Wedding Gowns Over/Under $4,000

September 5, 2014 Ellie Tanner

High-end designer bridal gowns are made with the most stylish designs in mind, luxurious fabrics, and impeccable gown construction. With all those must-have qualities, it's no surprise that the cost of a wedding dress can add up quickly. Although we may be biased, we truly believe that the most important outfit of your life is worth every penny.

That being said, the Ellie's Bridal team also believes that good fabric and fabulous designs are available at every price point. We've done the hard work and hunting for you, bringing the best selection of affordable designer bridal gowns under one roof.

Can you tell which gowns are over or under? Bridal gowns in the left column retail for $4,000-$10,000 while gowns on the right are found right here at Ellie's Bridal Boutique for under $4,000.

Designer Wedding Gowns
OVER $4000

Wedding Gowns
UNDER $4000
at Ellie's Bridal Boutique

Style 2169 by Casablanca  -- Wedding Dresses under $4,000 at Ellie's Bridal Boutique (Alexandria, VA) — Style 2169 by Casablanca -- Wedding Dresses under $4,000 at Ellie's Bridal Boutique (Alexandria, VA)

Style 9745 by Justin Alexander -- Wedding Dresses under $4,000 at Ellie's Bridal Boutique (Alexandria, VA) — Style 9745 by Justin Alexander -- Wedding Dresses under $4,000 at Ellie's Bridal Boutique (Alexandria, VA)

Style 8721 by Justin Alexander -- Wedding Dresses under $4,000 at Ellie's Bridal Boutique (Alexandria, VA)

Style 8731 by Justin Alexander -- Wedding Dresses under $4,000 at Ellie's Bridal Boutique (Alexandria, VA)

Style 2713 by Allure Romance  -- Wedding Dresses under $4,000 at Ellie's Bridal Boutique (Alexandria, VA) — Style 2713 by Allure Romance -- Wedding Dresses under $4,000 at Ellie's Bridal Boutique (Alexandria, VA)

Style 5977 by Stella York -- Wedding Dresses under $4,000 at Ellie's Bridal Boutique (Alexandria, VA) — Style 5977 by Stella York -- Wedding Dresses under $4,000 at Ellie's Bridal Boutique (Alexandria, VA)

Style 8724 by Justin Alexander -- Wedding Dresses under $4,000 at Ellie's Bridal Boutique (Alexandria, VA) — Style 8724 by Justin Alexander -- Wedding Dresses under $4,000 at Ellie's Bridal Boutique (Alexandria, VA)

Style 8659 by Justin Alexander -- Wedding Dresses under $4,000 at Ellie's Bridal Boutique (Alexandria, VA) — Style 8659 by Justin Alexander -- Wedding Dresses under $4,000 at Ellie's Bridal Boutique (Alexandria, VA)

Style 2455 by Allure Romance -- Wedding Dresses under $4,000 at Ellie's Bridal Boutique (Alexandria, VA) — Style 2455 by Allure Romance -- Wedding Dresses under $4,000 at Ellie's Bridal Boutique (Alexandria, VA)

Brielle by Rivini Rita Vinieris — Brielle by Rivini Rita Vinieris

Style 3787 by Sincerity – Wedding Dresses under $4,000 at Ellie's Bridal Boutique (Alexandria, VA) — Style 3787 by Sincerity – Wedding Dresses under $4,000 at Ellie's Bridal Boutique (Alexandria, VA)

Adelle by Rivini Rita Vinieris — Adelle by Rivini Rita Vinieris

Style 8709 by Justin Alexander -- Wedding Dresses under $4,000 at Ellie's Bridal Boutique (Alexandria, VA)

BONUS:

Trendier brides will love this crystal and pearl beaded Sabrina keyhole neckline on a asymmetric ruched bodice by Rivini (below, left). See Justin Alexander 8735 for one weekend only at our Justin Alexander Trunk Show (September 12-14) to get the look for under $4,000.

Crystal by Rivini Rita Vinieris — Crystal by Rivini Rita Vinieris

Style 8725 by Justin AlexanderJustin Alexander Trunk Show at Ellie's Bridal Boutique (September 12-14, 2014) — Style 8725 by Justin Alexander

Justin Alexander Trunk Show at Ellie's Bridal Boutique (September 12-14, 2014)

Bridal gowns at Ellie's Bridal Boutique range from about $900 - $5000.

Sample Sale Recap

November 25, 2013 Ellie Tanner

We're all cleaned up from our pre-holiday SAMPLE SALE this past weekend and are now gearing up for all the families coming for Thanksgiving weekend!

CONGRATULATIONS to all the brides-to-be that found their beautiful gowns for such an unbeatable price. Here are some of the dresses our brides fell in love with over the weekend.

Welcome to the Ellie's Bridal Family. We are honored to be part of such a special part of your Wedding Day. Don't forget to send us wedding pics!!

If you missed out on our Sample Sale this past weekend, don't fret! We offer sample gowns year round for any bride on a tight budget or short timeline. Make an appointment and let us know that you are interested in purchasing a sample gown so we can work with you to make your dreams come true.

Casablanca Trunk Show for Plus Size & Curvy Girls

March 27, 2013 Ellie Tanner

We are very excited to host a weekend fully dedicated to glamorous curvy girls in the area! April 5-7th is the Casablanca Trunk Show at Ellie’s Bridal Boutique. We will have an extended collection of new designs, highlighting Casablanca's bridal sizes 18-30. In addition to our daily selection (we will feature 14+ from other designers), many of these new designs can only be seen in our store for one weekend only!

Have no fear about sample sizes in the bridal industry, we'll have stunning dresses that real women can fit in. This event is not only for "plus size" women, but also for curvy brides that are an overall smaller size with hips and a booty don't always cooperate with a bridal sample sizes. This event is for all women who are frustrated with sample sizes offered in most bridal shops. Stop freaking out about what size you may or may not be because this process is actually really fun!

And in case you thought it couldn't get any better, all Casablanca gowns purchased during the event will be 10% OFF!

Call us at 703-683-VOWS(8697) to reserve your appointment now.

Appointments are required for this event and spaces are limited!

P.S. All the links above are totally worth clicking on.

Retailer Perspective: Shopping at Bridal Market

October 22, 2012 Ellie Tanner

How do we shop for bridal dresses for our boutique? What kinds of things do we look for and think about? Much of the process is just like how you would shop for own bridal gown. We are always mindful of quality, price, style and design because we want what our brides want. On the other hand, we are shopping for other people and not ourselves. We are expected to read the minds and tastes of people we have yet to meet and be cognizant of fashion trends a year in advance. So what do we look for? This shouldn't come as a surprise, but often it's simply a matter of you asking us. This past season we thought Ellie's Bridal Boutique had plenty of gowns with keyhole backs to choose from. Brides kept asking for more. We listened. So we will be welcoming Casablanca 2102 (Below: top left) for its keyhole back. On facebook Rachel asked for "lace paired with other fabrics." Even though just one bride asked specifically, we listened to that, too. And so we will soon welcome Casablanca 2108 (Below: top right) for its mixture of lace and tulle fabrics. We even picked out Mikaella 1763 (Below: bottom left) for its keyhole back AND lace straps on satin skirt. Nikki requested "tulle skirts with sparkle... as opposed to sparkly skirts typically being satin." We are proud to now feature Justin Alexander 8638 (Below: bottom right), a gown with ruched tulle covering sequin, which arrived in our store just last week! We got a variety of gowns based on your feedback. You'll just have to wait to see the rest as they trickle into our store over the next few months!

Casablanca 2108 - Ellie's Bridal Boutique (Alexandria, VA)

Casablanca 2102 - Ellie's Bridal Boutique (Alexandria, VA)

Mikaella 1763 - Ellie's Bridal Boutique (Alexandria, VA)

Justin Alexander 8638 - Ellie's Bridal Boutique (Alexandria, VA)

Probably one of the most obvious factors is allowing variety in our selection. We have heard so many brides proclaim, "I want the top of Dress A with the bottom of Dress B!" Our main goal here is to find a feature that brides love in a gown, then give them options to have that. About two years ago, when the strapless trend was still at its height, we decided to bring in something a little different with Justin Alexander 8530 (Below: left image). While we had several necklines to start, the bateau received the most compliments. Unfortunately, the only gowns in our store with that neckline were more fitted sheath or trumpet gowns. It was only natural that we expanded the selection. So as soon we laid eyes on Justin Alexander 8630 (Below: right image) we instantly knew that it had to be part of our collection. In fact, it also arrived in our boutique last week!

Justin Alexander 8530 - Ellie's Bridal Boutique (Alexandria, VA)

Justin Alexander 8630 - Ellie's Bridal Boutique (Alexandria, VA)

There are so many other details we need to think about when deciding which gowns to bring into our salon. I'll elaborate more on how we think about gown quality, alteration capability, our past experience and reputation, and a host of other factors that come into play at later date. In the meantime, just know that we truly have your interests heart. This is your special day and we really do want to make you feel like you can have it all and turn your dreams into a reality.

And if you haven't already, definitely check out this post for more Spring 2013 previews.

Wedding Gown Photo Ideas

October 9, 2012 Ellie Tanner

Congratulations! You're engaged and we have helped to pick out your jaw dropping Wedding Gown and the perfect Bridesmaids gowns!

Now that you've spent all that time in search of your perfect gown you better bet that you're going to get some great wedding shots out of it! How about you show off your fashionista style by beautifully displaying your wedding gown on a custom-made hanger or find the perfect back-drop to show off all your attire?

Our own Janelle had a custom hanger to show off her beautiful wedding gown by Ella Rosa (top left). What a great way to have your new last name incorporated in your wedding photos! If you like this idea, we have seen some beautiful options on Etsy. We recommend the custom wooden hangers as opposed to the wired ones to prevent wedding hangers from bending due to the weight of many bridal gowns. Other ideas includs adding pearls down the top side of the hanger (top right: above) or creating custom hangers for your Bridesmaids (top right: below). These work great as idal party gifts and look beautiful in pictures, too.

Another one of our brides, Jen, picked out a beautiful hanger to place on a romantic chandelier to show off her Mikaella dress (bottom left). We also found that some of our other brides, including Devon in Blue by Enzoani (center left) & Brittani in Casablanca (center right), combined a few stunning photos all together in one. Not only do you see the gown in one portion but other romantic shots as well.

We couldn't help ourselves and check out pinterest to find some great locations to display your wedding and bridesmaid gowns together. One that caught our eye has the gowns on a neutral fence (bottom left). If you are about to get married, or already have, where do you see your dress being photographed?

Check out some of our other brides' fantastic photos on Facebook. Ellie's Bride Heidi, Ellie's Bride Alicia, Ellie's Bride Rachel, and more. Clearly the best place for wedding inspiration is amongst the Ellie's Bridal Family.