For the whole year we’ve been engaged, the hardest decision has been about the bridesmaids’ dresses. The one thing I knew for sure was that I always pictured my ladies in the same dress in several colors. For months, I’ve been scouring the internet seeking the perfect dress… affordable, beautiful, re-wearable. Not too dressy, not too casual… in just the right colors, and complementary to my dress style. Of course, anything I found and loved was too expensive. Anything within the price range I set, I didn’t care for. It was starting to seem impossible.
The saga left off with me finding a style I adored, by an indie clothing shop near my house. What better way to dress my ’maids than by getting custom-sized dresses while supporting a small, local business, right? Umm… not so much, apparently.
Long story short, the business owner didn’t seem to want my order. Basically, “she isn’t into doing bridal parties” and thus was resistant to break the price even though I was promising an order of four dresses.
So, after much debate with myself, I resolved to let the girls resolve it. I planned to give them a color palette to choose from, some inspiration photos, and let them pick any knee-length dress they choose within that framework.
I went online to look for some inspirational photos, and noticed an email from J. Crew in my inbox. I opened it. “Final Sale On Now”.
“Hmmm,” I thought, “maybe there’s some good examples of what to look for here…” And there it was. A dress I saw months ago and loved, but dismissed due to its high price tag. Now it was on sale, in the right colors, and in plentiful sizes. Could it be?
I quickly emailed the girls and explained the situation. The situation being that I was on the verge of giving up and letting them have the choice, but then I noticed that this dress was on sale. No refunds, no exchanges… catalog/online only so no try-ons…. just blind faith. Would they go for it?
Well, the stars must have aligned, because along all time zones, my girls checked their email within half an hour of each other, and quickly responded. Hell yeah, they were in! After endless months of searching and frustration, I picked out my bridesmaids’ dresses and it was settled within 30 minutes!
Meet my ladies!

J. Crew Silk Taffeta Ballerina Dress
Le Sigh. Isn’t she dreamy? The empire waist is universally flattering, and the colors suit our sunset palette so well! The real kicker is the price… $79 yo! That’s a broke-ass bargain if I ever heard of one!
I’m so thrilled to have this decision made. It’s such a relief. I mean, how silly was it that the bridesmaids’ dress has been the hardest decision to resolve thus far? But it was, and now it’s done. I couldn’t be happier, and I hope my ladies feel the same way.
How about you? What’s been a surprisingly hard decision to make?
great find! i love those dresses! i’ve been eying them for a while. it’s a shame my wedding’s so far away or i’d be jumping on that bandwagon!