Research Proves Brides-To-Be Are Overspending On This One Thing

If you've ever watched "The Wedding Planner" or anything on TLC, then you know weddings are infamously expensive to organize. There are unforeseen costs everywhere from the place settings to the flower arrangements to the matching miniature bowties (or is that just dog weddings?).

While no one expects a fabulous wedding to come cheap, there is one thing brides are paying way too much for. According to research conducted by Edited, the most overpriced wedding item is one that many also consider to be the most important: the wedding dress.

As Business Insider points out, retailers -- like the "Say Yes To the Dress" mega store, Kleinfeld Bridal -- charge brides-to-be about 3.9 times as much for wedding gowns as they would for similar white dresses. That's a huge markup for a dress that you'll likely only wear for one day.

But the markup madness doesn't stop there. Oh no... Bridesmaids' dresses are sold for nearly twice the price of similarly ugly dresses. Yikes.

So what's the lesson to be learned here? Don't let retailers trick you into spending way more than you want to. Better yet, avoid saying the word "wedding" altogether. Buy a regular dress, a regular cake and a regular ring and you may be surprised by how much money you save.

Citations: This Is How Much Wedding-Dress Prices Are Marked Up By Retailers (Refinery29)