Oh, America; the land of wedding gowns that cost as much as a car.

Don't get me wrong I think that a bride should feel gorgeous on her wedding day and I realize that there is often a high level of craftsmanship that goes into a wedding gown BUT you're only going to wear it once.  However, I believe that there is a remedy for this.  Find a dress that flatters your shape and is free of embellishments (where most of cost is) and then add your own unique stamp.

My dress was from the memories collection by Maggie Sottero and cost around 600.00 (still enough to buy an old rust bucket ) and I loved the way the gathers made my summer of eating in Europe a little less noticeable.  To make the dress more uniquely me we added a chocolate ribbon and fastened it with a brooch that was a family heirloom.

Just five years later there are so many amazing options for embellishing your gown.  These belts and sashes from Kirsten Kuehn Designs are beautifully designed and can definitely make the simplest gown stand out.  

It doesn't have to stop with the wedding gown.  Tux rentals are often quite expensive and the results can error on the tacky side.  I recommend that the groom invest in a suit.  Steve's seersucker suit came from J Crew and set him back around 100.00 but he has worn it to so many weddings it has more then payed for itself. 

And my final thought: bridesmaid dresses don't have to match.  Give your friends a break and let them buy a dress that they will wear again.  I told them to find a knee length green dress and silver, strappy shoes.  The result was beautiful and it ended up being the most complemented element of the wedding.

When getting everyone dressed up for your wedding remember to think outside of the box; going mainstream might be the easiest but it isn't always the cheapest.