As a bride-to-be, your wedding dress is one of the biggest decisions you face. The cost of a wedding dress depends a lot on your location, size, materials used, and design. According to surveys completed by the Wedding Channel, the average price of a dress in 2012 was between $1,200 and $1,300. Specifically, brides in New York City paid more than other regions.
To get a better understanding of what your dress will cost, it helps to understand how a dress is priced. Here is a Video done by NPR entitled, “Why Do Wedding Dresses Cost So Much” that discuss the factors that are associated with a the price of a wedding dress. Also, below, there are 3 contributing factors Fabric, Craftsmanship and Alterations are discussed in more detail.
Fabric
Most gowns come in polyester/satin, silk, or velvet. The material used to make your dress dictates a portion of the dress cost.
Silk is the most expensive option. Looking at an online retailer of wedding gown fabrics, white silk costs about $18 to $30 per yard. Satin ranges between $6 and $12 per yard. Velvet is a little pricier with the average cost ranging from $13 to $35 per yard.
Photo Credit: Fabric and Art.com
Wedding dresses usually have multiple layers. With a polyester organza, the average cost of materials is a $5 per yard. Chiffon is less than $4 per yard. Netting is about $6 per yard. Lace is very expensive and often costs upwards of $20 to $80 per yard. Dress designers who mass produce wedding dresses do get hefty discounts for buying the fabrics in bulk, so that does save them money.
With a standard dress size, the layers of fabric alone generally costs about $300 to $500. Plus-sized dresses use more fabric, and that drives up the cost.
