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Updated Oct 14, 2024How to Find Affordable Bridal Shops That Have Looks You'll *Actually* Love
Stick to your budget without sacrificing on style.
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A wedding dress is one of the most important clothing purchases you'll ever make. It's also one of the priciest. But what if we told you that you could score a wedding dress you love for less? Browsing affordable bridal shops allows you to do just that. If you keep up with our content, you know that there are endless options when it comes to affordable wedding dresses, but you might not know where to find them. Sure, shopping used wedding dresses from your local secondhand shop is always an option, but you might not find the specific style you're searching for. Plus, you probably don't want to miss out on having the full bridal salon experience. Luckily, we have the solution (and data from The Knot 2024 Attire & Fashion Study to back it up). So, stick with us as we break down how to locate your nearest budget friendly bridal salon and save money on a wedding dress.
In this article:
- How Much is an Affordable Wedding Dress?
- How to Identify Affordable Bridal Shops In Your Price Range
- Where to Find Affordable Bridal Shops Near Me
How Much is an Affordable Wedding Dress?
It's no secret that wedding dresses are expensive. According to The Knot 2024 Attire and Fashion Study, the average wedding dress cost in 2024 was $2,000 which is up from $1,800 in 2022. In general, we consider any dress with a price tag below the average cost to be an affordable wedding dress.
Of course, affordability is a relative term and it can mean something different to every couple depending on their budget. That being said, having a clear idea of how much you went to spend on your wedding attire can help you stay within a range that feels affordable for you. Based on our study, 60% of brides said they had a strict budget for their wedding attire, and 29% of them said that price was the most important factor they considered while shopping. This high degree of budgeting resulted in more brides being able to spend less than what they had originally allocated for their attire. Sticking to their budget also gave them greater confidence in their purchase compared to brides who did not set expectations for price.
FEATURED VIDEO FROM THE KNOT
If you want to figure out how much an affordable dress might cost based on your own wedding budget, the good news is that The Knot has a free and easy-to-use tool to help you do so. The Knot Wedding Budget Advisor gives you an average wedding budget breakdown that's typical to your area. From there, you can evaluate how your spending stacks up against that average to determine what portion you can realistically set aside for a dress.
How to Identify Affordable Bridal Shops In Your Price Range
Based on our study, 39% of brides faced challenges in finding wedding dress options they liked within their budget and 34% reported struggling with the lack of lower priced attire options. Nearly 9 in 10 (87%) brides who participated in the study shared that finding options they liked within their budget was one of the biggest difficulties they faced while shopping. The silver lining? We're here to help solve this issue. When you know how to identify bridal shops within your price range, it's easier to stick to your budget. So, read one for some of our helpful hacks.
FOR YOU
Research Wedding Dress Designers
So how do you figure out which of the bridal salons near you are within your price range? Well, you'll want to do a bit of homework before booking an in-store appointment. See, each store carries a select number of styles from various wedding dress designers. The average wedding dress cost can vary from brand to brand. By doing research beforehand, you can find out which brands offer dresses within your price range, and where you can shop those brands in person. (Psst: Our glossary of wedding dress designers lists price ranges for each of the brands you're likely to come across in a salon.)
Be Open About Your Budget
As a newlywed, the last thing you want is to fall in love with a look that's outside your allotted budget. Setting clear expectations of the amount you're hoping to spend can help you avoid this heartbreak. Be sure to do so at the start of each bridal salon appointment you attend. That way, the stylist or designer can point you in the direction of dresses that you can afford.
Work With a Bridal Stylist
If you want to eliminate some of the work and research that goes into finding inexpensive bridal shops, we recommend working one on one with a bridal stylist. The job of a bridal stylist is to help you find the dress of your dreams that's within your budget. They'll use their expert knowledge to set up appointments for you at salons in your price range, and even hand-select gowns they think you'll love from each of them. They'll also help you find the best bridal accessories to complement your dress. While stylists do charge for their services (like any other wedding vendor), their knowledge and expertise can certainly help save you money (and time) in the long run.
Where to Find Affordable Bridal Shops Near Me
When starting your search for budget wedding gowns, your first instinct might be to type "affordable bridal shops near me" into a search engine, but what if we told you there was an easier way to get the results you're looking for? Simply head to The Knot Vendor Marketplace and select "Bridal Salons" under the "Category" dropdown menu. From there, you can enter in your location to see a full list of bridal salons in your area, including the best affordable bridal shops near you.
