I have come to find that I am somewhat defective when it comes to wedding dresses--I hate nearly all of them! I had a thick wedding magazine, and the ONLY dress I truly loved was being featured in black and blue. It turns out it was a bridesmaid dress, but that it was available in any color imaginable, including white and ivory. A lightbulb went off and I started exploring bridesmaid dresses, only to find that there are so many styles, and that some of them seem just as ornate as simpler wedding gown (some have elaborate lacework, etc.). Not to mention that many of them are hundreds (if not thousands) of dollars less. Does anyone see a downside to this? Or do you know of a bride who's done this with success?