Monica Razak's wedding dress is a gown made Of respect.
Before getting engaged last October, the local girl had only sewn small items, like a hair scrunchie and a sun dress.
But after falling in love with a $10,000-plus frock at NYC's hottest bridal boutique, Kleinfeld, she got creative to save some dough.
“I made my own wedding dress,” Razak, 29, of Hoboken, told The Post. “It only cost me about $700.”
The millennial and her husband, whose name she chose not to reveal for privacy purposes, tied the knot in May in front of 30 guests at a ceremony venue in northern New Jersey. The lovebirds enjoyed a 12-day honeymoon in Italy with thousands of money saved on her dress.
“I didn't know wedding dresses would be so expensive,” Razak said. a small business ownerConsidering the huge price tag of the big day and the almost inevitable expense of change.
“But the confidence I had going into my wedding, knowing that I made the dress myself — you can't buy that.”
In this era of post-grand weddings, keeping costs low is the name of the game for frugal fiancees who want to stay away from risks.
Like newly married couples across the country Average drop of $26,665 Money-conscious couples are finding unique ways to spend less on their wedding, including more than $2,000 on a stunning dress for the celebration.
Pennywise Poughkeepsie bride Maria Cortez, 32, told The Post she saved $5,000 Listing ChatGPTTo coordinate your holy matrimony in August, instead of a human wedding planner. Bronx-based lovebirds Nova and Remo Styles, 30, took home a cool $70,000. Selling $333 tickets, per capita, exchanging their pledges in June 2023.
And now, like hand-crafted courtesans, Razak — and Ohio bride Timesha Triggs, who Crocheted it and made Ricardo's white dress – are following suit.
Divas like UK newlywed Beth do it yourself, Managed to save about $5,000 Sewing her “dream wedding dress” without any sewing experience.
But accepting the challenge is no small task.
And despite previous dress-making experience, former designer for Diane von Furstenberg Celine Meisler, 30, says it was “risky” to create her first wedding gown for the November 2023 ceremony.
“It took a lot of time, sketching and redrawing,” Meisler, of Nolita, told The Post. “But it was so worth it.”
Instead of spending between $15,000 and $25,000 on a bridal dress from Marchesa or Vivienne Westwood, she chose DIY your own detailed design Silk duchess satin, with French lace appliqués, Valentino-inspired cording and handmade rosettes. However, Meisler received help with sewing from a NYC pattern maker and atelier.
After eight months of production, the final product cost approximately $10,000, freeing up an additional $5,000 from her original costume budget. She and her husband Blake allocated additional funds for more decorations for their Palm Springs ceremony.
Expenses aside, Meisler — who, thanks to the process, is launching a demi-couture bridal line in October — says the pride she felt walking down the aisle in her creation was “priceless.”
Rachel Amoako, who exchanged “I dos” in a handmade mermaid-style dress on Sept. 8, agrees.
But she tells The Post that the $600 number, just two months before her wedding, came with a lot of tears, pricked fingers and Hail Mary prayers.
“Making this costume was a difficult task,” amoako said28, from London. “Every morning, I would pray, 'Lord, I need your guidance.'”
And, lovingly, the big man gave it to her, empowering her to finish the boning, embroidery and beadwork.
“With how well the dress turned out, I would definitely do it again,” said Amoako, who saved more than $2,700 thanks to its excellent handiwork. “It's a fairytale gown.”
