How much do you intend to spend on your gown? $500, $1,000? Whatever your target, there's never been a better time for chic, affordable bridal fashions.

Just five years ago, if a bride wanted to spend $1,000 or less for a wedding gown, her search was relegated to designer sample sales or mass-market bridal discounters. Today, designers and manufacturers are stitching their companies to a new trend: Creating up-market gowns for under a grand.

Bridal lines such as Watters are prominently highlighting the category on their Web sites and in magazine ads. Others have unveiled secondary lines, such as Alfred Angelo's Niki Bridal. New, modern designers such as Ceec Design and Alix & Kelly are infusing their collections with influences from contemporary fashions, and finding reception with like-minded boutiques.

Splurge & Steal

The category certainly got a boost when destination weddings became the rage in the last decade. Brides sought more sand-friendly gowns that would billow by the sea. Companies like Nicole Miller and J. Crew have benefited from that trend.

Beyond the beach, some brides have become more in tune with ready-to-wear looks and have embraced the high-low mentality of pairing expensive designer duds with mass-market accessories or vice versa, says Maria Prince, vice president of Dallas-based Watters Brides.

“This is a generation of ‘splurge and steal' buying,” Prince says. “She'll buy a $1,000 gown and splurge on $700 shoes that she can wear again and again.” As a result, the stigma of penny-pinching when wedding planning is in freefall, say wedding experts.

There may have been a time when brides felt that the more they spent on a wedding gown, the ‘better' it was, but the slowed economy has opened everyone's eyes to quality and style that can be found at lower price points,” says Melissa Akey Drayer, owner and designer of Thread.

If a bride feels as though she's giving up something at less-than-stratospheric prices, most designers insist they're able to deliver on craftsmanship without sacrificing styling.

Even brides intently focused on their fairy tale moment can find less expensive ball gowns, which ordinarily would cost more because of extra fabric. Wtoo Brides offers an A-line look with waist beading for $990.

For spring, designers don't seem to be cutting corners. There's a return to romance in floaty fabrics such as crinkle chiffon, satin organza and airy taffeta, says Michael Shettel, head designer for Alfred Angelo.

Body-hugging styles with dropped waists and trumpet skirts are in, as are one-shoulder looks, a trend brought to the forefront with First Lady Michelle Obama's inaugural gown.

Dimensional flowers are being played up along with beaded sashes and textured ornamentation, like newly shaped stones at Wtoo.

The Dress Experience

Brides who stick to a $1,000 wedding dress budget will still get the red-carpet treatment, beginning with the initial appointment through the dress-buying process, bridal retailers say. “Retailers all over the country that once sold only gowns costing thousands of dollars are welcoming vendors who can give them the same quality without breaking their clients' budgets,” says Omid Moradi, CEO of Faviana, designers of special- occasion gowns, including a White Collection of wedding dresses. “We've recently met with national stores who are interested in our line.”

Unless she visits a bigger bridal chain store where she can buy off the rack, she'll most likely have to order her dress, which can take up to three months. Some purchases can be tricky, such as buying J. Crew gowns which are sold only online. Under each dress description is a note to contact J. Crew's wedding specialist for help with the gown purchase. A few stores may charge for gown fittings but will deduct the expense from the purchase price if a gown is ordered.

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