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.

Top 5 Best Surprise Wedding Dance Moves

August 18, 2014 Ellie Tanner

NUMBER 5

I'll admit, I'm much more impressed with the special effects and pyrotechnics than anything else on this one. I mean, did you look at that dance floor yet??

our crazy wadding dance mix

NUMBER 4

I am so sorry I don't have a higher quality video for you (I even took the effort to look), but I promise that no amount of poor resolution can hide the awesomeness that occurs int he next wedding dance number.

NUMBER 3

Really, I'm just a sucker for handsome men looking this sharp with moves this suave.

THIS IS A NEW BETTER VERSION WITH LESS OF THAT UNBEARABLE SCREAMING! My brother Sean Rajaee surprised his bride with a choreographed American/Persian groomsmen dance at his wedding June 21, 2014. The dance started off with a Beyonce song then went into the bride (Ariana's) favorite band the Backstreet Boys and ended with the Bruno Mars song "Marry You."

NUMBER 2

This groom has some serious moves! The grand set-up, upbeat pop music, moves I can't even begin to compete with, and top-notch videography make this video a personal favorite.

A wedding reception surprise dance by the groom and groomsmen to none other than Justin Bieber's "Baby"! A beautiful gift to his beautiful bride... Enjoy! (video by studio 205 films) check out our friend from www.doamore.com!

NUMBER 1

I absolutely love how much fun everyone in this video is having. And by everyone, I mean just about everyone is on the floor dancing. It's hard not to break out into a smile as the energy from that room seeps through your computer screen. This bride had her wedding party and guests learn 3 different dances so the next 3:57 could happen, making it her favorite part of the wedding.

We made all our our guests learn 3 dances for our wedding- and this is what happened. #Mecca Wedding To subscribe to my channel click here: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCfw8x3VR-ElcaWW2Tg_jgSA?annotation_id=annotation_4119905641&feature=iv&src_vid=BNLVWl8JfjI&sub_confirmation=1 Choreographed by Tiffany Moore.

Did you, or will you, have a surprise wedding number at your wedding? What do you think of surprise dance numbers at weddings?

Share your thoughts below and show us your videos!

April + David: A Lesson in Planning a Wedding that is Uniquely True to Yourself

July 28, 2014 Ellie Tanner

April + David – Justin Alexander gown from Ellie's Bridal Boutique

April is a beautiful person – absolutely beautiful, inside and out. I know that's cliche to say, but her cheerful upbeat attitude, easy-going charm, and warm generosity just make me smile. She's got sparkle, spunk, and flair, and isn't afraid to be her wonderful self. While we didn't get to spend nearly enough quality time with this bride, we're glad that David gets to be the one to stand by her side. Happy One Year Anniversary, April & David. We are so very honored to have played a small part in your incredibly special day.

I can't get enough of their wedding photos and can't wait for you to read their story below:

Sapphire and diamond engagement ring with diamond wedding band. On ecru wedding invitation.

David and I met while working as Archaeologists in Illinois. We did not get a long at first, but we soon became really close friends and eventually started dating. We got engaged at Shenandoah National Park in Virginia. It was a complete surprise to me! We had been together for seven years, so I wasn't expecting it!

David and I love the outdoors, it’s where we met, worked, and got engaged so we wanted to incorporate that into our wedding. It was really important to us to be close to family and friends, so we chose a location in Illinois to have our wedding. The Morton Arboretum, in Lisle, Illinois, was the perfect venue location for us with its beautiful scenery. We loved the natural beauty of the outdoors and the historic feel of the Founder's room, the historic library of the Morton family. The carved wood and the stained glass windows perfectly fit our personalities. We both love the mix of modern and vintage styles. We wanted to keep with the vintage feel of the room, so we had a harpist to play our ceremony, she was amazing! I walked down the aisle with both my parents to the song "At Last".

Our officiant was wonderful; she really connected with our personalities and wrote an absolutely beautiful ceremony for us. We had a rock ceremony, every guest made a wish on a stone they held the whole ceremony and all the stones were combined into a vessel with ours to symbolize bringing our two families together. David and I designed and made our own programs and we had bubbles for our exit outside to the cocktail hour. I love sewing, so I made the ring bearer pillow my nephew used to walk down the aisle with.

I saw a dress on Justin Alexander's website and fell in love. It had the sparkle and vintage feel I was looking for. I contacted Ellie’s Bridal in Alexandria, Virginia to see if they carried it in store. They didn’t but, said I could have the sample shipped in on loan for me to try on. They were super helpful both over the phone, email, and facebook. I scheduled several appointments at various bridal salons in the metro area, but saved Ellie’s for last. I had some okay experiences and some awful ones at the other salons. I tried on a lot of dresses, but nothing felt right. I finally had my last appointment at Ellie’s. They had my dress ready for me hanging in the dressing room; as soon as I saw it I knew it was the one. I didn't try on any other dresses there because that dress was perfect. It was the only one that made me feel like a bride and had just the right amount of drama I was looking for.

I wore my grandmother's vintage necklace that I have always wanted to wear on my wedding day. It was important to me to find a dress that matched the vintage feel of the necklace. My veil is very unique and really shows my personality. I love the large flower and crystals, I really wanted something different. My amazing shoes also had a larger flower on them as well. I really wanted to look and feel like a beautiful flower on my wedding day and I did!

I had three bridesmaids and I could not have chosen better ladies to be there for me on my day. They wore necklaces I made for them in mint and silver. I found very romantic dresses in the color mint, which is my favorite color!! The dresses flattered everyone.

Our groomsmen wore the same tux as David, but they had mint ties to match the bridesmaids. They all looked absolutely stunning!

Tall centerpieces with hydrangia and roses. Ivory tablecloths with green napkins. Mint green wedding cake.

Hydrangea and rose centerpieces with candles.

Our wedding colors were mint, blush, lime and ivory. We really wanted to have fresh colors that represented the beautiful landscapes of our venue and the feel of summer. Our flowers were absolutely beautiful! Our florist, also my father-in-law, did an amazing job capturing our vision. Our theme was "Natural Elegance" and it really fit with our venue and the feel of our wedding! Our cake was beautiful and yummy! It was done in mint colored fondant with lace ribbon. We had three large ivory roses at the top instead of a cake topper. Our tables were decorated with ivory, blush and green flowers with lots of candles. Our welcome table had a bonsai tree and place cards that matched our invitations. The entire room smelled like peonies.

All our guests had an amazing time as did we! David and I planned the entire wedding ourselves from out of state, which was a lot of hard work! In the end, everything came together beautifully and we could not have asked for a more perfect day!

List of Vendors

Photographers - Just Love Me Photography

Wedding bands and rings - Quinn’s Goldsmiths

Ceremony + Reception:

Venue - The Morton Arboretum
Catering - Classic Fare Catering
Linens - BBJ Linens
Cake - The Cakery
Officiant - Elizabeth-Anne Stewart
Harpist - Dawn Bishop
DJ - Katie LaBombard via Toast and Jam
Floral Design and Decor- Flowers by Frank (815) 895-5979 and Bonsai tree

Paper Products:

Invitations, Menus, and Place cards - Wedding Paper Divas
Programs - DIY bride and groom

Bride's Attire:

Wedding dress - Justin Alexander
Necklace - Grandmother's necklace
Bracelet and Earrings - Charming Charlie’s
Veil- Sarah Gabriel Ione Veil via Bella Bridal
Makeup and Hair - Angel Face Makeup
Shoes - LuLu Townsend via DSW Shoes

Bridesmaids Attire:

Dresses - Dessy Collection
Earrings - Charming Charlie’s
Necklaces - DIY Bride

Men's Attire:

Groom's/groomsmen suits and shoes - Vera Wang Black via Men's Wearhouse
Pocket squares - Dessy Group in "Meadow"

Ring bearer Suit and shoes - Ducky's Formal Wear
Ring bearer Pillow - DIY Bride

What 1939 Fashion Designers Thought We'd Wear in 2000

July 3, 2014 Ellie Tanner

This was simply too good not to share! And actually, not all wrong... illusion bodices, women wearing pants, and funky heels were apparently in the forecast! They may have been about 20 years off for the wedding dress, but there's also a gown that I'm pretty sure is right up our alley for today. Make sure to stay tuned for how men will be equipped with "a telephone, a radio, and container for coins, keys, and candy for cuties."

Clothing of the Future. Wonderful film showing what the fashion designers of America predict women will be wearing in the year 2000 AD. These predictions were made in 1939 so some 61 years before the Millennium. Not sure they got it right really!

How to Pee in your Wedding Dress

June 11, 2014 Ellie Tanner

Now that you have your dress, you need to know this little piece of advice: hot to pee in your wedding dress. Call me crude, but I think it's an important detail to consider! While there a few ways to go about this, one [Offbeat] bride got creative and figured this one out on her own:

How to Pee [by yourself] in your Wedding Dress

"I figured this trick out just prior to my wedding, as my dress was (as you can see) particularly unruly and I didn't really love the idea of employing a small army to help me keep it out of the toilet water (though my bridesmaids were willing to help, bless 'em). Had it been a bit easier to get in and out of, I might have just taken it off, but no — that was a complicated, multi-person operation as well, involving a whole bunch of lacing and carefully placed safety pins and chicken cutlets — not to mention being topless in a public restroom.

And of course, I'm the kind of person who has to pee every thirty minutes, and more often when I'm nervous.

Luckily this little trick is cheap and amazingly effective — plus it's easy to stash some extra trash bags in the bathroom, or find some in most venues if you run out. (A garment bag works well too, and lets you skip Step Three since it already has an extra hole.)

Step 1: Start with a poofy dress.

Step 2: Add a large, sturdy trash bag.

Step 3: Tear a hole in the bottom of the trash bag that is just wide enough to fit your feet through. Aim to keep it small- it will expand as you pull it up your legs, but you want it to fit tightly.

Step 4: Step into the bag and pull your feet through the hole. This is WAY easier if you take your heels off, but in case of super gross bathroom floors, it can be done. Stand near a wall so you don't topple, though.

Step 5: Pull the top of the bag up and start loading your dress-fluff into it, while keeping your feet pretty close together so you don't widen the hole too much. Some of the dress-fluff will inevitably try to escape through the foot hole, but it's not a big deal and you can just shove it back up in there.

Step 6: Shimmy the bag up your body carefully, making sure to get all the dress-parts, ribbons, trains, etc into the bag.

Step 7: Once the foot-hole is around your waist, you can gather the slack at the top of the bag and hold it in one hand, leaving the other free for… bathroom… tasks.

Step 2: Trash Bag

Step 3: Tear hole

Step 4: Feet through the hole

Step 5: Pull Up

Step 6: Shimmy!

Step 7: Gather & Hold

Step 8: Go pee!

Disclaimer: If you're wearing a dress that easily creases, I can't promise that this won't wrinkle it a bit… but that might be unavoidable even with bridesmaid assistance."

How did you manage to pee in your wedding dress? Any good stories and/or advice? Comment below and let us know!

Source: http://offbeatbride.com/2013/08/how-to-pee

Wedding Guests: Don't be "That" Guy

June 1, 2014 Ellie Tanner

Everyone wants to get the best shot of the Bride & Groom and get the most likes on Instagram and Facebook. We're glad that everyone is so excited to celebrate their love. But this wedding season, please be considerate and let the couple cherish the photos they really want (HINT: it's NOT a photo of your hands/camera/ipad!)

Glamorous Bridesmaids with Hollywood Looks

April 24, 2014 Ellie Tanner

Get Emma Stone's Academy Awards look with Alfred Sung D535

You'll never fail to look super cute when you take a page from Audrey Hepburn's book. After Six 6631 is here to help!

Alfred Sung D477 gives a nod to Jackie O's iconic style while updating the lines to give a more modern look.

Pay tribute to Elizabeth Taylor's classic bombshell sense of style with Alfred Sung D480.

2014 Winter White Sample Sale EXTENDED

March 9, 2014 Ellie Tanner

Our Winter White Sample Sale was such a wonderful success, Ellie has decided to extend it until Thursday. March 13, 2014!!

Congratulations, once again, to all the brides that found their dream gowns this past weekend! With samples on sale from $150 to $2000 and [still] over 150 gowns to choose from, this is an opportunity you don't want to miss! Below are just some of the beautiful sample gowns that were lucky enough to find their match with the perfect bride!

Not sure if a sample gown is for you? No problem! Our consultants can guide you to both our "sale" and "non-sale" collections. Call 703-683-8697 to make your appointment between now and March 13th!

I Now Bond You Two in Holy Macaroni

February 27, 2014 Ellie Tanner

A little humor to start off this weekend :)

Source: http://imgur.com/gallery/MeKbp

Designer Spotlight: Victoria Nicole

January 29, 2014 Ellie Tanner

Timeless and exquisite. Romantic and fresh. A contemporary classic for today's sophisticated bride. This is the essence of Victoria Nicole, one of the newest names in bridal couture whose classic designs exude an undeniable elegance. Preview the Victoria Nicole Spring 2014 collection below and make an appointment for out Trunk Show, February 14-16 at Ellie's Bridal Boutique.

Our Perspective

We have known and admired Victoria's designs for many years, even before we knew her gowns under the name Victoria Nicole. Victoria's design house experience and award-winning hands are apparent in the collection we are proud to feature. Both our brides and our staff continue to recognize the high quality of fabric and construction usually reserved for gowns that are twice the price. Her unique blend of timeless cuts and fabrics create a distinctly romantic and contemporary look that can only be recognized as Victoria Nicole. We applaud their exemplary customer service and admire a business philosophy that mirrors our own.

With all this in mind, we present to you the Spring 2014 Victoria Nicole collection on February 14-16, exclusively at Ellie's Bridal Boutique.