Bridesmaid dress issues

hcollins315

hey ladies...I am having a couple of issues with bridesmaid dresses for my wedding next may. My maids haven't bought their dresses yet. we are still in the looking phase. but the first issue is one of my bridesmaid has been having some money issues & can't really afford a expensive dress from David's Bridal. honestly I guess this would be good for any of the bridesmaids I still would like her to be part of my bridal party. does anyone know of any second had or resale shops in the Metro-Detroit area that I would be able to find a red dress I could use as a bridesmaid dress? none of the bridesmaids are wearing the same dress so it doesn't have to match the rest it just has to be the same color. or even maybe a place or website that might rent dresses...like the tuxedo shops do?

Secondly I just found out that another one of my bridesmaids is pregnant. she is due before the wedding...but I have never known anyone with pregnant peole in their wedding whether they were due before the ceremony or after. I am not really sure of how we should even be shopping for a fress for her. do we get one a couple sizes bigger than she is now & have it altered later or by something somewhat maternity seeing as she's due so close the the wedding (like 2 months before hand). any input would be helpful...thanks.

aloisk57

Why don't you just let them shop for their own dresses within their budgets?  You can give them a swatch and a fabric and they can go from there.  That's probably easiest. 

vk2204

I have heard good things about Pearls Place. It is an online store that has a lot of BM dresses. It worked for quite a few weddings around here.

For the pregnant BM; is this her first child? If not, does she remember what size she was 2 months post baby? If this is her first; I would definitely get a few sizes bigger because it is easier to take in a dress.

mpickl

I agree with PPs about letting them get their own dresses. I just got an amazing, and very elegant, dress from Forever 21, for $30! It will probably fall apart after one wear, but... isn't that the average wear on most BM dresses anyway??

entropicbeauty

If your pregnant bridesmaid is giving birth before the wedding, you should have the shop take her measurements BEFORE she's showing.

My sister just had a 2 weeks ago and is in my wedding in a month and 2 days after giving birth came to a dress fitting with me and fit into her dress fine.

It might not work out that way for everyone, but the dress shop can recommend a course of action (like whether your BM should order a size up from her normal dress size etc.)

hcollins315

that's a pretty good idea....& this may sound like a really dumb question if it does...but where would I get the fabric swatches?...someplace like Joann fabrics??


In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/local-wedding-boards_michigan-detroit_bridesmaid-dress-issues?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Local%20Wedding%20BoardsForum:88Discussion:49ac5f6f-24cf-4f31-82de-87d395584af2Post:ddb68ba2-d140-4e2e-8d37-cc08399c641b">Re: Bridesmaid dress issues</a>:
[QUOTE]Why don't you just let them shop for their own dresses within their budgets?  You can give them a swatch and a fabric and they can go from there.  That's probably easiest. 
Posted by aloisk57[/QUOTE]

hcollins315

no this is not her fisrt child it's her 4th. & she's been different sizes post baby with each kid.
& i will looked into that website but the problem is they'd still even need to try on dresses toe ven get measurements. none of my bridesmaids are a size 2 & if their dress sizes run anything like the sizing for my wedding dress it runs small.....omg my dress was sized 4 sizes bigger than I wear.


In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/local-wedding-boards_michigan-detroit_bridesmaid-dress-issues?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Local%20Wedding%20BoardsForum:88Discussion:49ac5f6f-24cf-4f31-82de-87d395584af2Post:0c84c6a6-e68d-4d7d-a05f-92f9afe5dfce">Re: Bridesmaid dress issues</a>:
[QUOTE]I have heard good things about Pearls Place. It is an online store that has a lot of BM dresses. It worked for quite a few weddings around here. For the pregnant BM; is this her first child? If not, does she remember what size she was 2 months post baby? If this is her first; I would definitely get a few sizes bigger because it is easier to take in a dress.
Posted by vk2204[/QUOTE]

Ophelia0326

Just as an FYI...wedding dresses actually don't run small. The numbers that bridal and bridesmaid dresses come in are "real" sizes. This is the industry standard. Ever notice how you wear a different size at different stores? It's called "vanity sizing" - they shrink the number to make women feel better about the size they're buying, which in turn makes them buy more. So if you wear a 6 in contemporary clothing...you're actually a 10. (Also why everybody purports that Marilyn Monroe was a size 10! Only in "real" sizes!)

platinuminferno

http://www.facebook.com/bellabridal 

Bella Bridal is a great place.  I would recommend them.

http://www.facebook.com/platinuminferno

Sue-n-Kevin

I agree it's easiest to allow them to choose their own dresses.

As for swatches of fabric, it might be best to go to Joann's and check out their fabric selection. Find a solid cotton in the red family that you want, but understand there may be variations in the "red" that the dresses end up being. It can be a tough color to exactly match, as different fabrics (polyester blends, silk, cotton, etc) take color differently. If you are willing to be comfortable about that, then I think they would all be happy.

Our colors were black, white/cream and silver for our wedding last August. I let my BM find their own black dresses because they varied in age in from 16-50+, and were different sizes. They all looked lovely and were happy to have dresses they can wear again.

dixfam4

I know of someone who went down to OHIO, to the JCPenny outlet, they got their dresses for like $40 a piece in sizes from 2-14+, not only did they have a great "girl" day, but they all were happy, tried them on, got them and they saved enough money, but they got the kind they could wear again?
Just a suggestion and best wishes!!!