Bridesmaid Dress Costs

[Complicated Woman]

Okay, here is the thing: my friend keeps balking at the cost of the bridesmaid dresses I suggest to her. Everything I've found is in the $150 - $175 price range. Am I being crazy, or is that about what bridesmaid dresses cost?

Just wondering what you all spent/are spending on yours and if I'm actually way out of the ballpark.

[cru5h]

I'd be shooting for $100 or less if she's not the type to ever buy herself something more expensive. If she's got other evening gowns or nice tea-length dresses, then I'd wonder what her problem is. But either way, I'd ask what her budget is so I can shoot for that. If it's something entirely unreasonable and it compromised the "look" I was going for I would tell her what I want, if she can't agree with it she needs to step down. This isn't the only expense of being a bridesmaid. If I was ever asked in the near-future I'd have to decline due to the money involved.

I don't know what ettiquette is on this, but *I* think about my bridesmaid and what I think she could afford, then I keep that in mind. At the same time I don't want her to only be able to wear this dress once, so with that said, there's a greater chance of the price being higher.

In other words, I don't know what to tell you LOL

[CupieJen]

I voted $100 or less because my mom made them. I think they probably ended up costing around $50-75 each (just for fabric & materials)...but she spent TONS of time making them. They were very intricate dresses!

For my sister's wedding I think the dresses were around $130, but I'm not sure becuase my mom paid for mine (I was still in college).

While I think it's AVERAGE to pay around $150-175 for a BM dress, you can totally find gorgeous dresses for $100 or less. check out bridesave.com (or .net, can't remember) they have some cute & cheap BM dresses on there.

[Jacqueline]

i have no idea what it is in $ , but on my sister dress we spent £60 and on the other girls we spent £12 each

[TheaterDiva1]

I think mine came out to around $120-130, plus up to $50 for alterations, and another $65 for shoes (that's including the cost of dyeing).

[bebe]

The BM dresses I selected for my wedding were $110. The dress I bought for my sisters wedding in 2004 was $150. I am in 2 weddings this year and I only know about 1 dress so far. Separates from David's Bridal. The bride has encouraged us all to buy them from ebay (we will all wear the same skirt with our choice of matching top.) I haven't been able to find my size on ebay, but I know some of the other girls have and they have paid anywhere from $20 - $40 dollars for their ensemble. If I buy mine brand new from DB, the skirt is $79 and the tops run from $59 - $89.

[Cirig]

The dress my cousin chose from DB cost around $150- after shipping it came to about $175. Personally- I'm just glad I didn't choose the dress. This way I can't be in your position. I'm sorry she's complaining about the $$.

[ljeagle]

My mother is making my BM's dresses. Fabric and every thing will be about $50 a dress. She won't charge them to make it. If she was making it for someone else it should would charge $50 plus cost of fabric...

[Marrying_the_Good_Husband]

I'm a big bargain shopper. I would purposefully NOT buy a "bridesmaid's dress" from a bridal shop and instead look for nice evening dresses (preferably on sale) off the rack elsewhere. I believe my first wedding I got the bridesmaid dresses for like $60. It was right before Christmas, so all the "holiday prom" type dresses were on sale. This time I'm not having bridesmaids, but since I got my WEDDING dress for less than $70, you better belive I would look for cheap BM dresses, too.

[ljeagle]

CW why don't u look after prom season. They have some good sales!!!

[Complicated Woman]

I think part of why I'm frustrated is she also wants a dress she could wear again, and she has all kinds of style requirements -- can't be an empire waist, can't be silky and sit on her tummy, etc etc. Everything I find that is well made enough to flatter her figure and wearable is more $$ than she wants to spend. I need a miracle dress!! I don't mind helping her with the expense -- she's OOT and as it is we're paying for her hotel room. *Sigh* I don't know. She's always been a really good friend to me, even when I am difficult, so we'll make it work.

For those of you who spent way less, please keep sharing where I should look. I think you girls are great and I don't know how I'd plan this thing without you!!

[Marge129]

I think the BM's dresses my BM's wore were about $160. Personally, I liked on that was cheaper. But, I took my MOH shopping with me and she REALLY liked the more expensive one. Whatever... it was her money! lol

[Marrying_the_Good_Husband]

Sounds like she's being VERY difficult. Sorry to hear that. I got my wedding dress at smartbargains.com. It's very hit or miss with what they have, but they sell at a GREAT discount leftovers from department stores. I also would just periodically check bargain racks in department stores. Right now, they might have leftover holiday dresses on sale--or prepping up for Valentines' dances. As Leslie said, check them out around prom season. That's what I would do. Also, just google bridesmaids dresses or dresses or evening gowns, etc., until you can find sites with good prices.

[roseprincess]

my BM dresses were purchased at JCPenney, on sale, for $70 from their Formalwer dept. My MOH picked out her dress, she was dreading going shopping but we both fell for the same dress (she picked it out and when she showed it to me I knew it'd be stunning) and it was on sale for $150 at Macy's. I offered to help pay for it but she didn't let me.

I've also seen GREAT dresses at Nordstrom's Rack, do you have those in your area?

[SuzyBride]

I had mine made. $40 for the seamstress, $20 for fabric and notions, and then $40 for dyed shoes. BUT, I don't think the price you listed is too high at all. I have been in 2 weddings and paid about that for both. I think she is just being difficult!!!

[deputysgurl]

My BMs dresses are being made by FHs grandma. The only thing I am having to pay for is the fabric, which is around $40 per dress. I am sorry she is being so difficult. I just told my girls that since I am paying for them, I pretty much get to pick them.

[Sh@ks18]

My dress was $190 (MOH) and both the FB and i fell in love w/it. We werent sure if we should go for it until the lady said she'll give us 15% off if we bought it that day. So i placed my order, it came out to $170 w/tax.

I think theyre gonna make up that 15% discount during the alterations, but oh well, i love that dress.

For those who didnt see it in the other thread

http://www.billlevkoff.com/collectio....asp?dress=876

[555Ann555]

Originally Posted by Jacqueline

i have no idea what it is in $ , but on my sister dress we spent £60 and on the other girls we spent £12 each

Jaqueline where are you???

Just spotted you use £ That's the first time I've seen anyone else on here do that! Can you tell I'm all excited?

ETA: Sorry CW I got distracted there My BM's dress cost £70 so I guess that's about $110? or something like that... It's a black evening dress rather than an actual 'bridesmaid dress' they tend to bump up the rice of those totally outside my price range. Plus it's normal over here for the bride to pay and I still had to get my 2 FGirl's dresses...

[whiddle]

I gave my BM's the color and let them choose any dress they wanted in that color from David's Bridal. The lest expensive one was $95 and the most expensive was $150. Plus, they got a 15% discount because I bought my dress there. I let them wear their own silver shoes.

[ladedah]

mine were $170, I thought it was a little expensive at the time, but actually the BM picked them, so they were okay with the dress...

I think some of it comes from the fact that mine are basically black cocktail dresses, so they felt that the dress was "wearable"....

I think that formal dresses are just expensive in general.

[Jennifer]

My girls' dresses ranged from free to $120. I had them choose their own. It's risky...but it works out great for us.

[jessica3]

I haven't started picking out bridesmaides dresses yet, but when I was looking for a friends wedding the bridesmaids dresses were about $150. She decided to have us buy our shirts and we are wearing black skirts (that we already own). She got the shirts from a department store on sale for $20. My bridesmaides are going to be in one of three things in order to save money. 1) Prom dresses 2)shirt and skirt outfits or 3) dresses/ shirt & skirt outfits made by a friend of mine that is a profesional seamstress. she said she will do them for the price of fabric. I would see about finding a pattern that would look nice on her a someone that is good with a sewing machine and have it made for her.it is a cheap way to get a nice dress. just be careful who you have make the dress if you do it that way. It certainly isn't the time to try to be polite and let someone that isn't very good at sewing make it in order to not hurt feelings. You would hate it if the dress looked bad because it was poorly made. Just an idea.

[Steph]

I never made it to the altar but had to purchase BM dresses. I got them at DB and they were 110 I believe and 25 extra to purchase a shall for them.

I was in a wedding that had HORRENDOUS BM dresses and it was over 250 and we had to buy really expensive shoes. I was not happy about that.

The cool thing about the BM dresses in the past two years or so is that they could definitely be worn again for other occasions.

[Emily]

My BM's have said that they can afford to spend about £100 which is about $180 but I think we will get something for much cheaper, we are just going to go shopping and get something off the rack, most of the High Street stores will have something suitable - my girls are wearing black and we are going for a bit of a cocktail look so it will definitely be something they can wear again!

[feb-bride]

My bridesmaids' dresses cost less than $50 each, but all I had to pay for was fabric and notions (my step-mom made them).

The most I've ever spent on a bridesmaid dress (I've been in several weddings) is $100. It was $35 for the fabric/notions and $65 for the dressmaker's fee. The most I ever would spend is $150, and it would have to be for someone EXTREMELY close to me (only three people I know qualify, and two of them are already married).

Considering all of the limitations this bridesmaid is putting on you, I can see why you're having a hard time finding something in her price range (whatever that is). Since you're determined to make this work, you may want to offer to help her with the cost, and then that would be her gift for being in the wedding. So, if you're going to spend $50 per attendant for the bridesmaid gifts, you could put $50 towards her dress and then not buy her a separate gift. If you choose this option, let her know that a) you didn't offer this to anyone else so she needs to keep it quiet and b) that will be her gift for being in the wedding.

Good luck!