Wedding Blog
The decision about the bridesmaid’s dresses still hasn’t been made. I thought that we had decided on this Watters & Watters dress in the Amber Rose, but it is $240 and so plain that I wanted to look around just a little more.
Then the new Watters & Watters line came out and I fell in love with these two dresses:
But the prices for these two dresses are $280 and $295 - and that is all before alterations. So, I started looking around and thought that for those prices I could get Vera Wang… and I was right.
Now I really like these dresses and the colors are interchangable. I am thinking either pink, green or gold.
Let me know your thoughts… Is it crazy to ask your bridesmaids to pay in the upper $200 range?
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Personally, yeah, I think it’s crazy to ask your maids to spend that much money on their dresses. But, you know your friends best. If you think they could afford it and wouldn’t be annoyed that you asked them to spend that much money, then go for it. Just remember that you’re relinquishing all rights to complain about the cost of the bridesmaids dresses at their weddings!!
As a former bridesmaid twice and a bride now, I do think it’s a bit unfair to get a really expensive dress when there are so many reasonable ones out there now, unless you have some wealthy bridesmaids who don’t have to worry once the shower and bachelorette parties come around. Also to keep in mind is the fact that they may never wear that dress again. I bought one BM dress in the mid-200s but it was black and I wore it again (to Mrs. Butterfly’s wedding!) but from what it sounds like, you are picking a clearly BM dress..just my opinion..good luck!
Again, unless your friends have the money, it’s too much to ask for. BUT, these dresses don’t seem to “bridesmaidsey” if they were dyed black… so maybe… but there are so many others out there that are much more reasonable.
did you check pearl’s place? I had my maids wear some Siri dresses that were, on average, $80 cheaper than in the store. I also put some money towards each of their dresses as a gesture, so they ended up being much less expensive than the $250 I was originally quoted.
i ordered the watters dress (your original choice) from rk bridal and they were only $160 each. also, because it is a wrap dress, we didn’t need to get any of them altered.
I also think it’s too much to ask your bridesmaids to pay, regardless of whether they’d be able to wear the dress again or not. You should be able to find those same Watters dresses for a lot less online, though, at houseofbrides or netbride or rk.
I think this price is too high, and might cause resentment, which you really want to avoid! Have you considered having the dresses made by a dressmaker? They can sometimes be a lot cheaper, and would have the advantage of being made specifically for your friends’ body shapes.
Miss. Raspberry, I picked a Watters dress (2439) and ordered them via Pearl’s Place in Louisiana which reader slo was referring to . I got them in just a month and the girls are going to get them altered on their own. The dress was $180 but originally at another shop it was $250+.
HTH.
that is a lot to pay just for a dress, but i’m also very frugal. but if you add in alterations, shoes, jewelry, any hair accessories they may want, and purses, that’s a whole lot of more money.
for one of the weddings i was a bridesmaid in, we picked a dress from david’s bridal and had them made for half the cost [it ended up being $100 without all the embellishments], double bonus since any alterations were built in. that could be an option too.
Yes, I think that’s too much to ask. Very few bridesmaids dresses are appropriate to wear again. But definitely check around–I don’t know about the Wang dresses, but you can definitely get the Watters dresses for much, much cheaper online. And have them make sure that they’re measured properly–the alterations thing is a total racket run by salons, so if they know the right size to order, they hopefully should not need such expensive changes done–or they should be able to get simple hems, etc., done at their local tailor/cleaner.
It’s not too much…if you don’t want a wedding gift, if they don’t have to travel, if they aren’t getting their hair/nails/make-up done, if they don’t have to buy matching shoes and jewelry, if they aren’t throwing you a bridal shower and a bacherlotte party…basically being a bridesmaid is really expensive…if you throw a 300 dress in there, they could easily spend 1,000 or more on all of the above (each!). Some of the styles you picked are pretty simple and you could get something simliar from JCrew or Ann Taylor. If you do go the Watters or Vera route…definitely go with one of the online stores.
Since my wedding will be a destination for many, I’ve opted to pay for the bm dresses. I’ve asked my bm to design the dresses they like through cocomyles.com after I’ve picked out the color and fabric. They’re around $125 each.
Wow. Agreed. While they are lovely dresses, they are way too expensive. You could get the same dress at any discounted bridal place or you could go shopping at any store and get the dress dyed and stuff. As a bridesmaid now, I am very upset that the bride asked me to pay $234 for a dress and then another $75 for shoes, both which I would never wear again. I then found the exact same dress at another bridal saloon (by a different designer) that only cost $100. She wouldnt change it though, because the dress she wanted to buy was Vera Wang…
Wow. I sound bitter! But I think any expensive idea like this should be talked over and seriously considered by both the bride and the bridal party.
I agree that expensive BM dresses should be avoided if at all possible. I have probably $1000 worth of BM dresses sitting in a closet that were only worn once. Although I enjoyed being in the weddings for my friends, I would have rather used that money to give them a nice gift to start their married lives with!
All the other posters have given great suggestions, but I would also try going to a smaller store that does prom and other formal dresses as well and talk with someone who has been there awhile. I ended up getting a dress similar to a designer one for half the price that actually fits all of my girls better than the designer!
yes
I’ve paid over $275 (not counting alterations!) for a bridesmaid dress and honestly, while I think that is a little but honestly, while price should be a consideration I think style and fit are more important. No one wants to be in an uncomfortable, ill-fitting dress.
My bridal party had all shapes and sizes and my most important thought was how would they feel in the dresses at the wedding. Ask them all for some input-maybe send them a little poll with some pictures and see what answers you get!
Like what everyone else stated, that’s a lot of money for your bridesmaids to spend. As a bride, I was very conscious of the price range and the quality of dress for them.
Also, do keep in mind (well, just MHO)–you are paying a LOT for the Vera Wang brand name–they are not necessarily “better” than other dresses out there! I do think that the upper $200 range is a lot to ask of your bridesmaids, especially if you are hoping to have them host a bachelorette party, or shower, plus the other time commitments.
chrisseli…
What did you think of the dresses from cocomyles.com? Looks like a neat idea.
I love that last watters dress, but not $295 worth. It also seems like strange logic to say that just because you’re spending that much anyway, that you could get a vera wang. Especially since the vera wang dresses don’t look any more special than a lot of the $150 bridesmaid dresses that I’ve seen.
I’ve been a bridesmaid for 4 weddings and I have never had to pay for my dress. I also purchased the dresses for my own bridesmaids. I just assumed that the bride always pays for the dresses. But then again, we’ve always gone done to the fashion district and purchased our dresses there for about $50 each. They are like designer dresses, but not as high quality - but then again, when are you ever going to wear them again?
It is quite a bit, but if you really like them, perhaps you could pay for them, or at least a good percentage of them? This gesture would probably really be appreciated and then you could have the dresses you want.
i think the unanimous feeling is that NO - it is NOT worth it. honestly, if the bride was not footing the bill and yet had such a big say in how much is to be spent on a bridesmaid dress, i would be upset. if the bridesmaids are paying for the dresses, i only think it’s courteous to consider the price if money could be an issue.
I think it’s expensive if it’s a dress that they can’t wear again, but if it’s something they can see themselves wearing again for another party or event then it’s worth the investment. But I’m personally gonna pay for their dresses out of the wedding budget.
I agree with fizzyg’s comment. it does seem like strange logic to say since i like this expensive dress, maybe i should get an even more expensive dress.
i would say keep the price down– there are so many pretty dresses out there.
yes, that is a bit much to ask your bridesmaids to pay, unless they are relatively well-off. the dress is just one expense - there are so many other purchases to make and showers/parties to plan. i’m planning to purchases the dresses for my bridesmaids, not because we have plenty to spare but because they are my best friends and sisters. i had a friend who allowed her party to choose their dress from a selection and gave them a $100 budget. so if they wanted to spend more on a nicer dress, they could add in their own money. perhaps you can talk to your bridesmaids about their budget. if they love the dresses and are more than happy to spend over $200, that would work out for everyone. as long as you communicate well with them, i’m sure it will all be fine. 
i had one bride friend who wanted so much for herself that a lot of her friends started to resent her, which is why it is a very sensitive topic to me. the girls all love you and agreed to be in the party, and want you to be happy, but please be considerate and at least discuss the dresses/prices with them before you decide. once you get a good budget (lets say they want to spend $200 max), perhaps you can put in the rest?
I think you should show your bridesmaids the dresses you have in mind. Tell them the price of it and ask if it’s too much to spend or if they think they could wear it again, and therefore justify the price. But also show them the choice in the lower price range. Give them the option and let them know that you are completely open.
Also, remember that with a simple dress like the Watters and Watters ones, each girl can customize their accessories to make it look different. One girl can use a thing ribbon along the waist while another can use a thick one and use it like an obi sash. You can get this stuff at any fabric store and it won’t cost alot.
I think it is TOO much money.
have you considered bill levkoff? they have one that is just like the second red watters one.
I agree with everyone else that it’s a lot of money to pay for a dress, but at the same time, as with anything else in the bridal industry, you have to get to a high price range just to get something that doesn’t look like a polyester potato sack you normally wouldn’t pay $20 for! To solve that, I am buying all the bridesmaids dresses instead of giving them a special gift, but they just have to pay for their alterations. That gave me the freedom to choose whatever I wanted. I ended up getting dresses at Dessy Group that was under $200 each, but it was nice being able to shop knowing that they had to wear whatever I chose without complaint since I was paying!
That’s too much to pay. You will find better deals online for Watters, and if you are set on having a Vera Wang, at least pay for half of the cost.
I found my dress (Jim Hejlm) at a bridal salon and then found them cheaper at RK. I was nervous about working with RK, and I really liked the service in the salon. I told the salon the price I was quoted and because I was ordering 8 dresses, she gave me a 15% discount and also was willing to ship the dresses for free to my out of town bridesmaids. And the best part, they will do the alterations in the store with a cap of $65!!! Considering I had just spent $100 on alterations for a BM dress for myself, I thought that was a good benefit. So in the end it was only 10 more dollars than RK and a lot easier, so talk to the store, you never know how much they are willing to take off the price to get you as a customer.
Yes, just like other people said, unless your BMs are well of and you know they’re typically big spenders, it is a bit too much to ask, considering they also have to pay for your shower and bachelorette party. And to tell you the truth, even IF they’re well off, it’s still basic respect to communicate w/them instead of just assuming they’re ok w/the price. Therefore just like Georgia, I’m paying for my BMs’ dresses so I don’t have to worry it being a burden on them and I can choose something a bit more expensive/out feeling bad. If your budget doesn’t allow, lisa’s idea on what her friend did.. covering part of the cost, is something you can consider too. Good luck :-).
I was browsing Nordstrom.com and found the lavendar Vera Wang dress for $134. http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/16429361/?GT1=8921
They’re out right now, but maybe you could call around? Never pay retail price in the bridal industry!
whoops wrong link. http://shop.nordstrom.com/S/2890267/0~2376788~6002242~6007533~6007554?mediumthumbnail=Y&origin=category&searchtype=&pbo=6007554&P=9
It’s best to ask what they feel comfortable spending before you go looking for dresses. That way you don’t offend any of them by asking them to buy a dress they can’t afford.
My bridesmaids and I found the first Vera Wang dress (3rd pic) in lavender at Filene’s Basement in Boston for only $100! I would check the department stores for the same styles but better deals.
Really nice dresses. I like the Watters ones, the Vera Wang ones are a bit dull for the money, I think you are just paying for the name, I have seen the same styles by Dessy and Watters.
I am only choosing the colour for my bridesmaids, they can choose any dress they like, it makes it a bit more contemporary, and as we are all friends if they all have the same dress they are unlikely to wear again.
We have chosen Dessy dresses which in the UK were around ‚£180, we tried them on in a shop, chose the styles and checked the sizes but ordered them online from the US where even with shipping to the UK they work out less than half the price, I think ‚£80 is ok for a dress and they probably would have bought something costing that anyway.
nice that you are considering the bridesmaids bugets. you can find something just as nice for less money.
Well, considering that my girls are wearing the Watters that you posted at the very time (#7415, shown in green), I guess I don’t think that’s too much money! That said, I found the dresses for $166 and I paid a little for each girl…so their total was nowhere near $200.
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Mrs. Raspberry, DC/New York
Age and Occupation in 07: 24, Owner/Chief Creative Director
Fiance's Age in 07: 24, Special Investigator for the government
Engagement Date: August 5, 2006
Wedding Date: July 2007
Venue: The Roycroft Inn, East Aurora NY
About Me: I love wedding and event planning. I am having a great time with all of my DIY projects and can't wait to share them with all of the WeddingBee Readers (some have to wait until after our wedding)! Other favorites include: cooking, running, tennis, knitting and making crafts. Mr. Raspberry and I also have two dogs - Gewurz, a 2 year old
yellow lab and Stella, a 1 year old old cock-a poo.
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