wedding gowns under 1000
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Gutter Gli
I would like to wear one at my Wedding!
Kimono's are form Japan -_-;
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kimono
Yes from Japan.
A wedding one so Silk!
Answer
Okay well, since you want a silk one, that answers the question of material. But there are a lot of other questions to take into consideration as well. Do you need it to be new or would you be willing to get a second-hand one as long as it was in good condition? What style do you want (furisode, houmongi, etc.)? The style will be determined partly by your own tastes, partly by what kind of wedding you're having, and partly by how accurate you want your kimono to be for the occasion. For example, a Japanese bride usually goes through at least two uchikake and two furisode at her wedding, but you probably don't want to put up with that many costume changes, so you might only want one formal kimono. If you want to be able to use it after the wedding, you might consider using a houmongi or an irotomesode, since both can be worn by married women. If you don't plan to wear it again, you could probably get a furisode and either give it to a friend or resell it for a good price (nice furisode can get very high bids on eBay).
So, let's assume furisode. A second-hand silk furisode in good condition can cost you as little as $100 (or maybe a bit less). However, they can be a lot more expensive than that. I have seen some go for almost $1000, but those are usually either antiques or part of a set that includes a juban, obi, obi age, obi jime, zori, and/or a purse (it varies from set to set and seller to seller). If you absolutely must have a brand-new furisode, you're going to be hard pressed to find one for under $1000. It's not unusual for a brand-new furisode to sell for $10000, $20000, or even more -- there's one on Yamatoku going for $30000 right now. You'll also have to make sure you include room in your budget for the following accessories: one fukuro obi, one obi age, one obi jime, one juban, one obi makura, one obi ita, a pair of tabi socks, a pair of zori, one date jime, and at least 4 himo ties. Other things you might consider adding (but that aren't required) are a decorative han eri to attach to your juban collar, one or two date eri (sometimes also called kasane eri), a purse to match your zori, Japanese hair ornaments, and some kind of shawl or stole if the weather is cold.
In all, a full furisode set will probably cost at least as much as a high-quality, expensive western-style wedding gown, and possibly even more -- and that's if you get all the items second hand! Seriously, a price tag of $1000 for a complete set wouldn't shock me at all, though some careful shopping could cut that price down for you. Now, there are ways to cut costs a bit further, and exactly what you do is going to depend again on how accurate you want to be and what kind of wedding you're having. If you're having a huge, very formal wedding, you probably don't want to stray too far from the furisode because the furisode is the kimono equivalent of an evening gown (or wedding gown, in this case) for young unmarried women. You might be able to get away with a houmongi, which will require the same basic accessories as the furisode but which can often be bought for much cheaper than a furisode. If you're having a smaller wedding or if you don't care about being 100% accurate to the Japanese uses of different kinds of kimono, you could probably get away with a tsukesage or an iromuji. Actually, an iromuji with a nice obi might be an excellent option for you, since iromuji are extremely versatile and their formality can be adjusted according to the number of crests they have (none, one, three, or five, with five being the most formal) and what kinds of accessories you wear with it (you could use a nice nagoya obi instead of a fukuro obi, which seriously limits the kinds of bows you can tie but also cuts costs down even more because nagoya obis are usually WAY cheaper than fukuro obis). I hesitate to put an exact price on anything, but I'd say a nice iromuji with appropriate accessories and a nice nagoya obi instead of a fukuro obi could cost you half of what the furisode set would cost, if you look around hard enough and if you're flexible with what you're willing to buy and wear. In other words, don't set your heart on a red iromuji. Pick two or three colors you would be happy with and look for all of them.
Okay, this is turning into an essay and is probably way more than you wanted, but I felt like I needed to include the info because kimono are kind of complicated. I also used the Japanese terms for everything because it's often hard to explain what things are in English, and because when you start looking for items you'll want their proper names to make sure you're getting the real thing and not some horrible cheap satin-bathrobe knockoff. Anyway, if you want any terms explained, or want help choosing things, or anything like that feel free to email me. There's a link in my profile.
How much did your wedding cost?
SCMeeyah
How many people did you have? Was the food served or buffet style?
Answer
I have attended weddings which cost under $1000 easily all the way through.
I have attended weddings which cost the price of a really good home.
The ones I felt most relaxed in were the ones I mention on the top line of this response.
Are you aware you can purchase a bridal gown at a second hand shop? I think you can even rent.
Are you aware a man's suit costs a little more brand new than renting the tux ensemble?
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