According to the survey, 66 percent of brides bought their wedding-day looks at a bridal salon, with the next largest group at 17 percent purchasing their attire at an independent local bridal salon. No matter the location, 83 percent of brides stuck to tradition with a white or off-white dress, down from 92 percent in 2017. The percentage of brides who bought their wedding attire at a ready-to-wear or specialty store increased from 2 percent in 2017 to 4 percent in 2018. 

Only 8 percent bought their wedding-day attire at a national bridal chain, a significant figure in light of the recent David’s Bridal bankruptcy, although the riskiest choice of buying online ranked the lowest at just one percent. No matter where they bought, the survey found that brides spent an average of $…