Why brides are buying more wedding-related outfits than ever: experts

Domyque Johnson came home from work before marriage in 2024, opened his laptop, and spent two hours by rubbing the internet for white dresses every night. He reiterated the routine for two months to conclude his wardrobe for the two -day bachelor party.
Shopping for the bride shower, the wedding ceremony in Hawaii and other wedding events, including the reception in Bali, received a similar amount of devotion. He says he wants to have a different appearance for each photograph event.
According to the documents reviewed by CNBC, Maryland spent about $ 18,000 for 15 unique white clothes as a 32 -year -old real estate advisor from Upper Marlboro.
“I felt tremendous pressure on what I have to wear … This is my wedding, the moment I dream.”
For many brides, connecting the knot is no longer a single or single outfit, the event is not an event. Moon months may sometimes be the entire marriage that lasts for years. Brides with disposable income, which is fueled by the increasing extravagance of social media and weddings, host more events than ever – and as a result they buy more clothes, experts and brides say that CNBC is doing this.
Pop culture and social media forces brides to host more events
Brides get an average of 12 appearances for wedding activities, he says David’s bride CEO Kelly Cook is from eight clothes in 2021. Some brides wear small white dresses for bridal shower and celibacy parties, even to go for a wedding dress shopping.
Alisa Stern | CNBC Make (photos: Bre Jayne, Domynque Johnson, Katrina Herrera, Dreams Studio Bali)
Bride stylist Julie Sabatino, who has been working with high net value customers since 2001, is not necessarily new to the pre -button event and the tendency to buy a new outfit for each. on TV And In Pop Culture – But recently, the concept has become more norms thanks to social media.
The brides are bombed with content about the wedding event in Instagram and Tiktok, and inspire them to plan more detailed celebrations with clothes and accessories that match them.
Brian Am Green, an Atlanta -based luxury event planner, said CNBC’s Make Make in November 2024.
David’s Bridal is only one of many companies that meet increasing demand. “Little White Dresses” Cook, page on the website in 2021. The company also sells small white bikinis, small white sunglasses and small white tote bags. Other retailers offer similar products include Revolve and Anthropologie.
California -based bride Chiara Walsh spent about $ 4,000 in the appearance of 16 brides before the ceremony in June, including a white strong wig of $ 19 from Amazon “Founding Fathers” theme night Farewell to single. Wedding planning was an event: he bought a 168 -dollar blue Faerty dress to go shopping for a ceremony dress.
Alisa Stern | CNBC Make (photos: Chiara Walsh, Nik Rusanov)
34, “It was exciting, but I felt that I needed something new for everything. If there was a picture in it, I didn’t really want to wear it again,” he says.
The Philadelphia -based bride Hailey McLughlin, Park City, estimates that she bought an $ 800 outfit for a four -day celibacy trip in Utah.
“I felt that I should be the best dressed person in the room for Bachelorette,” 29 -year -old McLughlin said. “I had to buy ski pants, coats, accessories and scarves because of the place I chose.”
Brides can be suppressed by the wedding size, photo-ops and family to wear new clothes.
Weddings, generally, Only more generous in the last five years. According to the wedding planning website, the average US wedding now costs $ 19,000 in $ 35,000 in 2020 Node. Some brides say that they should wear new and sometimes more expensive clothes to meet the expectations of their families and social media followers and to comply with the extravagance of their weddings.
Johnson says his family and his friends expect him to be “top” and feel prone to delivery. Walsh, who was on their weddings before his own planning of his own, says, “More,” I have the turn to be a bride, “he says.
Help us help you: Consider our survey on business, money and life goals
An increase in arrival weddings And the larger guest lists are also ante. Sabatino says that even local weddings, usually with welcome parties and farewell meats, “people are treated as target weddings,” he says.
Walsh tied the knot only 20 miles south of his house in California, but he said that celebration with family and friends flying from all over the country turned into a four -day event full of a trip to Brunches and Disneyland.
“Fun [wear] It is a whole new thing that your friends have not seen or your family have not seen, or he says.
The need to wear something new does not always come from the bride. If the wedding of Abi Garapati’s dreams were the wedding, the New York -based business strategy and operation manager would have escaped in Japan. Instead, his family and mother -in -law began to plan and pay the wedding before he was engaged.
29 -year -old Garapati, ultimately, says he’s wearing 11 clothes to cover both Indian traditions and Western preferences, $ 350 reform Dress and $ 700 picchika lehenga.
“Typically, at Indian weddings, parents will pay everything and this great, in detail will save their lives [celebration]”He says Garapati, who tied the knot last year.
After weddings, where do small white dresses go?
Cook, to reduce the number of small white dresses that take the cabinet area, some brides prefer to go with non -white appearances in the future, and others die after wedding activities.
Johnson says he’s trying to look for dresses he can see for other events in the future. However, despite the intention of shopping, most of the good events he attended, he says that it may be difficult to wear white again when there are other weddings.
“[Most of the outfits] Unfortunately, in my closet, “says Johnson.” I’m trying to understand when I’m going to wear them again. Maybe for our anniversary. ”
To get second -hand views Sabatino, which is increasingly popular, opened a New York -based store called Jul Box in July, to sell specially reproduced vintage aprons. Many brides want to feel like tendencies, both unique and personal.
“They don’t want to look like any other bride on Instagram,” Sabatino says. “I think this opens the doors to the possibilities you can have in your closet for a long time.”
Last chance for saving: Do you want to stand out, enlarge your network and get more business opportunities? Sign up for SMARTER by CNBC, the new online course, How to create a prominent personal brand: online, personally and here. Learn how to exhibit your skills, create a star reputation and create a digital asset that AI cannot reproduce. Sign up with Earlybird today for a 30% promotional discount from $ 67 (plus tax) regular course price. The offer is July 22, 2025, until 2 September 2025.
Plus, Sign up to CNBC Make It Bulletin Here are tips and tips for money and success in life and Request to participate in our private community in LinkedIn To connect with experts and peers.




