Heloise 5/13

Today’s sound off concerns the prices of bridal gowns:

Dear Heloise: What is the average price of a bridal gown these days? My granddaughter is getting married, and I offered to pay for her dress. I expected to pay about $800 to $1,000, but my granddaughter wants a dress that cost $18,000.

The bride-to-be claims that $18,000 is the average price of a bridal gown today. I not only think that’s incorrect, but I think it’s ridiculous. I won’t squander $18,000 on a dress that a bride will wear only once. So, what are brides actually paying for their dresses nowadays? – Phyllis G., Boca Raton, Florida

Phyllis, I did some research and discovered that the average price of a wedding dress is $1,000 to $2,000. The cost, of course, depends on where you buy your dress, but according to TheKnot.com, most wedding gowns in 2024 are edging upward to the $2,000 range or a little higher. The price varies on alterations or any changes that are made to the dress. If it’s a designer dress, naturally it’s going to cost more and would easily reach upward of $10,000 to $20,000.

It’s suggested that the bride should estimate the cost of her gown to be between 7% to 10% of her total wedding budget.

Your granddaughter may have fallen in love with an $18,000 wedding dress, but there are plenty of other beautiful gowns at a lower price range. – Heloise

Dear Heloise: I have a list of hints that have always come in handy for me. Here they are:

• Place ice cubes on carpet dents. Allow them to air-dry, and the dents should be gone after you take your hand and brush it over the spot where the ice cubes were placed.

• Take the meat of a walnut and rub it over a light scratch in your furniture or on your wooden floor.

• For cleaning a wooden cutting board, I use half of a lemon, dip the wet side in salt and scrub it that way. Follow up with warm water and dish soap.

• You can use pennies as shims. – Amy T., Lime Ridge, Wisconsin