Wedding Planner Q&A – Paying For Bridesmaid Dresses
Wednesday, November 18th, 2009
Posted in Planning Advice , Wedding Planner Q&A
In our weekly Wedding Planner Q&A we look at how to deal with common anxieties, questions and problems that often crop up when you’re planning a wedding. Today I’m offering advice on paying for bridesmaids’ outfits.
Do we have to buy the outfits for our bridesmaids? We’re on quite a tight budget and paying for their dresses means we can’t have some of the other things we would like on the day.
Most couples do offer to pay for their attendants’ attire. Bridesmaid dresses can be quite expensive, and many brides feel it isn’t fair to ask their friends to be involved in their day and then have to find the money for a special outfit. Depending on your friends’ personal situations, you may end up putting them in a position where they feel they can’t be a bridesmaid just because they can’t afford to pay for their dress.
If you’re on a tight budget I would suggest looking for outfits on the high street. Stores like Debenhams , Coast , Oasis and Monsoon stock some beautiful dresses that would be ideal for a wedding, and they’ll probably cost much less than a dress from a bridal boutique. Going down this route also means that your friends will probably end up with an outfit that they can wear again, rather than a gown that they will get no further use from.
It’s often the accessories that can push the overall price up, so you could ask your bridesmaids to buy their own shoes, giving them a guide to the style and/or colour you would like them to wear. Most people will be happy to do this, as they can choose something that is comfortable and that they can wear again.
If you feel that you have no alternative but to ask your girls to buy their own outfits, make sure you explain your reasons to them. You also need to accept that you may have less of a say over what they wear on the day, as they probably won’t want to pay for a dress that they haven’t chosen themselves. Give them a guide to the style and colour you would like them to wear so that they can find an outfit that they are both happy with and that complements your wedding style. Having your bridesmaids wear different dress styles allows them to express their individuality and will mean they are totally happy and comfortable on the day.
If you have a question you’d like to share, drop me an e-mail at with “ Wedding Planner Q&A ” as the title, and I’ll be sure to feature it here on the blog.
