The dream day so many girls imagine is full of miniscule purchases that add up to an overwhelming amount of money. How do you curtail overspending? A budget is the obvious place to start, but what about those things in your budget that are often ignored? The one thing I never thought I would spend a lot of money on was my dress. I told myself the national average was outrageous, and that it didn’t make sense to spend more than what I make in a month on some fabric and a veil, but this was all before I found the boutique of my dreams.

“75% of brides agree that they are likely to spend more than anticipated on their wedding.”

Do you need to spend money on something you can recreate for a lower price? Absolutely not. The decorations, the invitations, the makeup – these are all things I can cut down in my budget because I’m willing to do the work myself and recreate what others have done at a fraction of the price.

It is said that the average cost of a wedding dress is $1,259, and this honestly doesn’t surprise me. To find something that is flattering, quality material, and matches what you’ve been dreaming of is almost impossible to find without a hefty price tag.

When I asked my followers on Twitter, the consensus was much lower than the average stated above. Of the responses I received, the average was under $500.

@MixedUpMoney I spent around $250 for the dress and then another $50 or so on alterations…but mine was short/simple.

— Stephanie (@StephTheBlogger) October 26, 2015

https://twitter.com/taymilam/status/658766364086153216 https://twitter.com/eemusings/status/658756853350854656 https://twitter.com/our_nextlife/status/658777856378454016

I won’t lie to you, I was impressed and surprised. I was thinking many people would have been along the same lines as average because unless you do something creative or purchase used, it’s difficult to stay below $1000.

MY EXPERIENCE

When I showed up to my appointment I had already seen the dress of my dreams before entering. It was the first one on display when we walked in and it was as beautiful as I had imagined. I told the owner that it was “the one” and that I couldn’t wait to try it on.

That’s when she pulled me back down to earth and asked me what my budget was.

I told her my maximum was $2000. Did I want to spend $2000? No, not really. But I knew it was the average cost of all of their gowns and I was hoping it was realistic to get the one I truly wanted.

That’s when she said it:

“This dress costs $6,700.”

I had a feeling it was out of reach but not by that much! I mean, expensive taste runs in my family, but I never understood how expensive until that moment. I let it go and went on to explore the rest of the gowns eventually finding two that I was absolutely in love with. But before I could make my final decision I wanted to try on my dream dress – to avoid regret obviously.

My bridesmaids were so anxious to see it, in hopes that none of us actually liked it on, and that it was more of a mannequin dress. And guess what?

I didn’t even like it.

Overall, the appointment made me realize how real this wedding was becoming, how important this decision actually was to me. I had never been one to get excited about wedding planning, but after experiencing such an incredible night with my closest girlfriends and mother I realized my initial fear of overspending washed away.

As frugality is a large part of my life during debt repayment, I also know that it’s okay to make larger purchases if you are financially able. Because of my journey and my newfound awareness for financial stability I can afford to host a budget that provides my fiancé and I with everything we could ever want in a wedding day.

One important thing to note is that our wedding will still cost less than half of the national average though, let’s not get too crazy.

In the end, I opted for a dress that’s final cost was $2,100 with customization fees included (not alterations).

The last thing I should mention before I end this post is that my amazing mom surprised me by gifting the dress to me that day. I was overwhelmed with thankfulness and joy that I had never felt before. Because of her, I will now be even lower in budget than originally predicted. She will be spoiled in return, I guarantee that.

What did you spend on your wedding dress or what would you spend? Let me know in the comments.