Our local thrift shop has a little section were they usually have 3-4 wedding gowns priced between $25-$100. Some of them are damaged, and will be purchased to be dismantled and used for other crafts and some are just out dated and out of style. I have often looked through these gowns and thought, “A thrifty bride could save a lot of money purchasing on of these and hiring a seamstress to update it for her!” You can also save a lot of money going a similar route with Clearance dresses or used gowns off auction sites like Ebay or Bridal-Auctions!

Here are a few examples from my own clearance section to help you get thinking:

This first one is pure silk for $99!! But it features a very very conservative look, which is not very popular right now, unless it is a second wedding. The solution? By removing the sleeves and upper part of the bodice, you could convert this gown into a stunning strapless style! This gown would then be perfect for any informal, garden or beach wedding. Unless you are an expert tailor yourself, you will need to hire a seamstress to make the alterations. But you will have a pure silk, stylish gown for less then $250!

Lace overlay is very popular this season and this gown features a German lace overlay with Swarovski accents on silk satin for $99. Again, the sleeves are not a popular choice this season, but a thrify bride could have the sleeves and upper bodice removed for a sexy, strapless sweetheart neckline! Another perfect garden or beach wedding gown for less then $250 when all is said and done!
Â

Well, I hope that got you brainstorming a little! A creative bride can look like they spent a fortune without going into debt in the process! When looking for dresses to alter, here are a few things to watch out for:

1. Stains and ripes that are not on the seam - these can be hard or impossible to fix. A ripe on the seam may be fixable, and may be okay ifyou like the style enough.

2. Seam Allowance. If the dress does not fit perfectly, then you need to be sure it can be altered to your size. If taking it in, keep in mind how this will effect the beading/embriodery. If letting it out, you will need to have enough seam allowance to do so.

Enjoy your shopping:)

Bride's Attire | No Comments »

Chances are, you have dreamed about your wedding dress since before you even knew your fiance! And now you will spend hours searching for it. SOme brides are fortune enough to find the perfect dress but most will either settle for one that is almost perfect, or find the perfect one and realize it is way out of their budget! The solution:

Have It Custom Made!!!!

YES!!! You can have your dream dress custom made without spending a fortune!! Chrys Cross Bridal is just one of the many professional designers out there offering affordable options for those brides who know what they want and aren’t willing to settle for less!!! Think you can’t afford it? Our custom design gowns start as low as $300!!!!

We can make gowns based on your pictures or drawings, and we can also make replicas of designer gowns or make a dress combining elements of two or more other dresses!!! What ever you want, it can be done!!! Visit http://chryscrossbridal.com for more information!

Bride's Attire | No Comments »

Can it be done? Yes it can!!!! Most of us have a bit more to work with then that but I thought it would be fun, as a challange, to see if we can make it work!! Let’s say we have 50 guests, and $1000 to work with. This work up is based on average prices in my area, so your prices may vary. Wedding party of 2 and 1 flower girl.

THE WEDDING

Location - Plan for an outdoor wedding in the backyard of your home, or the home of a family or friend. Be creative with decor. Borrow potted plants from friends and family, and get married under a big tree, if there is one. If not, see if you can find an archway from a friend or family member’s garden to borrow as a backdrop. Of make one out of tree branches!! (At a wedding I attended a while back, they decorated with a folding screen, arch and signing table all made from tree branches from their grandpa’s yard!! It was beautiful and free!) Whatever you decide to do, decorate with borrowed items! My signing table was a small patio table with a white table cloth of my mothers!!! For a pen, I used my mother in laws feather pen from her wedding!!! BORROW BORROW BORROW!!! Total cost: $50 for chair rentals.

Flowers - For the flowers, purchase 2 dozen roses in bulk. Use 12 to create a hand tie bouquet for yourself, 2 for the groom, 1 for the best man, 6 for a hand tie for the maid of honor, and 3 for the flower girl. Not sure how to make them, check out http://michaels.com for instructions! Total cost for flowers, ribbon, tape and pins: $50

Music - there are many music options that don’t have to cost you a penny! We had prerecorded music played on my brother’s stereo. An uncle of mine plays piano and played on linve keyboard for his brother’s wedding! If you know anyone who plays keyboard, guitar or violin, those are perfect options! My mom had a friend sing as she walked down the aisle!!! All great options, all free!!!

The officant and marriage license - unless you know someone who does this and would do it for free, this is unaoidable. Marriage license also unavoidable, that is if you want it to be legal anyway. Cost $150

TOTAL FOR CEREMONY: $250

THE RECEPTION

Yes, I ment BOTH for $1000, lol. Now remember, we are talking 50 people here. If you know someone who has a home big enough for a party of this size, ask them about hosting it for you and have a potluck reception. Or, contact a local resturant and reserve their banquet room for a dinner were guests can buy their own meal if they choose. My favorite option is a potluck bar b que, since you are having an outdoor wedding! So we will base our cost on the BBQ idea! All the food would be provided by guests, potluck style. You should have a few family members bringing bbqs for the event. You should also borrow picnic tables - you will need 7 or 8. Cost for location and food: we’ll say $100 because you will need to get a few food things most likely.

Decorating - For decor, I suggest borrowing Christmas lights and stringing them up over head. Then rent table cloths and napkins($20), purchase paper plates, cutlery and cups(40). For centerpieces, try a single rose in aglass coke bottle on each table with 3 clear votive holders and votives($40), and a little bit of confetti($3). Total Cost for decor: $103.

Music - unless you know someone with a band, I suggest prerecorded music. Borrow CD’s from friends and family for a varied collection. $0

The Cake - almost all of us know someone who can cook! You have a fairly small wedding, so have someone make the cake for you, or make it yourself.!! Cost if you have to make it yourself: $50

Favors and Guestbook - purchase a affordable photo frame and put a picture of you and you fiance in it, have people sign the photo mat: $25. For favors, purchase wrapped candies or chocolates in bulk and hand them out as acouple after the meal - great way to mingle: $25 Total cost $50

RECEPTION COST: $303

Wedding Attire:

Tux - if your fiance has a suit or knows someone in his size, borrow it. Otherwise, rent the most affordable one available, with shoes as it is cheaper then buying shoes: $75

Your Attire: This is the most touchy area. You can borrow a dress but brides hate hearing that! My suggestion - buy online. Some great places for gowns under $300 (besides Chrys Cross Bridal) are Ebay, Bridal Auctions, iOffer or Free Wedding Classifieds! Then, borrow jewelry and shoes - or use what you already have. If you do it right, you can look goregous for under $200! That includes hair!! If you have a friend of family member who does hair, have them do it and save even more!! Another idea for affordable wedding gowns - look for bridesmaids/prom gowns!!! For example, we have tons of bridesmaids gowns at Chrys Cross Bridal that can be made in white and would be perfect for a garden wedding, and some of them are under $100!!! SO, we’re giving you $200 to work with.

OTHER STUFF

PICTURES - no, I didn’t forget!!! Make sure EVERY one can think of brings a camera so you have lots of pictures of the event. But appoint on person who you know is creative and will do well, to take posed and candid shots. Spend some time online amd put together a list of the must have shots so nothing gets lost! Check out photo sites and bridal magazines for ideas for creating some memorable shots as well. Use your surroundings. We have a park in town with an amazing gazedo — everyone wants their wedding pictures there, and it’s a free spot to use! Maybe you know someone with an amazing yard or garden? We are going to give your $100 for film, and for developing - that should be more then enough!!

TOTAL: $927!!!!

Bet you thought I couldn’t do it!!! I was going to say to skip invitations and call you guests personally, but we still have $73 left, which is more then enough to make your own invitations!

Think Outside The Box | 4 Comments »

Simple Answer: When you know it’s a replica. Don’t stop reading yet, I do have a point here. Now, if you purchased a $3000 Designer Gown on sale for $2000 and when it arrived, you discovered it was a replica - you have been riped off! You could probably have gotten that same replica from an honest seller for 1/3 of that price! But is you purchased a replica of that $3000 gown for $600, that is a smart bride making a smart choice!

There is a common belief today, that designer gowns cost more because they are better materials, better quality and better workmanship. As a designer myself, I can vouch for the fact that this is not necessarily true. For example, there is a well known designer in the US who uses the same manufacturer as I. Her dresses are made from the same materials, by the same seamstresses as mine. Her gowns retail for $3000 - $5000 across North America. Yet I can sell the sell similar styles made by the same manufacturer, for under $1000 and still make a nice profit! Starting to wonder what all the extra money pays for? It’s not the quality or the material obviously. It’s the label - or to be precise - the name on the label!

With wedding budgets that can get so quickly out of hand, many brides are already starting to recognize the benefit of a designer inspired or replica gown. Some designers are adding designer inspired gowns to their own collections!

Have another design in mind? Of perhaps you want a combination of 2 or more styles? When picking someone to make your custom gown, here are a few things to look for:

- past experience with replicas, including pictures of replicas they have done

- experience with wedding gowns in general

- some sort of satisfaction policy - for example, at Chrys Cross Bridal, pictures are provided prior to shipping in case adjustments need to be made.

Benefits of a replica

- customize it to suit, if it isn’t perfect, have adjustments made

- get a plus size designer style (most designers only make to size 16 or 18)

- save a great deal of money and use it somehwere else

There is no reason why your budget needs to determine your dress style! If you have a designer style in mind, but don’t have the budget, then a replica is the perfect solution. Even if you did have the budget - think of all the other things that money could do! After all, you are the only one who needs to know what the label says. Well, you and hubby, but I doubt he’ll be looking at the label:)

Bride's Attire, Designer Style Replicas | No Comments »