Being chosen to be a bridesmaids in a wedding is such an honor but make sure it isn’t an expensive drag for your ladies to buy their dresses!
Bridesmaid’s dresses are enormous sources of contention. You’re never going to find a dress that everybody likes and even if you did it just won’t look good on everyone. Depending on the size of your bridal party the demands for the dress can be excessive and expensive. It is fairly common practice to ask that your bridesmaids each pay for their own dress but something about that can feel wrong and can place differing demands on different people. But is the answer to buy your bridesmaids their dresses when you are already a fashionista on a budget trying to plan and afford your dream wedding? We’re here to help you find the happy medium.
It always begins with an open and honest conversation. We hope that you have chosen bridesmaids with whom you are comfortable enough with to speak clearly about your feelings. Your bridesmaids are there to help you and should be involved in your wedding planning anyways but if they aren’t clear about your budget let them in on it. You don’t need to share exact numbers and figures but be honest about what your priorities are and where you do and don’t want to spend money. This can help you all come up with a good idea of what would be an acceptable budget for the bridesmaid’s dresses regardless of who is paying for it.
If you decide that you would like to treat your bridal party to their dresses, then more power to you! It can be in lieu of the traditional bridesmaid’s gift or it can be a thoughtful gesture. Either way, you won’t hear any complaints about whatever dress you’ve picked if you present it as a present. This can save you from a lot of hassle and groaning but it can also leave a big hole in your budget where your catering was supposed to be. To avoid this problems try shopping consignment stores or vintage. Stay away from traditional bridesmaid’s lines as they charge you for the convenience of ordering the same dress in different sizes. Instead shop online or at department stores and do the legwork yourself.
Image license: Creative Commons (view source)