going to the chapel
I always wonder, if I marry, how much I’ll end up spending on a dress. On the one hand, a wedding gown is perhaps the most noteworthy dress a woman wears in her lifetime (and those pictures stick around forever). On the other, I really believe in spending the most money on the pieces you’ll wear most frequently, and a wedding dress definitely does not fall into that category. (Unless you’re channeling Miss Havisham or something, in which case, we’ve got bigger problems.)
The market is becoming friendlier to brides who don’t want to pay as much for their dress as they would for a down payment on a house. J.Crew, Ann Taylor and others are producing lovely gowns at (relatively) reasonable price points. (Here’s an interesting 2010 Wall Street Journal article on the retail phenomenon.)
Believe it or not, this confection is just $97. It’s not sold as a wedding gown (it’s also available in a deep cranberry color), but wouldn’t it be lovely floating down the aisle? It reminds me of one of my favorite dresses in all the land, worn by (who else?) Grace Kelly:
