Weddingbee Blog

We finally decided on bridesmaid dresses!  Yay! With less than 5 months to go, it was time to come to a consensus, and we did!

Aren’t my friends adorable?

No, you’re not seeing double! They’re twins.

And no, we didn’t pick that dress!! Way to ’80s style for me…

These were the top contenders:

1. Bari Jay: Style 911

We loved this dress because of the one shoulder ruffled sleeve; however, the empire waist was not very flattering. Whether you had a figure or not, wearing this dress, there was no telling.

2. Bari Jay: Style 111

We loved this dress too, and especially the neckline (a perfect match to my dress! shh!), but we didn’t like how it looked in pictures, and it was expensive for us, priced at about $240.

3. I can’t remember the brand of this dress, but it was one of my favorites. The girl in these photos, BM Ree, loved it too, but the other girls thought there was something missing. It was very nice option, but a little too plain for their taste, and yet again, on the pricey side.

4. Sorry, I can’t remember the brand of this dress either, but we all loved it! It’s unique, comfortable, and perfect for a garden wedding! It was a top contender and even made it to the final three in our voting rounds. However, the problem was not only the price (another $240), but the time it would take for this dress to come in. Our wedding is in 4 months, and the average order-delivery time of this gown is at least 5 months. Boo!

5. I loved these dresses, but my friends weren’t feeling them at all. None of the short dresses in chiffon made a good impression, and I think a lot of that had to do with the fact that they were tea-length! They strongly disliked tea-length dresses. Even though I liked these and they matched my dress well, I didn’t see my girls  wearing them, and I wasn’t in love.

Once I got a good idea of what we were looking for and what everyone liked, I scoured the internet for similar dresses at a lower cost. I feel pretty strongly that I don’t feel comfortable asking my friends to spend more than $200 on a dress they would only wear a few hours, and probably never wear again. Especially this time of year, when we’re all spending most of our extra money buying for others.

Here are our other options:

David’s Bridal Split Front A-Line with Beading:

When I first started shopping for a wedding gown, my MOH tried on this dress in green and we both loved it. David’s Bridal is fast and also very affordable. This dress is priced at about $159, which is a number we’re all much more comfortable with.

Amanda Archer Collection Country Dreams Dress:

I die when it comes to Etsy. I’m a sucker for all things there, and these bridesmaids’ dresses are no exception. Priced at $200, they’re a much more affordable option than the ones we tried on and because they are made-to-order, so we’d probably save a lot on alterations too. So pretty, no?

This was my favorite!

Pleated Collar Dress:

I love this one, too! What girl doesn’t love pockets? Plus, it’s totally re-wearable and cute for spring. For $189, it was one of my favorites, but not as much of a hit with my girls.

Alfred Angelo Styles 7073 & 7143:

Both of these look really good next to my gown! They’re affordable (the least expensive of all of our options) and re-wearable! I love the idea of ordering from a wedding mecca  like Alfred Angelo, too because they’re worldwide (my BM in New York can try on and purchase hers there), and because we can easily buy matching ties and accessories for the groomsmen.

The Curveball: I stumbled upon this Pretty Penelope Dress from the French Connection on one of my favorite blogs and instantly fell in love. It was the only exception to the rule that our bridesmaid dress would be green, because of the neutral, nude pink, which I LOVE. Not to mention, it looked absolute stunning next to pictures of my dress (seriously, y’all). So, I added it in the list of options just to get my girls’ opinions, and sure enough, they all loved it. The problem? The price. It’s $269. A little too much, and without having the option to try it on, it was a no-go. Not all is a loss, though. I think I’ll be ordering it to wear at one of our pre-wedding events. Yes, please!

In the end, we picked the Alfred Angelo gown!!

Well, I should say that my bridesmaids picked it. I sent them an email with pictures of all the options above pictured next to my dress, and included an estimate of the of prices. I asked each BM to reply with their favorite three (out of 16; not all are seen here), and from those votes, we complied a list of our top four. Another email went out with those picks, and each girl replied with their favorite, and this was it!

SCORE!

I love checking things off my list.

How did your girls decide on a bridesmaid dress?  Did you ask them to vote? How many options did you give them (or did they give you)?