Why Are Wedding Dresses So Expensive? Experts Explain

No matter your budget, wedding venue or vibe, there's a good chance this question has crossed your mind: Why are wedding dresses so expensive? Even if you cut your guest count and book an affordable wedding venue, one thing remains unavoidable—you're probably still going to spend a lot in the dress department.

To help us break down why that is, we tapped Alena Sidarevich, marketing director at Olivia Bottega, and Ashley Schwaegel, founder of off-the-rack gown boutique Bestow Bridal in Austin, Texas.

In this article:

• Why Are Wedding Dresses So Expensive?
• Wedding Dress Cost Factors to Know Before You Shop
• More Wedding Dress Expense FAQs

Why Are Wedding Dresses So Expensive?

To put it simply, wedding dresses require a lot more work than your average, everyday dress. They're often made by hand and require more fabric, materials and intricate details than other garments do. Along with making the dress heavier (think up to 22 pounds) and more costly to ship, this combination of skilled labor, high-quality fabrics and top-tier craftsmanship also means a higher price tag. Additionally, many wedding dresses need modifications and nearlyweds can expect to pay additional wedding dress alterations costs in addition to the initial dress price.

Another thing to note is that brides typically purchase a wedding dress only once, which can play a role in overall cost. "Since each customer is usually a one-time buyer, the cost of attracting new customers is higher, which affects the price of the dress itself," Sidarevich says.

However, the rumored "wedding tax"—the debunked idea that something costs more simply because it's for a wedding—isn't something you should worry about when you buy your wedding dress. "Bridal salons are here to give you expertise regarding fabrics, structure and wearability of the garments, but we aren't paid by the designer and our markup is very low in comparison to most retail business models," Schwaegel says. For example, Bestow Bridal typically makes around $100 to $200 of profit off of gowns that cost $2,000 (which was the average wedding dress cost in 2023).

With all this in mind, it's important to factor a realistic wedding dress cost into your wedding budget before you start shopping for the one. Pro Tip: Let our free, easy-to-use wedding budget tool guide your spending.

Wedding Dress Cost Factors to Know Before You Shop

There are so many factors that contribute to how expensive a wedding dress is—think everything from the materials it's made from to where it was made. Ahead, we're diving into each to help prevent sticker shock once you start to shop.

Materials and Sourcing

One of the most significant factors that affects the cost of wedding dresses is materials. Many gowns are made with higher-priced fabrics like silk, charmeuse, taffeta and lace, to name a few. "With recent increases in fabric prices, this has impacted the overall cost even more," Sidarevich says. Some designs also require a lot more fabric than others (think ball gowns), which can easily add to the overall cost of the dress.

Along with the type of materials used, where they come from can also contribute to the high cost of a wedding dress. "If a gown is made with 12 yards of imported Italian silk, it will cost significantly more than a gown made with eight yards of a blended polyester Mikado from another country," Schwaegel says.

Structure

The structure of a wedding gown is something that can sneakily add to its cost, as it's not something you're likely to notice at first glance. This can refer to many different parts of a wedding dress, like corsets and bodices with boning, structured necklines, statement sleeves, full skirts and more. "Most of the higher-priced wedding dress designers have more construction built into the gown that's not visible on the outside, but the bride can feel the difference as she wears the gown," Schwaegel adds.

Design Details

On the more obvious side, intricate wedding dress details like hand beading, sequins, embroidery and 3D florals can easily make wedding dresses expensive. This isn't usually due to the cost of these details, but rather the time it takes to incorporate them onto the gown. "These elements typically take hours of expert sewing and skilled craftsmanship to complete," Schwaegel says.

Labor

Labor can be a significant factor in the price of a wedding dress. In fact, Sidarevich says it's the most significant at Olivia Bottega. Their dresses—like many others—are hand-manufactured to ensure high-quality craftsmanship, leading to a higher cost of labor. "We pay competitive salaries to our employees and do not rely on any underground or cheap labor," Sidarevich says.

Location

Where a wedding gown is constructed can also greatly impact its price. For example, gowns made or assembled in the US or Israel will generally be more expensive due to the cost of labor, while affordable wedding gowns are often made somewhere with less strict labor laws and can help you save money on your wedding dress.

More Wedding Dress Expense FAQs

Still have questions? We're covering some of the most common Qs about wedding dress expenses below.

Why are some simple wedding dresses as expensive as more intricate ones?

There's a misconception that wedding dresses are priced based solely on their intricacy, however, minimal dress silhouettes can also be costly. Fabrication is the main reason a "simple" gown may cost more than one with intricate details, or even another gown that's seemingly just as simple. "For example, silk fabrics can run three to ten times the cost of polyester fabrics, and while they give a very similar look, the quality is vastly different," Schwaegel says.

Does a bigger wedding dress silhouette equal a higher cost?

The short answer? Sometimes. A ball gown, for example, will typically cost more than a simple sheath due to the additional materials and labor required to construct the garment. However, Schwaegel notes that just because a gown looks like it used less material to create doesn't necessarily mean that it did. "A ball gown may use 12 yards of fabric to complete, but a fit-and-flare gown may actually use the exact same amount due to the width of the skirt pattern at the bottom," Schwaegel says. "There will be more leftover fabric that could be used on another gown, but that doesn't change the fact that it still takes the same 12 yards to make the skirt on the fit-and-flare gown."