How Much Does a Custom Wedding Dress Cost? An Expert Weighs In

There's been a trend toward custom bridal in recent years—last year, about 20% of brides went custom—and you can't deny the element of stylistic personalization it adds to any event. But, how much does a custom wedding dress cost? It's an important consideration.

Fortunately, there's good news: A custom wedding dress is similar to the cost of purchasing—and altering—an off-the-rack or made-to-measure bridal gown (we'll break down why below). Take it from someone who knows: Kate March is the designer behind NYC-based Undone by Kate, a bespoke fashion house focused on custom bridal, eveningwear and special occasions. (See her storefront on The Knot Vendor Marketplace, too!) "We believe fashion is the most powerful form of self-expression," March says. "Each one-of-a-kind piece is created to be hyper-personalized to the client and to encapsulate their personality in garment form."

March affirms that going custom can often help brides get their dream dresses at more affordable price points—and the rise in VIP wedding coverage has caused a rise in custom wedding dresses. "Take when Sofia Richie got married as an example," she says. "Every fashion outlet had pictures of her wedding looks. Brides would fall in love with her looks—but not the price tag. This is when custom comes into play, allowing the bride to take inspiration from a celebrity's wedding look and put her own twist on it at an accessible price point."

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No matter your reason for going custom—and no matter your budget—the process "allows you to make your dream dress come to life while still staying true to yourself and your personal style," March says. Here, she helps us understand what factors are associated with the average cost of a wedding dress when it comes to custom designs and how they compare to buying a dress the traditional way.

In this article:

• How Much Does a Custom Wedding Dress Cost?
• Alterations vs. Custom-Made: How the Costs Compare
• Custom Wedding Dress Cost Factors
• How to Determine Your Custom Wedding Dress Budget

How Much Does a Custom Wedding Dress Cost?

At Undone by Kate—and at almost any other designer or atelier—the cost of a custom wedding dress is entirely dependent on complexity, design details and fabrication. March's average cost of a custom wedding dress starts at $3,000 to $4,000 and goes up from there. "For example, corsetry and hand-beaded appliques tend to raise the price," she says. Her price includes every step of the process, which helps avoid hidden fees. "When going the traditional dress-shopping route, there are many times surprise costs that pop up that the couple did not allocate a budget for, such as the dreaded alterations add-on," March says. "All of our custom dresses come with an all-in pricing structure. Included is a custom sketch deck of silhouette options to choose from, a prototype of your dress, custom fabrics, fittings, unlimited alterations and the experience of making your own custom dress." Speak transparently with your designer about the upfront costs, what's included and what might arise later, but plan on spending at least $3,000.

Alterations vs. Custom-Made: How the Costs Compare

According to The Knot Real Weddings Study, the average wedding dress cost in 2023 was about $2,000. But here's what that number doesn't reflect: wedding dress alterations costs. "The typical bride will spend anywhere from $1,000 to $3,000 on alterations of a preexisting gown," March says. (Note that that's on top of the cost of the dress itself.) "In my opinion, when you go custom, you are saving money due to the alteration prices on off-the-rack gowns." Customizations and custom elements like adding sleeves to a wedding dress can be even costlier, as they require more fabric and more labor time.

Custom Wedding Dress Cost Factors

"Creating a custom dress is truly a unique experience that will hold such a special place in your heart for eternity," March says. "From selecting custom fabrics to seeing your dress come to life from a drawing to the final fitting, each step allows you to express your style and personality." Of course, each of these elements comes at a cost. Here, we break down some of the most notable factors that determine price.

Fabric

The cost of materials, first and foremost, will directly impact the price of the custom dress. For example, a ballgown with multiple layers and a 20-foot train will cost more than a late-night mini slip dress.

Complexity of Design

"The complexity of a dress design directly correlates with its cost," March says. "Having a complex design with elements such as hand-sewn appliqués, beading or embroidery not only adds visual interest but also significantly increases labor costs. If you are looking to go a simpler route, such as a bias-cut slip dress, the cost significantly decreases, however, these detailed processes remain in place."

Labor

As a direct result of the above, more complex and intricate wedding dress details require more hours of labor from the artisans who create them. "The amount of handwork involved in a gown—such as intricate beading, detailed embroidery or custom draping—adds significantly to labor costs," March says. "Each embellishment piece requires careful application, often taking hours or even days to complete." This is often why off-the-rack gowns are so expensive, too: High-end wedding gowns are hand-sewn, hand-beaded and more by artisans who rack up hundreds of hours of work—and deserve to be compensated accordingly. "Our garments are produced directly in New York City with the utmost care, expertise and detailed processes," March says. "We pride ourselves on continuing to create within sustainable working conditions."

Care and Preservation (for Heirloom Pieces):

Lately, there has been a trend toward upcycling an heirloom gown that belonged to the bride's mother or other relative. While this may seem less expensive because the fabric and materials already exist, consider the care that goes into preservation. "When upcycling an existing gown, the costs are divided up a bit differently," March explains. "A lot of thought, design planning and pattern planning goes into properly preserving the major details of the heirloom design while giving it a modern twist. Our team carefully deconstructs each heirloom gown, which can take up to 50 hours, and then creates a modernized pattern to your measurements to reconstruct the dress for a new life. Many times, with heirloom fabric that is too delicate, we add extra materials to reinforce that existing fabric and make it as good as new." If heirloom is the way you want to go, consider taking pieces and parts of the wedding dress, rather than fully reconstructing it. "For example, adding sleeves from your heirloom dress to a new dress is a lower cost; however, a full remake of an heirloom gown into a new wedding gown starts around $3,000."

Alterations

Typically, alterations are not required with a custom dress, so you can remove that cost factor from the budget. But be sure this is discussed upfront. At Undone by Kate, it certainly is: "We use all-in pricing," March explains. "This means the client pays a flat rate upfront with no added costs at the end." Her custom wedding dress cost includes unlimited alterations up to one month from the wedding date. Make sure alterations are included when working out pricing with your designer.

How to Determine Your Custom Wedding Dress Budget

Ultimately—though there are a lot of variables—going custom or off-the-rack net out to a very similar wedding dress expense (and timeline), with custom potentially being the more affordable option and the average cost being about $3,000.

Either way, there are a few factors to consider when planning your wedding dress budget. First, what percentage of your overall wedding budget do you want to spend on the dress? Some weddings are more fashion-focused with minimal decor, while others are all about the flowers. Determine which you gravitate toward; in 2023, couples spent an average of about 7% of their wedding budget on attire (remember that includes both to-be-weds' looks). Try using The Knot wedding budget tool to see where each category falls for you.

Also, think ahead about what you will do with your dress after the wedding. Preservation is very common and many brides decide to go that route. However, now, a prevalence of resale sites, such as Rowely and Nearly Newlywed, help you reclaim some of the fashion spend (we especially recommend this for second looks!).

Finally, consider the full spend and be transparent with your designer. "Custom budgets come in all shapes and sizes depending on the silhouette and fabric the bride is dreaming up," March says. "It was imperative to me when creating our pricing structure that just because you're making a custom gown does not mean it should break your bank." She starts each client's process by asking about their budget first and foremost. "From there, I create a sketch deck of possible custom garments we can make within their given price range."

Remember that with a custom wedding dress design, there's the added bonus of enjoying and having a say in the process—and, ultimately, you may pay less for something that is even more you. March says, "There is no better feeling than seeing your dream vision come to life."