COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (KOAA) — A wedding gown is an item that many brides want on their wedding day, but it is getting even more pricey.
Nearly 90% of wedding gowns sold in the United States, like at Bridal Elegance in Colorado Springs, are made in China. The impact of tariffs is making these dream dresses cost more for brides-to-be.
"It was very stressful," said Andrea Cano, store manager at Bridal Elegance.
Wedding dresses aren't the only things being impacted by tariffs, wedding accessories like veils are more expensive too.
"They did get up to about 30%, so that was pretty high for them. Normally it's a 5% charge," said Cano.
January is a peak time for newly engaged brides to say yes to the dress. All the brides are just getting newly engaged from December and Christmas time.
Another reason is because new bridal lines are released in January or February after industry fashion weeks, meaning there are many new designs for brides to choose from.
A dress that costs $2,050 now means the new price is $2,200 with a tariff, an increase of $150.
Since tariffs have been implemented, Cano says the entire fashion industry has been working together to ensure the costs aren't too expensive.
"We do get hit with those charges the same way bigger industry shops do,and they actually are more corporate, so they're able to liquidate it better. We are just a mom and pop shop," said Cano.
Cano says tariffs were heftier a few months ago.
"The designers, the warehouses, and everybody was trying to kind of work together to try and make it lower, but it was just hard because that's what it was," Cano said.
Cano says planning months ahead helped the business save money.
"Since we knew brides would be coming and looking, we were able to get those dresses ahead of time and try and cut that stress out, because stressful in a wedding is always a thing," Cano said.
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