Easy Does It!:

Great Gowns that Won't Break the Bank

By Robert Sharoff

Yes, you can you find a fabulous wedding gown for $500 or even less. Brides with their eyes on the bottom line will find the market for less costly costumes is blossoming.

False -- though you would hardly know it from looking at most fashion and bridal publications.

According to statistics compiled by the bridal industry, the most popular price range for wedding dresses is $500 to around $1,000, with the real sweet spot being in the $600 to $700 range.

And are these brides-to-be "settling" for lesser dresses with second rate details and styles that are guaranteed to cause groans when the pictures are examined 10 and 20 years from now? Hardly.

"You don't have to spend thousands of dollars to get a great bridal dress," says Barbara Pflaumer, spokesperson for

Alfred Angelo, Ft. Washington, Penn., one of the largest manufacturers of moderately priced bridal wear in the country.

"There are plenty of options at more moderate price levels and the dresses look better than ever."

"Our motto has always been a great dress at a great value," says Maria Prince, vice president of Dallas-based Watters & Watters.

"It's such a small percentage of girls who can afford to spend thousands of dollars on a dress," says Robert Schnurr, co-owner of Anjolique Bridal, Niagara Falls, N.Y. "And with the economy so uncertain in the last few years, many girls are taking another look at more moderately priced dresses."

And they're liking what they see. Manufacturers and designers point out that changes in the bridal industry in recent years as well as a major shift in fashion have combined to make moderately priced bridal wear a much better value.

The changes include significant improvements in the look and feel of various synthetic fabrics and a shift to overseas manufacturing.

"The quality of synthetic silks, satins and chiffons is so much higher than it was 10 years ago," says Martin Thornburg, merchandiser of Mon Cheri, Trenton, N.J. "It makes a big difference in what you can do at more moderate price points."

Another change is that most bridal dresses today are manufactured in Asian countries such as China and Thailand, where low labor costs allow for much greater detail on even modestly priced dresses.

Finally, there's fashion. Years ago, when every square inch of a bridal dress was shrouded in lace and encrusted with beads and pearls, there was a real difference between what a bride got for $500 and what she got for $1,000 or more. Put simply, "Ornament adds cost," says Mon Cheri's Thornburg.

"The more beads and crystals and lace and embroidery a dress has, the higher the price is going to be," says Alex Alvarez, sales manager of Essense of Australia, based in Los Angeles.

Today, however, even high-end designers are stressing clean lines and minimal -- but dramatically placed -- detailing.

"The whole trend of minimalism works in favor of more moderate dresses because simpler dresses are easier to make," says Alfred Angelo's Pflaumer.

High or low, the qualities that make for a smashing dress are fit, styling and construction.

"No amount of lace and beads can make an ill-fitting gown look good," says Suzanne Robbins, national sales manager of Maggie Sottoro, Salt Lake City, Utah. "Fit is something we spend a lot of time on. It's one of the main things that sells our gowns."

Styling, of course, is key. The look for spring, say moderate manufacturers, is both more romantic and more dramatic.

"Weddings are still fairy tale occasions and every girl wants to look her absolute best on her wedding day," says Madeline Gardner, designer of Mori Lee, New York, N.Y.

Strapless styles continue to play a leading role in most collections for the simple reason that strapless looks good on a wide range of sizes and shapes.

There's also something undeniably glamorous and, well, sexy, about strapless gowns. They seem to reveal more than they do while at the same time inspiring visions of Hollywood royalty arriving at the Oscars or other red carpet events. "It's a classic wedding look," says Prince.

Corsets, similarly, are popular. "Corsets give you a lot of flexibility while at the same time making a bride's waist look smaller," says Robbins.

Ornament -- mainly crystals and embroidery -- is concentrated on bodices and hems. "We use detail strategically for maximum effect," says Thornburg. "There's not a lot of it but what's there has a lot of impact."

"The poofy ballgown look is not really where it's at this year," says Prince. "The looks are a little sleeker and more modern with small detailing."

There are also some interesting developments in terms of color. Did you know that the whole idea of a white wedding dress is only 150 years old? It began in England during the Victorian period. Before that, wedding dresses were vibrantly colored.

Obviously, white or ivory remain the overwhelming favorites of most contemporary brides. Many dresses, however, are now enlivened with delicately colored crystals and embroidery.

And for women who want to take it a step further, many manufacturers offer one or two styles in bolder colors "We have a silver gown that has actually done very well," says Alvarez. "It's very light, very dramatic."

Other shades that have been turning up with some regularity in recent years are rum pink, mocha, gold and even red.

The protocols of purchasing moderate dresses are not much different than for more expensive gowns. In general, brides still need to order their dresses three to four months in advance. The reason is that even a $500 wedding dress is custom made.

There are some exceptions to this rule. Most moderate manufacturers have in-stock programs for the most common styles. In some cases, "you can get a dress overnight," says Thornburg.

Even so, you will still need one, two or even three fittings with a competent seamstress to adjust the details.

Experts say you should avoid shopping with more than one or two people. Bring your mother or your best friend but not the entire wedding party. "It's the bride's day," says Pflaumer. "She should have what she wants."