My best friend makes dresses. They are nice dresses but not quite my style and usually on the more expensive side. When I went to buy a wedding dress, I know she really wanted to make it for me but I knew that it would be out of my price range and I also didn't know what I wanted. I had no clue what style or anything. I tried on a bunch of dresses and found one I liked and it was on sale so I got it instead of having her make something similar for me. I was also partially worried that I would be mad at her if it didn't come out exactly how I would have wanted it, so in my mind I was saving the friendship and reducing stress on my end and checking a box off my list. I liked the dress, it was on sale, done! Then I didn't have to worry about the dress anymore. With everything else going on, I also didnt want the added stress of wondering how it was going to come out while I waited weeks for her to make it. She was really really upset that I didn't ask her to make it. I feel bad, but I love the dress I got.
Now I want to ask her to be my maid of honor and I am worried she will expect me to have her make all my bridesmaids dresses. She did this for another friend's wedding. My bridesmaids live all over the country and I was just going to choose a dress company and a color and tell everyone to pick the style they want in the color, and that would be it. But I am concerned she will also get very upset because she will want to make all the bridesmaid dresses. I want my bridesmaids to be able to pick a dress that they would wear again (or have the option of renting) and I want the colors to match and I want it to be easy. I am concerned (I hear some horror stories about clients from my friend) that if I have my friend make the dresses, if any of my other bridesmaids don't like the custom dress she makes, then it will cause drama. I am also concerned it will be very expensive for my bridesmaids to get custom dresses made instead of picking a style they like off the rack from one of these dress companies and be done with it.
Does anyone have any ideas for how to placate my friend? or a compromise? I just want her to be in my wedding party, but I know if I tell her to buy a certain dress she will get really upset that she isn't making something for everyone.