Affordable bridesmaids dresses - where did you find yours?

cmkuno · February 2010

I can't believe what even "cheap" (i.e., David's Bridal and the like) BM dresses cost! I feel super guilty asking my jobless sisters to shell out $150 for a dress they'll probably never wear again. I'm not very picky about what they look like, and neither are they. Where are some good places to look for some more affordable dresses for my girls?

bemore17 · February 2010

We found my bridesmaid dresses at JC Penney. There are only two of them, so a little easier, I imagine, than if you had like 6 or 8 girls to shop for.

danielle16_17 · February 2010

jcpenny, macy's, charlotte russ, alot of store will have nice dress on clearance soon since prom and easter is coming up

jagore08 · February 2010

I agree with pp. Don't go to bridal stores because their dresses are going to be overpriced compared to what you could find in department stores.

mbcdefg · February 2010

My BMs got their dresses from AnnTaylor.com for $130, during a 40% off sale.

I also had my eye out at Marshall's, because cocktail dresses there are typically in the $50 range. Nordstrom.com, Bluefly.com, Overstock.com and Dillards.com have some good deals as well. Newport-news.com is nice for more casual dresses. Jcrew.com sometimes has good sales as well.

Another idea is to pick a color you like from David's Bridal, then look on eBay, Craigslist and thrift shops for that color. They're usuall under $100 each when people re-sell them. Specify either knee- or floor-length and let them wear whatever style they can find in their size. I've also seen a lot of J. Crew bridesmaid dresses on eBay for good prices.

A third idea is to just pick a color and let them wear a complementing dress any place they can find it. That way, they can spend whatever they want, and they may also have a better chance of wearing the dress again since they got to pick it out. Or they might even have an appropriate dress in their closets already. Grab some paint swatches from a hardware store so they have a reference when they go shopping.

A fourth idea - ask them to wear a black cocktail dress or a long black gown. You can bring in color with pashminas or sashes if you wish, and of course their flowers. Black dresses are SUPER easy to find.

stina93446 · February 2010

You can get dresses at department stores off the rack for a fraction of a bm dress price. Anything that has the word wedding or bride attached to it also comes with a bulked up price. You'er better off checking out places like Ann Taylor or even JC Penney. Depending on your color can make a huge difference too. If you have them wear black (because it's classy and is slimming on everyone) you could always have them get any black dress. Every girl has a little black dress in their closet. Or they could always buy a new black dress. It'll definitely be cheaper than a bm dress and since it's NOT a bm dress they will almost definitely wear it again. Can't say the same for most bm dresses out there.

shwethasrin · February 2010

Check out ebay for BCBG cocktail dresses. They're hugely discounted, and you can usually find a good selection of sizes, and you can always email the dealer directly to see if they have other sizes/colors in stock. Also check out overstock.com

tranjuliet · February 2010

Macys and Nordstrom had some great sales...we ended up with Maggy London dresses on sale for $70 (original price $110)

Affordable bridesmaids dresses - where did you find yours?

Re: Affordable bridesmaids dresses - where did you find yours?

Choose Another Board

Search Boards