once you find yours. Really! We’ve seen brides that created unnecessary stress and confusion for themselves because they found another dress after buying the first one. It wreaks havoc on a budget when a bride says yes to a second dress. Often their first dress was purchased because of the price, even when they weren’t really in love with it. Had they allowed some flexibility in their gown budget, they would have actually saved money by buying only one dress – the right one!

What is your advice to brides-to-be when searching for that perfect gown?

Have some idea of what you’re looking for. We certainly don’t buy wedding gowns every year, but we do have our likes and dislikes of styles and fashions. You’ve probably already bought some wedding magazines and spent some time pouring over styles; so go thorough your magazines and gather pictures of what styles you like. Then when you’re describing your dream dress to your consultant, she’ll get a better idea of the big picture.

Also, have an open mind. Be open to suggestions from your consultant about silhouettes and colors. Your bridal consultant has years of experience in finding the right gown for the right bride, and you may fall in love with a style or gown color you never would have considered.

How far in advance should a bride choose her wedding gown?

Your minimum should really be six months. There’s never such a thing as shopping too early. Yes, there are brides with considerably less time to shop for their gown, and we can certainly accommodate them with our extensive off the rack selections. But if you choose to order your gown, you’ll need to allow time for the creation of the dress, shipping time and alterations, as most bridal gowns need some form of alterations performed to fit perfectly. If you’re having bridal portraits, you’ll need to have your dress ready to wear for your pictures.

Are there any "secrets" about wedding gown shopping that we may not know?

Wedding gowns tend to run one to two sizes smaller than your normal clothing size. Most bridal and bridesmaids gowns do not have spandex, so they do not stretch, are more fitted and are less forgiving. Also, it is normal for your bridal gown consultant to assist you when getting in and out of gowns. Wedding gowns are delicate and can be challenging to get in and out of, and your consultant’s assistance should be seen as pampering.

What are the top three things to look for in the perfect dress?

The first thing would be the silhouette of the gown you want to wear. Do you want to show off your curves with a mermaid style, or are you looking to minimize trouble spots with a flattering A-line cut? Once you decide on the silhouette, you’ll want to get more specific with the rest of the gown construction. What kind of neckline, waist and skirt? Thirdly, focus on the detailing of the gown. Do you want beading, crystals or rhinestones? Lace, embroidery, ruching, or a sash for a splash of color?

Who should a bride bring when she's searching for her wedding gown?

Just a few trusted friends or family – her mother, sister, or a trusted friend. We’ve frequently witnessed that when a bride brings a large entourage, she’ll get too many personal opinions that don’t often match her own tastes, and then she has a much harder time making a decision.

What is an emerging trend in wedding gown shopping?

Unlike brides of the past, where the only place to shop was at local stores that mostly carried size 8, the modern bride has so many more choices – virtual catalogs on the internet, local bridal shops, internet shops, and dozens of bridal magazines. But now brides are becoming overwhelmed with choices. Often brides feel the need to try on dozens of gowns at every shop they can find, to weigh every option before making their decision. While this may seem like a much better scenario, having too many choices really ends up confusing brides, delaying important decisions, and causing brides to run out of time to order their dress. Statistically, a bride more often than not will choose one of the first three gowns she tries on; that is why bridal consultants are so valuable in finding the right dress for you.

When it comes to the day of the wedding, what advice can you give brides?

Make sure you have someone to help you get in and out of your dress, and if you have a bustle for the reception, that they know where to look to fasten the bustle points. But most importantly, relax and enjoy your wedding!

Do you have a memorable bride story?

We had one bride who came in tears because her dress was delivered to the wrong church and could not be located in time for the wedding that day. Her friends and family all pitched in so she could find another dress in less than two hours. Not only did we find her a dress that fit her beautifully, but she was able to get matching accessories and make it to the church on time. Her dress was going to need alterations, but because the skirt had layers we were able to remove the last one and the hem was perfect!

Welcome to A Bridal World!

We’re so excited to launch our first official blog, and are really looking forward to connecting with not only our brides, but brides and bridal parties from all over the world!

Hopefully soon you will be visiting us on a regular basis to

-stay informed on the events that we will be holding or participating in

-find out about the latest bridal fashion trends

and

-interviews with local bridal professionals for an in-depth look into their business, get tips and shopping advice when looking for bridal vendors

and

- hear from some of our brides talk about their weddings and experiences with our salon

We’d love for you to consider this “your blog”, so if you have ideas or topics that you’d like to see covered just let us know!

Together we will make your engagement and all the planning that goes in to creating your perfect wedding some of the most fun and memorable times of your life.