Unconventional Bridesmaid dress shopping

Knottie67282180

Hi Everyone!

Could you all tell me what you think about my current situation. I went bridesmaid dress shopping with my MOH and we picked out 3 dresses. I then emailed the links to the dresses to the rest of my bridesmaids to see what their favorites are. We all agreed on one dress, so I was just going to have my bridal party order their dress in their size and color. So, bottom line is, we all aren't going as a group to try on dresses. I don't think their is a problem with this, but if it is weird then I guess I could get everyone together. Let me know what you think!

MyNameIsNot

Knottie67282180 said:

Hi Everyone!

Could you all tell me what you think about my current situation. I went bridesmaid dress shopping with my MOH and we picked out 3 dresses. I then emailed the links to the dresses to the rest of my bridesmaids to see what their favorites are. We all agreed on one dress, so I was just going to have my bridal party order their dress in their size and color. So, bottom line is, we all aren't going as a group to try on dresses. I don't think their is a problem with this, but if it is weird then I guess I could get everyone together. Let me know what you think!

Contrary to what they show you in movies, it's actually pretty rare for all of the WP to go together and choose BM dresses. 

As long as you asked everyone's budget ahead of time and you've made sure that everyone is comfortable wearing the style of the dress, it's fine. 

Do keep in mind that these are their bodies, and some people have issues wearing certain styles, even if you think it looks fine. Be mindful about any issues that anyone might have that way. This is the reason so many people are going with selecting a line and letting the BMs pick individual dresses. 

Knottie67282180

My wedding party is on the bigger side, so I think the dress we picked out will be flattering to all of them. I am just really busy and most of my bridal party (with the exception o my MOH) like 45 minuets or more away

Maggie0829

My only question is did you ask everyone's budget before you picked the dress?

But really, how you did it is not all that unconventional.  It is actually pretty normal.

Knottie67282180

I did! Plus all of my bridesmaid are recent college grads or actually still in school, so I kept their budget in mind. The dresses are 120.00, and I sent them each a 20 dollar off coupon I found.

I really thought that all of the bridesmaids were supposed to get together and go shopping as a big group. I'm glad that's not how it is, I thought I was letting people down.

Maggie0829

Knottie67282180 said:

I did! Plus all of my bridesmaid are recent college grads or actually still in school, so I kept their budget in mind. The dresses are 120.00, and I sent them each a 20 dollar off coupon I found.

I really thought that all of the bridesmaids were supposed to get together and go shopping as a big group. I'm glad that's not how it is, I thought I was letting people down.

Yay, good!  Glad everyone is happy and you had such a great and easy experience.

I find that when you go shopping in a big group there tends to be a lot more opinions and criticisms and just overall it is harder to make a final decision.

[Deleted User]

As a bigger girl I much prefer shopping and trying on clothes alone.  Especially when the ladies at the shop tell me my ass is so big, I'm going to need to buy a size 22 dress and have it taken in at my size 16 bust.  That's a much easier conversation to have alone than with four other girls in the room.

downtondiva

As long as you stay mindful of everyone's budget, which you did, I don't think there's any right or wrong way to shop for bridesmaid dresses. With everyone having different schedules and WP's not always living near each other, it isn't realistic to expect everyone to get together at the same time. You haven't let anyone down; if anything, your WP is probably relieved! 

[Deleted User]

I think the larger the wedding party, the better the option is that you went with because who really wants to have to listen to a large group of women trying to find a dress they can all agree on. Since I opted to just give my girls a color, length & designer I figured dress shopping would be easy. Since only 2 of my 4 girls knew each other I organized a happy hour meeting for drinks & apps at a sports bar next to the bridal shop. I figured by eating something first, it would avoid any "you need a snickers" moments. It gave the girls a chance to meet each other & then off to shopping which ended up being fun.

If you're girls know each other, great! If not, maybe try to plan a casual outting, so they can just meet each other and get to know each other some. Doesn't have to be anything fancy. It can even be a simple wine & snacks at someone's home. It will make it easier for them to work together should they decide to throw you a bridal shower and/or bachlorette party. If that isn't an option, at the very least, send them all an email with each other's contact information.

sames52915

You definitely don't have to go with a large group! And sometimes it's a lot more stress free and comfortable to not do it. My girls are wearing mismatched dresses..I picked out the designer/color/length and then they had 50 something dresses to choose from. 4 out of the 6 were with me trying on wedding gowns and ended up trying on some BM dresses, and then I know a few times they went in groups to look as well. And everything worked out great!

 On the other hand, I was in a wedding where 8 out of 9 of us, plus the bride & her mother, went together. Surprisingly, it went much smoother than we all thought it would. But since everyone had such different body types, and ranged in sizes from 2 to about 20, it was definitely a bit awkward at times. So it can definitely be fun going as a larger group, but can be a lot more comfortable going on your own/just with a few people.