How I got a $5,000 wedding dress for a $1,000 WITH alterations

My dream wedding dress was a simple light-weighted dress that accentuated my back, easy to walk in, and under $1,000. I wanted something elegant but easy to handle because I didn’t want trouble carrying it across country. My wedding dress budget was $1,200 with alterations and I am glad I did not go over!

I bought my wedding dress on January 2017 from a Brides for a Cause Grand Opening. The dresses are donated by private boutiques or individuals. I love the mission of this company and am happy that my purchase helped various charities. If you are looking for an affordable wedding dress, I highly recommend you check this place! They are open seven days a week and you don’t need an appointment to check them out. Their inventory is constantly changing so if you don’t find a dress the first time, just keep checking!

I found my perfect wedding dress at my first and only stop. The dress was a sample gown so it was never altered to someone’s body. It was exactly what I wanted, but was a size 10  and someone who is 4’9″, three feet of the dress was dragging on the ground. Luckily, Katie, a seamstress that partners with Brides for a Cause was on site and showed me the potential of my dream dress. I debated going to other bridal boutiques to see if they had any dresses I would like better, but with the price of $700 and the quote of alterations to be around $200-$300, I couldn’t beat it. I bought the dress, kept Katie’s business card in my wallet, and had the dress sitting in my sister’s closet for about a year.

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Photo Credit: Alex Shiu Photography