It often feels like any good or service that has the word “wedding” attached to it is one that comes with a particularly jaw-dropping price tag.

And so as you write a steady stream of three- and four-figure checks in the run-up to your Big Day, it can be hard not to wonder: How much would this caterer charge if he thought I was throwing a corporate event instead of getting married? Would this stationer recommend fancy letterpress printing if she thought I was sending invitations to a birthday party?

New research from fashion analytics firm Edited examines whether our perception of an “I Do” premium is a reality when it comes to one of the most sentimental of wedding purchases: The gown.

Edited studied thousands of e-commerce listings for white wedding red evening dresses uk across mass-market retailers such as J. Crew, Nordstrom, H&M and Asos and compared the pricing of those items to the pricing of dresses that were comparable in design but not described as bridal gowns in any related text or keywords. The analysis found that, on average, retailers were charging 3.9 times as much for the wedding dresses.

And it’s not just the bride that can end up shelling out big bucks for wedding day attire: Researchers found that frocks marked as bridesmaid dresses were 1.8 times more expensive than like items that were not labeled bridesmaid dresses.

While the study examined only online prices, Katie Smith, senior retail analyst at Edited, said it’s likely that shoppers won’t find a particularly different situation if they shop for gowns at brick-and-mortar chains. Most big retailers these days try to have harmony across their e-commerce and in-store prices, because they know shoppers check out both channels.

So why are dresses so much pricier when they’re meant for walking down the aisle? Smith said that retailers are likely hiking prices as a way of telegraphing to customers that a certain dress — or a pair of shoes or earrings, for that matter — is worthy of a day when all eyes are on you.

“There’s an element of knowing that to make it seem like an occasion red evening dresses uk, an elevated price point is going to help spread that message,” Smith said.

Plus, as this reporter can attest after tying the knot last month, buying a bridal gown is not like buying dish detergent or filling your gas tank. It’s an emotional purchase, not a practical one, and retailers likely factor that in to their pricing strategies.