How Much Does The Average Wedding Dress Cost?

Wedding dress price is affected by your location, designer, fabric, and season. Then, there are additional expenses such as fittings and dry cleaning.

Of course, the average price of second-hand and rented wedding dresses is much lower than new gowns. Meanwhile, custom gowns tend to cost more than off-the-rack styles.

Your wedding attire can be a significant expense, but it doesn’t have to be such. There are beautiful gowns in any price range, so set your budget and stick to it – you’ll find that perfect dress eventually.

Average Wedding Dress Price

Wedding gown prices in the U.S. can vary significantly depending on many factors.

Based on recent years’ data, most brides paid about $1,500 for their wedding dress. It’s the average figure for dresses across all states and from all price categories.

However, the average figure is likely much higher than the median, as some brides spend exceedingly more than that. For instance, a single $2 million Kim Kardashian wedding dress can skyrocket the average wedding dress price.

Meanwhile, some brides manage to find stunning gowns for just a few hundred dollars. Prices of some popular bridal chain stores don’t exceed $1,000.

Typically, a wedding dress makes up about 4% of the wedding budget. So if a wedding costs $10,000 in total, the dress would cost $400, and if the wedding costs $35,000, the dress would cost $1,400.

Over 90% of modern brides prefer to buy a new wedding dress. However, second-hand wedding dresses are an excellent way to save money (and the environment).

In most cases, wedding dress resale value doesn’t exceed 60% of its initial price.

Custom wedding gowns lie in a higher price category than ready-made dresses. Unadorned styles start at $500, and brides dreaming of a richly embellished bespoke gown may have to pay over $5,000.

The average price of a bespoke wedding dress is nearly twice higher than that of ready-made gowns. However, this estimation doesn’t include the cost of wedding dress alterations necessary for most pre-made gowns.

Most vintage wedding gowns vary from $200 to $3,000. The price is affected by the design, era, condition, and fabric. However, you can likely find a vintage gown for free in your grandmother’s closet, too.

Average Gown Price by Designer

A famous designer’s name on the label is one of the significant factors affecting wedding dress price. For instance, Vera Wang’s wedding gowns start at $2,900, and the Luxe Collection dresses start at a hefty $6,900.

That’s only the starting price – the average price of a Vera Wang wedding gown is about $13,000.

Dresses by Monique Lhullier, Marchesa, and Oscar de la Ranta lie in the same price range as Vera Wang gowns, while the average cost of Berta gowns is $9,000.

Some bridal gowns cost hundreds of thousands of dollars, and the most expensive wedding dress in the world featuring 751 diamonds with a total weight of over 1,100 carats is worth $30 million.

Of course, not all designer gowns are that expensive. Reem Acra dresses with an average price of $4,900 can easily compete with more expensive designer gowns.

Pronovias is another popular choice among American brides with an average price of $2,000.

Some of the most affordable designer names are David’s Bridal, J. Crew, and BHLDN, with prices ranging between $50 and $3,000. That’s right, $50, not $500 – you don’t have to spend a fortune to look stylish.

Needle & Thread make beautiful romantic bohemian gowns for a few hundred dollars, and Mori Lee is an excellent choice if you’re looking for a traditional style within the $1,000 budget.

The resale value of designer wedding dresses tends to be higher than that of chain store dresses, often exceeding 70%. Thus, the average resale price of Vera Wang’s gown is about $8,000, and Pronovias’ is about $1,400.

Price Differences by Material

One of the reasons wedding dresses are so expensive is the amount of fabric required to make a wide floor-length skirt, let alone a ball gown with a train. The base cost of materials can get very high if you choose luxurious fabrics.

Silk charmeuse is the most expensive wedding dress fabric, with an average price of $34.90 per yard.

A standard mermaid or trumpet gown requires 4-6 yards of fabric, a traditional A-line gown 5-7 yards, and a ball gown over 8 yards.

If we make simple calculations, the basic cost of a minimalistic A-line wedding dress from silk charmeuse ranges from $175 to $250. Then, add the cost of embellishments, labor, transportation, and overhead.

Noble silk duchess satin and silk taffeta are also leading the list of the most luxurious fabrics, with an average cost of $25-$27 per yard. Silk dupioni costs about $20 per yard, and organza or chiffon $15.

Some fabrics have cheaper alternatives – for instance, instead of noble silk duchess satin, you may choose regular duchess satin at $7 per yard.

Bridal taffeta cost per yard is approximately twice lower than that of silk taffeta.

Polyester, brocade, and artificial silk are the cheapest wedding dress fabrics, with an average price of $5. If your budget is limited, but you want a long dress with a voluminous skirt, look for these materials.

Lace prices fluctuate drastically – you can find cheap thin lace for as little as $5 per yard and upwards of $80 per yard. Thankfully, most dresses feature lace as decoration rather than primary material.

Crinoline is a cheap addition to your wedding dress that won’t significantly affect its price.

Meanwhile, embellishments can add a couple of hundred or even thousands of dollars to the total cost depending on the design intricacy.

Price Differences by Location

Your location also affects the average wedding dress price, and I’m not even talking about the country. Due to the tax rate and demand differences, wedding gown costs can vary across the U.S. states.

Unsurprisingly, the average bride in California or Washington DC spends about $500 more on her wedding dress than a bride from Arkansas. Most Delaware and Connecticut brides spend about $1,900, $400 over the national average.

New York is leading the most expensive state list with an average wedding dress price of over $2,400. Meanwhile, brides from Montana, Nebraska, and North Dakota spend an average of only $1,150.

Generally, wedding dress prices tend to be higher in major metropolitan areas and lower in small towns, especially in the south. Brick-and-mortar stores also charge a higher overhead than online stores.

Price Differences by Season

The maker, fabric, embellishment intricacy, and your location aren’t the only factors affecting wedding dress price. The basic rule of supply and demand applies to bridal salons, too, so prices can fluctuate depending on the season.

The start of the year is the best time to shop for a wedding dress, as many stores get new collections and strive to get rid of old styles, offering great discounts.

You can find gowns with up to 90% off during the sample sale season, but most will come at 40-60% of the initial price.

Additional Costs

Many brides neglect additional expenses that comprise the total wedding dress cost when setting their budget.

That’s a big mistake, as dress alterations, customizations, preservation, dry cleaning, and add-ons can noticeably affect the final price.

Most pre-made wedding dresses must be altered to some degree to fit you properly. You’re lucky if your gown fits you flawlessly and only needs basic hem shortening – it can cost you about $50.

However, most brides in the U.S. pay $250-$500 for their alterations. Some bridal salons offer in-house alteration services for a flat fee of about $600.

Major wedding dress customizations, also known as bespoke customizations, can cost you anywhere between $300 and $1,500 depending on the labor complexity and required amount of fabric. Sometimes, it’s easier to make a custom dress from scratch.

Nearly all wedding dresses require dry cleaning after the event, which costs around $180-$250 for a standard A-line gown with moderate embellishments.

The dry-cleaning price can be much higher for dresses from delicate fabrics or layered skirts.

Wedding dress preservation isn’t mandatory but can help maintain your gown’s initial state for decades. It costs $250-$750 on average and involves dry-cleaning, fabric treatment, and packing.

Lastly, let’s not forget about essential add-ons that comprise bridal attire such as shoes and undergarments and optional accessories like a veil and clutch bag.

The average price of bridal accessories is hard to estimate but budget at least a couple hundred dollars.

Wedding Dress Rent Price

Rental is one of the best ways to save on a wedding dress. Furthermore, it’s an environmentally friendly and closet space-saving option, considering that you will only wear it for one day.

You can rent a wedding dress for as little as $50 and upwards of $2,000 for 3-7 days. The highest-priced options are usually gowns by famous bridal designers, so spending $15,000 on a new Vera Wang dress is unnecessary.

However, most rental companies also require a safety deposit of $100-$500 to reimburse the cost of potential damages. If you return the dress in the same condition as you’ve received it, the deposit is refunded.