Weddingbee Blog

I wish all wedding-related decisions were as easy as picking out the bridesmaids’ dresses was for me. Before I officially asked my girls to be a part of our wedding (more on that later), I chose the dresses for them to wear and asked them to buy them. Yeah, I KNOW, but let me explain.

I have been enamored with J.Crew bridesmaids’ dresses for quite a while. Their dresses are well made, use fabulous fabrics, and come in great colors. But I didn’t like just any dress: I was smitten with a particular dress.

J.Crew

I may or may not have (but definitely did) fall in love with this dress after seeing Mrs. Cherry Pie’s fabulous ladies wear them at her wedding. I mean, seriously, how pretty is this?!

Photos by Piknik Studios via Weddingbee

These dresses are equal parts casual and formal and, most importantly, they can be worn again.

Then, one fateful day a few months after getting engaged, I was perusing the J.Crew website when I noticed that the pretty vintage burgundy color I was coveting was being discontinued.* I wrote a lightning-fast email to all my girls asking if they liked them and whether we should order them. At this point, our wedding was more than a year away and I was worried about ordering the dresses prematurely.

But, these dresses were CHEAP. As in less than $60. With shipping. Since all of my girls are either in grad school or recent graduates, this was a huge bonus. The ladies ordered them, and we have waited patiently for the dresses to arrive at their respective doors.

So far, half of the ladies have received their dresses and love them (or at least that is what they tell me). I am keeping my fingers crossed the dresses work for the other girls as well. And, since we decided on the bridesmaids’ dresses so early, we have ample time to decide on shoes and accessories! Yesssss!

I am a little sad we didn’t get to have the traditional bridesmaids’-dress-shopping experience, but coordinating a time that worked with busy ladies who live out of state, are in the middle of medical rounds, and are busy with their own lives would be nearly impossible. I think my girls are thankful for the time and money saved, and I got to cross something off my ever-expanding to-do list. Win-win-win.

Was your bridesmaids’-dress shopping simple or stressful? Did you find any great deals?

*At the time we ordered the dresses, it appeared that the vintage burgundy color was going to be discontinued, but J.Crew has never removed the vintage burgundy color from their lineup.