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.
Before Alterations 
Fast forward to November 2017
My dress is getting altered by Katie. At the first alteration she told me my dress is 100% silk and made in the USA with a retail value of $4,800. I was in shock because I was happy to just have a dress that met all my wants. It was a bonus to find out that I had a designer dress made in the USA. Alterations was $360 to cut the length and bring in the dress, raise the shoulders, bring the roushing to my torso, take out extra tulle, and fix the beading in the back of the dress.
Pretty much I got a designer dress for over 87% off!
Photo Credit: Alex Shiu Photography
