When asked to be in a wedding - after we tell our best friend how much we love them – our next thought is....what will the dress look like and how much will it cost?!  Bridesmaid dresses have a bad reputation (scenes from 27 Dresses flood the mind).  In truth, most dresses are quite beautiful!  Gone are the days when hats were every bridesmaid’s dreaded accessory, because today we welcome mix and match styles and cocktail dresses.

A girlfriend of mine is in two weddings this spring, and my mouth gaped open when I heard the price of her first bridesmaid dress…$250.00!  I understand that we all have dreams of that special day, but when those dreams have you AND your bridesmaids eating Ramen noodles for the next year, I think it is time the dream changes.  Many of us get married in our 20s, and the sad truth is we are busy paying off student loans and trying to land our dream job, not stashing away hundreds for bridesmaid dresses.

When planning my own wedding, I wanted to keep the budget under $100.00.  We were planning the wedding in just 5 months so there were limitations with ordering from a bridal boutique; the dresses were not only over my budget, but most required an extra charge to “rush” the order so they would arrive before our wedding day.  With the boutiques crossed off our list, my mom and I set out to the department stores.  Within a few weeks we found a navy dress in each girl’s size and a price tag of just $50.00.

So what should you keep in mind when picking out your bridesmaid dresses? Your girlfriends!  If your friends have more money than they know what to do with, then you can probably be free in your choices.  If they don’t, be sensitive to that.  If the    J Crew dress is a necessary part of the wedding, consider paying for the bridesmaid dresses, or even paying a portion of it so the price isn’t quite as high.  Think outside the box and visit local stores, department stores, or even choose a color and let your bridesmaids pick out their own dresses. Have fun with it!