These 35 "Cool Bride" Finds Look Like Luxury But Don't Top $500

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(Image credit: Staud Clothing)

Whether you're in the midst of wedding planning or keeping a mood board on Pinterest just for fun, you likely already know that preparing for such a special event can come at a high price. When shoes, dresses, and accessories start around $1000—I won't even go into the actual event costs—things start to quickly add up. But don't fret at the numbers just yet. I'm here to help. Despite getting married a few years back, I still often find myself browsing through bridal fashions. And through my search, I found a plethora of cool finds for under $500. Whether you want your look to be opulent, understated, or trend-forward, there's an option for everyone. After all, everyone deserves to feel luxe on their special day.

Not only did I pick pieces from fashion favorites like Staud and Cult Gaia, but I also scrolled through pages of affordable retailers like Mango to find beautiful and budget-friendly options. If you're looking for a "wow" effect, look no further than the 35 options below. Featuring party dresses, veils, shoes, and more, this shopping roundup is made for fashion brides. In fact, I may start planning a vow renewal so I have a chance to wear some of these myself. 

Next, 8 Trendy Basics That Will Become the Foundation of My 2023 Wardrobe

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Associate Fashion Editor
Yusra Siddiqui is an editor who resides in New Jersey but bounces between the suburbs and NYC. (She's a Jersey girl at heart.) After interning at Who What Wear in 2019, she found her way to the team after graduating from LIM College in 2022 with a fashion media degree. She's also spent time writing and working for publications such as Fashionista, Coveteur, and Nylon, but she always knew that Who What Wear was where she was meant to be. When she's on the job, she's perusing runway shows, analyzing the latest thing fellow Gen Zers are up to on the internet, and sharing what she can about the modest-fashion market. You can also catch her dabbling in entertainment, talking about the costume choices of the latest Netflix series or diving deeper into how the plotline affects the viewers in a myriad of ways. Lastly, she likes to create content for Who What Wear's TikTok. Her personal time is spent doing similar but also different things—deep diving into almost every new TV show (Bridgerton, Gilmore Girls, and Stranger Things are favorites), planning her next local getaway (whenever that may be), and reading the latest Emily Henry or Sally Rooney novel in one sitting.