Looking for bridal gowns that don’t break the bank? You’re in luck: here are the best places for cheap wedding dresses that look expensive. Read on for more and subscribe for the latest to your inbox.
If you’re planning your wedding and can’t imagine spending so much money on a dress you’ll only wear once, listen up! In this blog post, I’ll tell you where to buy cheap wedding dresses that are beautiful. These are affordable attire options that look expensive — but aren’t. And while there are cheaper bridal stores, these are the top places I would shop myself, and recommend highly to my sister, mom, family, friends, etc.
The goal is not to find how to get a dirt cheap wedding dress. If you’re looking for very cheap wedding dresses, you know where to find them. But I want you to have a successful wedding dress experience, one that fits into your budget but also looks amazing on you. The original list I created was longer, but I narrowed it down to the top 3 dress stores that are most suitable.
My goal is to help you find good quality cheap wedding dresses that look amazing on you and make you feel beautiful. Let’s get started!
Best Stores for Cheap Wedding Dresses That Look Expensive
1. Azazie, $200+
You’ll find cheap but good wedding dresses at Azazie.
You may be familiar with this store, which is well-known for bridesmaid dresses. Their success in bridal party styles is now in the bridal gown realm, starting around $350 and even cheaper, with some styles at $200.
Although this isn’t the cheapest store on this list, they do offer an amazing selection and one interesting bonus others don’t: at-home try on.
At-Home Try-On
You can choose a dress from this selection and have it shipped to your home to try on for only $15. This is an amazing way to shop online without being worried you will commit to the wrong dress (and blow your budget on it).
You can choose dresses from here and try on a favorite at home. I think that’s pretty awesome!
In addition, they give you the ability to shop by neckline, style, theme, etc. They have train and no-train bridal gowns. You can also shop by “rush” if you’re a bride who needs a dress shipped fast.
Here are a few examples of top-rated styles on the website.
► Click here to shop now!
2. Barzelai, $300+
Is it cheaper to get a wedding dress made? Sometimes! Although you may think handmade or custom costs more, that’s not necessarily the case. There is one particular seller on Etsy, Barzelai, that offers good quality wedding dresses affordably priced. These are gorgeous!
She uses quality materials and pours her heart into each dress she designs; the reviews truly speak for themselves.
This is the best place to shop affordable dresses for weddings that are boho, casual, or beach; she specializes in comfortable and flowy dresses that you’ll love to wear. For a bride-to-be who thinks custom is out of her price range, this is truly a dream come true! Prices start around $300 and most are in the $400/$500 range. She also offers free shipping, which is a huge plus.
One of the biggest pros of shopping here is she’s very open to communication, so if you have any questions you get to speak directly to the designer, which I think is huge! Her collection is beautiful.
Here are a few examples of inexpensive dresses for your wedding that are quality, yet affordably priced.
3. Lulus, $99+
This is the cheapest place to shop bridal gowns on this list. They’re affordable yet beautiful… you have plenty of reviews to work from and they offer sizes from 0 to 3X for most styles. These bridal gowns range from $99 and up, with more elaborate designs costing more (yet still within the $250ish range).
They have cheap wedding dresses ready to ship that often have high reviews with photos from real brides. You’ll also be happy to know you can shop by style, theme, neckline, color, etc. There are so many options here, so it’s definitely worth checking out.
Here are some of the most popular styles on their website.
How to Make a Cheap Wedding Dress Look Expensive
One of the best ways to make any attire look better is to get it tailored. A quality seamstress or tailor is worth its weight in gold, making a cheap wedding dress look expensive in an instant simply by fitting your curves perfectly.
For any dress you buy — no matter the cost, whether cheap vs. expensive — make sure you have a tailor and get your dress fitted professionally. You’ll be happy you did!
Another way to make your dress look pricey is with wedding accessories. A dress sash, for instance, will add a bit of sparkle to an otherwise simple dress. You could always add sleeves to their ensemble to customize the look of the gown in an instant. Finally, you may want to add these to the shoulders to dress up a cheap dress and make it look more luxurious.
But be careful here: if you add too many accessories, you could overwhelm your look and spend more money. This may also defeat the purpose of buying a cheap wedding dress altogether, since you could technically spend as much as a pricey gown would cost. :)
Finally, accessorize other parts of your bridal style to look your very best. A fancy pair of shoes, your veil, a clutch purse, and jewelry will all contribute to a perfect wedding day look.
