If you’re curious about how much do wedding dress designers make, the average pay per year is more than $75,000. We will also talk about your expected earnings as a bridal seamstress and how much money you can earn if you run your boutique.
Another potentially exciting topic for you is the cost of wedding dresses. If you ever wonder why wedding dresses are so expensive, please read the separate discussion for it as it may help you set prices for your designs and dresses.
How Much Does An Average Wedding Dress Designer Make?
According to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics, the median pay for fashion designers, including wedding dress designers, is $75,810 yearly in 2020. This means that a wedding dress designer typically makes $36.45 per hour, and the employment for this industry is even projected to show minor changes from 2020 to 2030.
However, the Bureau of Labor Statistics also projected more than 2,000 openings for fashion designers each year over the decade. So if you’re looking to be a wedding dress designer, you’ll still have openings as the current designers will eventually transfer occupations or retire.
How much do bridal seamstresses make?
Bridal boutiques often have a bridal seamstress responsible for the alterations and ensuring the perfect fitting of the shop’s wedding dress to the bride. The boutique or wedding dress designer has its sizes, so it’s inevitable to get some alterations to ensure the best fit for the bride.
As a bridal seamstress, you can expect to earn over $30,000 per year. The alterations’ costs will depend on the bridal boutique’s location, the shop itself, and how you charge.
How much does it cost to get a wedding dress taken in?
For example, the basic and most common wedding dress alterations include changing the hem, seams, or bustle, and this typically cost anywhere from $40 to $150 each. However, your bridal shop might be charging a one-set fee, which can range from $500 to $700.
It’s also worth noting that custom alterations will be pricier as they will be tricky to do and change the overall design of the wedding dress. Some examples of wedding dress custom work include changing the length of the sleeves, adding sleeves, adding straps, changing the neckline, shortening the train, or even modifying the back, where each alteration cost from $50 to $400.
It’s best to have your wedding dress altered by a professional but read how to alter a wedding dress yourself if you think the adjustments are basic. Just be careful not to ruin your dress, especially if the wedding is close.
How Much Do Wedding Dress Retailers Make?
If you’re looking to own a wedding dress store, it’s possible to earn $70,000 to $100,000, especially when the boutique takes off. This is possible since you’ll be taking the earnings yourself being self-employed rather than being under someone.
However, remember various factors when you start a bridal boutique. When starting, you can have a lower income at $46,000 or even smaller.
Is the bridal business profitable?
Opening a wedding dress store can be profitable, but remember that the industry is fiercely competitive. You’ll be against established boutiques, and if you’re starting, the investment to open one will take most of your budget.
A helpful tip is to research extensively, especially where you’ll get the wedding dresses in your store. You want to offer a large variety of wedding dresses to cater to different clients and make your store stand out.
Do Wedding Dress Designers Make Good Money?
Wedding dress designers can make good money, but the bridal business is a competitive industry. Furthermore, you have to decide if you’ll also be the store owner or start as an employee.
For wedding dress designers who have their boutique, make sure you know how much income you need to live on. This way, you can create an adequate budget and determine how much of the boutique’s profit can be put back into it.
Expect that you’ll need to lose money during the first three years as with any other business. Therefore, decide carefully if you must take this risk as you’ll need to have enough cash reserves as the wedding dress store is not yet profitable.
What Degree Do You Need To Be A Wedding Dress Designer?
You will need a bachelor’s degree in fashion design if you want to become a wedding dress designer. Having a degree in this field is crucial to help you develop skills in fashion and garment construction.
Another advantage of undergoing a program is that you’ll be more familiar with the field’s design process and technical aspects. In addition, studying a fashion-related course should make it easier for you to create and make your wedding dress designs as you gain access as an intern to a designer or design house.
Conclusion
And that’s it! We just learned how much do wedding dress designers make, and it can be around $75,000 yearly.
Bridal seamstresses, on the other hand, make an average of $30,000 per year, and those who own bridal shops can earn $46,000 while starting but up to $100,000 once the business takes off. We hope these numbers help you decide if you want to pursue this industry.
Let us know any questions if you have any.