Bridesmaid Dresses-2 Questions

giantsgirl12 · July 2011

We are starting to look at bridesmaid dresses....should we go short or long (we are getting married next july on a friday). I think the guys are wearing tuxes.

What is a reasonable amount to ask people to spend on a dress (2 of my bridesmaids are my younger sisters-which I think my mom is paying for.)

TIA

Faith2730 · July 2011

I think it's really just a personal preference. I am having a July evening wedding and my girls will be wearing long chiffon gowns. I personally think long gowns are more elegant. Other people may not think that! You have to decide what look your going for. My girls are all wearing different style dresses ( same color and designer). All the dresses were under $200.

Shan1214 · July 2011

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/local-wedding-boards_new-jersey_bridesmaid-dresses-2-questions?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Local Wedding BoardsForum:90Discussion:a630c786-60fc-4134-9015-2685d8b11e1ePost:03ce3435-e024-4d3e-9d56-9ddd17ccc80b">Re: Bridesmaid Dresses-2 Questions</a>:
[QUOTE]I think it's really just a personal preference. I am having a July evening wedding and my girls will be wearing long chiffon gowns. I personally think long gowns are more elegant. Other people may not think that! You have to decide what look your going for. My girls are all wearing different style dresses ( same color and designer). All the dresses were under $200.
Posted by BridetoBe730[/QUOTE]

BridetoBe - I am looking for long chiffon dresses.... contemplating different style dresses. What designer are you going with?

kristen8040 · July 2011

We had short satin dresses all different styles in May. I think if you're going to do long in July, you're best with chiffon since it breathes pretty easy. We used Eden Bridesmaids, I liked the color they had available and the amount of styles. All the dresses were about $180, so on par with price and construction of the dress/material as David's bridal.

DoubleAS · July 2011

Chiffon and taffetta breathe so easy, which is nice. I think $130-$180 is a good amount. But it's a personal choice, I just don't want to run my girls pockets completely.

MCRM22011 · July 2011

Personally, I'd be unhappy with anything above $130 because I've never spent more than that on anything other than a prom dress or of course, wedding dress. Make sure you ask your bridesmaids first or else you run the risk of them complaining or even dropping out of the wedding if the costs run too high. I personally would not put people in a long dress in the summer, just my opinion. My matron of honor did pick a long dress in the end, mostly because she is currently almost 6 months pregnant and short dresses were difficult for her to wear. I am getting married in August, but if she was not pregnant, she would definitely be wearing a short dress.

cindyn9178 · July 2011

Personally, I'd be extremely hot in a long gown, whether it is chiffon or not, in the heat of July. Last week it was over 100 degrees.. if I had to wear a long gown in that heat, I'd probably die! I'd definitely opt for short dresses, in a breathable material for any time in the summer.

DoubleAS · July 2011

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/local-wedding-boards_new-jersey_bridesmaid-dresses-2-questions?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Local Wedding BoardsForum:90Discussion:a630c786-60fc-4134-9015-2685d8b11e1ePost:bf05f3da-c9de-40eb-a63f-a52c59b7f8b7">Re: Bridesmaid Dresses-2 Questions</a>:
[QUOTE]Personally, I'd be extremely hot in a long gown, whether it is chiffon or not, in the heat of July. Last week it was over 100 degrees.. if I had to wear a long gown in that heat, I'd probably die! I'd definitely opt for short dresses, in a breathable material for any time in the summer.
Posted by cindyn9178[/QUOTE]

I agree... anything from May through September I would prefer a short dress. I am letting my girls choose their own dresses as long as the material matches my dress and eachothers-- I am silently hoping they all choose short dresses!

shoebie · July 2011

Think of your bridesmaids when you buy them as far as is your ceremony inside or out is the reception inside or out.... I was in a March wedding this past year with snow on the ground freezing in a strapless knee length dress taking pictures outside for 2 hours I wanted to kill the bride lol. I think July would be nice with a short dress

mbcdefg · July 2011

1. Let them try on some dresses and see what looks good. Take a vote if you can't make a decision yourself.

2. Ask THEM what is reasonable. Don't just pick a price point and assume they'll all be O.K. with it. Contact each of them individually and say, "What do you want to spend on a dress?" and remind them that they'll also need to pay for alterations. Once they all give you a price point, take the lowest price and that's the price you need to stay under. If that's too low for what you want, then chip in some cash for each girl to help out.

For what it's worth, my BMs said that anything under $200 was fine, and the dresses wound up at $130 each. They wore black shoes of their choice and got alterations done by tailor shops. They wore silk chiffon cocktail dresses at our April wedding, and the guys were in tuxes.

jcg98 · July 2011

Short dresses can still be elegant, and your girls will thank you in the hot weather! Even a mild July day is still bound to be in the 80s. Even if you have an evening wedding, it's likely you will be taking some pictures outside (weather permitting of course) in the late afternoon.

I recommend going to a bridal shop that carries a number of BM dress lines so you can see which designers have a range of styles and price points. I went with Alfred Angelo (long gowns run $150-200, shorter are probably a bit less expensive) but also considered Impressions and DaVinci which have lower price points.

Smidger · July 2011

I'm getting married this Saturday and my girls are wearing knee length chiffon dresses. I wanted them to be comfortable because I knew that most likely it would be extremely hot on the wedding day...and it is going to be quite warm on Saturday. I agree with all the PP's though that it's your preference and what you envision for your day when it comes to the dress length for your BM's.

I took a different approach when shopping for the dress. I actually went with each of my BM's individually to look for dresses, so they all could have a say in the dress and price. They all managed to come up with about 3 or 4 they all liked within $100-$200. We then we went back as a group and made the final decision. The dress they chose was $200 which they were all fine with b/c they all picked it out and loved it.

Good luck! I'm sure whatever you pick will look great!!!

altimat873 · July 2011

For July Id personally prefer a short dress if youre getting married outside but if everything is inside, I think long dresses look a little bit more formal. I say anything under $200 is acceptable but you need to as your girls what their budget is.

ShleeAST · July 2011

My girls wore knee length dresses and I got married in June! I wouldn't want to put anyone in a long dress in the middle of summer because it can get really hot! I got my girls' dresses from the Dessy Collection! They have really cute short dresses!

BttrSkoch0604 · July 2011

I'm going to go with knee length, chiffon dresses. I am having a July wedding and I don't want one of my girls passing out during the ceremony from heat stroke! Good luck!

TaraK22 · July 2011

I agree with PP's, but I'd also like to add that you should keep in mind the formality/feel of your wedding. I was in a wedding last July last year and she had us wear long, navy blue silk ballgowns; it was SO hot in the church and taking pics outside, but afterwards i was fine b/c all else was indoors. this bride had a very formal, country club wedding, and the dresses fit very well with her style and overall theme and formality. with that said, I do think that you can find an array of dresses that fit different styles (like someone else said, short can be elegant and formal just as easily as it can be casual/whimsical).
I had my girls wear different floor length dresses from the same designer, in the same color and material (chiffon) for my April 30 wedding. I really think it's a matter of personal preference.
As for price point, this varies by individual. I'd have a private convo with each girl and see what they're comfortable with.
Good luck!

RamsKR01 · July 2011

I am getting married on a Saturday evening in July and they are wearing short chiffon dresses (Jasmine - B2 and Belsoie collection). All the dresses were under $200 (including alterations). Price will depend on the people and their life/situation - if your mom is probably paying for two, you may want to talk with her as well.

Having been a bridesmaid in different weddings - I prefer short. I have had to wear long satin in 2 weddings (both in the south - GA and VA) during hot seasons....not a fan! I also feel like tafetta always looks wrinkly. I wore a short tafetta dress and we steamed them right before the ceremony (bride had a portable steaming machine) - they looked wrinkled by the time the ceremony was over.

37 Butter Knives · July 2011

My bridesmaids wore silk chiffon from J.Crew - each in a different style. They were knee-length, but that's what I wanted ... I didn't want my wedding to be super-formal. (Ceremony and reception were both indoors, and the wedding was in late April.) Depending on the style, they're about $220, but they're made with real silk, not polyester. And the silk chiffon can definitely be worn again - I was thinking of buying a J.Crew bridesmaid dress to wear as a guest to a wedding this summer.

I've noticed in their latest catalog that they're now offering floor-length dresses (for about $350, I think), and some styles now go up to size 20.

On the SYTTD bridesmaids show, there was a dress that cost more than $500! They never mentioned who made it, but I'm curious ... I was in a wedding where I wore a floor-length Vera Wang Maids dress, and that was $350. But it looked great when it was cut to knee-length, so I can proudly say I am one of the few who actually wore a bridesmaid's dress again.

giantsgirl12 · July 2011

Thank you all so much....My sister tried on the dresses and both like the short dresses....the dresses were made out of chiffon. This is the dress that's in the lead right now and in this color as well!!

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