How Much Does It Cost to Sew Your Own Wedding Dress?

Written By Your Name

My Actual Full Cost Breakdown

After 14 days of construction, 103 hours of work, and more hand sewing than I ever thought I would endure, my wedding dress is finally done! I tracked every expense so I could answer the BIG question: How much did it actually cost?

Before we get into the numbers, a few things worth noting:

I bought more materials than I actually used, and I'm going to share what I spent AND what I actually used, because I think it’s important to see the whole picture. I'm also including my labor cost, because materials are only a small part of the picture, and the time it takes is a huge commitment.

If you want to see the materials I used and why I chose them, you can grab my Wedding Dress Materials List. It has links, tips, and everything I learned from months of research and tons of trial and error 😅

The Materials Breakdown

Fabrics subtotal (based on what I used): $432.46

  • Silk Crepe Back Satin: $60/yd, bought 10 yards, used 6 yards, $360.00

  • Lace: $14.52/yd, bought 3 yards, used 1 yard, $14.52 + $7.70 shipping = $22.22

  • Coutil: $17.25/yd, bought 2 yards, used 1 yard, $17.25 + $6.99 shipping = $24.24

  • Tulle: $2/yd, bought 3 yards, used 2 yards, $4.00

  • Organza: $2/yd, bought 3 yards, used 2 yards, $4.00

  • Georgette: $6/yd, bought 4 yards, used 3 yards, $18.00

D.P. Textile & Apparel

One thing worth noting is that I purchased my silk in person at D.P. Textile & Apparel in the LA Fashion District at $60 per yard. The same quality silk at Mood Fabrics was $130 per yard. I have more tips on where to shop for silk in my Wedding Dress Materials List if you want to check it out!

Structural subtotal (based on what I used): $31.31

  • Spiral Steel Boning: $0.93 each, bought 38, used 28, $26.04

  • Horsehair Braid: $10.88 for a 36 yard roll, used 8 yards, $2.42

  • Petersham Ribbon: $10.85 for a 20 yard roll, used 1 yard, $0.54

  • Interfacing: $9.22/yd, used ¼ yard, $2.31

Notions subtotal: $55.11

  • Hook and Eye Tape: $13.79 for 2 yards, used 1 yard, $6.90

  • Gutermann Thread: $9.94/spool, used 2 spools, $19.88

  • Push Up Cups: $4.49 for the pair, $4.49

  • Bone Tipping Dies + Pliers: $17.89

  • Shipping (structural and notions orders): $5.95

Total Materials

  1. Based on what I used: $518.68

  2. Based on what I spent: $850.63

The difference between those two numbers is $331.95. This is only a glimpse into the hidden cost of sewing your own wedding dress. It doesn’t even scratch the surface of all the materials I used for the 14 corset toiles I made, or all the lace I purchased and decided against using. It all really starts to add up, so keep this in mind if you're budgeting for a project like this.

The Labour Breakdown

I tracked my hours throughout the entire construction process. From cutting the first pattern piece to finishing the dress, it took me 103 hours. As a freelancer, my starting rate is $50 per hour.

103 hours × $50/hour = $5,150.00

Keep in mind that this number doesn’t account for the months of research, patternmaking, shopping for materials etc. It’s only the price of sewing the dress, so again there’s a hidden cost, but the extra hours are all part of the fun of designing your own dress.

The Grand Total

Materials (based on what I used) $518.68 + Labour (103 hrs × $50/hr) $5,150.00 = $5,668.68

If we count everything I actually spent on materials rather than just what I used:

Materials (based on what I spent) $850.63 + Labour (103 hrs × $50/hr) $5,150.00 = $6,000.63

So… was it worth it?

My two favorite wedding dresses that I tried on at bridal boutiques were $14,641 and $12,450 🙃 and I made my own for $5,668.68 (not actually counting every dollar and hour I spent along the way).

In truth, this wasn’t about saving money (although I’d never be able to justify spending $14k on a dress to wear just once haha). I did it because I wanted to wear something I made with my own hands on the most important day of my life.

Would I do it again? 100% absolutely, without hesitation.

Would I recommend it to someone else? Yes, as long as you give yourself ample time. I actually had a ton of people on social media tell me that they regretted sewing their own dress. The number one reason was because they didn’t give themselves enough time. Many of them said they were sewing the last bits the morning of their wedding 😳 I too would regret it if I was doing that haha

More Resource For You!

If you want to go deeper into my wedding dress journey, here are all the resources I've created for you:

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My Wedding Dress Construction Guide