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Meghan
Savvy May 2020

Bridesmaids upset about price of their dresses

Meghan, on August 7, 2019 at 9:55 AM Posted in Wedding Attire 0 89
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I just ordered my wedding dress last week and wanted to start looking for bridesmaid dresses. We ended up trying on 45+ dresses and there was one 1 that realllly stood out to me that I loved! I tried to stay within a reasonable price range but really wanted something that went well with my dress. The price of the dress is $179 so I messaged the girls who werent able to attend to let them know (my wedding is in 10 months) so they have a few months to save. One of the girls replied "Omg you're killing me" and I know another one is a little salty about it but I reallly really love these dresses. I don't know what to do.. I feel like they should have known when they said yes to being in the wedding. We spent over $2k on my dress and I really don't feel like I'm asking all that much, they have a few months before they even have to order them. What do I do?!

89 Comments

Latest activity by Leticia, on August 8, 2019 at 2:20 PM
  • Allie
    Master August 2019
    Allie ·
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    Did you discuss budget with them beforehand?

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  • Arkilia
    Super November 2021
    Arkilia ·
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    I agree with the pp did you discuss budget? Have you thought about maybe going to look at dresses with them?
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  • Meghan
    Savvy May 2020
    Meghan ·
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    Not necessarily. When they couldn't make an apt I would send them contenders along with price and they never mentioned anything about it being too high. It was always them saying they loved the dress. I guess I kind of assumed they would have said something when I was sending them dress pictures around $140-160. All I got back was positive feed back or color scheme ideas.
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  • Cyndy
    Master May 2019
    Cyndy ·
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    If you did not discuss budget with them I could see why they may be a bit upset. As I’m sure you know the dress is not the only expense they will incur for your wedding and keeping that in mind when choosing things will go a long way with them. I think there are a lot of places you can find less expensive alternative dresses that will still look beautiful for your special day
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  • LB
    Champion November 2016
    LB ·
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    What you spent on your wedding dress is completely irrelevant.

    You should have discussed the dress budget with each BM individually before going dress shopping.

    Is there a less expensive dress you can offer as an option? I agree with BM, $180 is expensive. I had a bride push a $300 dress on me as a BM and her being so inconsiderate has changed her relationship with a lot of the BMs.

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  • Jessica
    VIP June 2020
    Jessica ·
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    You should have asked them all what their price range/ budget for a dress was. I get that you want something that looks nice with your dress but that's a little steep of a price. I'd be salty too.

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  • Yam
    VIP September 2019
    Yam ·
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    If your chosen dress is out of their price range then help them pay for it. Some brides pay for the BM dresses anyway. If it’s too expensive for you, it’s too expensive for them.
    If you’re dead set on this dress try to find it cheaper elsewhere. Is it a popular brand or style?
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  • Kelly
    VIP October 2020
    Kelly ·
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    If you didn't ask them what they could afford that is on you. Personally I think nearly $200 on a dress to wear once is extravagant to being with.
    I intend on paying for my bridesmaids dresses to avoid this problem.
    You should discuss their budgets, in private individual chats or calls, and work with the lowest budget.
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  • Sarah
    Master September 2019
    Sarah ·
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    I don’t understand why the cost of your dress matters. I’ve paid less than $100 for a BM dress when the bride has worn a 3k+ gown before. They aren’t relevant to each other. If you didn’t ask for budgets and they’re saying this is out of theirs, you really only have two options:

    1. Help them pay for it
    2. Find a different dress

    i suppose you could demand they buy this one, but I wouldn’t expect them to remain friends with you if you take that approach.
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  • M
    Legend June 2019
    Melle ·
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    I do think that's a lot for a dress. I'd ask them what they're all able to spend and then pay the difference.
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  • needmorewine
    Expert May 2016
    needmorewine ·
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    The price of your dress is completely irrelevant.

    You should have first asked them individually what their max budget was for their dresses and only looked at dresses within the lowest amount. Your options now are to look for other dresses within their budget or to pay the difference between the cost of this dress and what they can afford.

    While people should expect there to be some cost involved when being part of a bridal party, they are the ones who decide how much they are willing to spend. Costs shouldn't be dictated to them.

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  • Dianna
    Just Said Yes April 2024
    Dianna ·
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    I found my wedding dress for 110$ at David’s bridal it’s very simple but I love it and my bridesmaids found their dresses at Walmart for $17 of course I’m not going super out the way for a big or expensive wedding. Our honeymoon to the Bahamas is our main focus.
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  • Meghan
    Savvy May 2020
    Meghan ·
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    Thank you for all the feedback. I'm going to talk to the girls individually and try to find a range everybody is comfortable with!
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  • MrsD
    Legend July 2019
    MrsD ·
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    Did you ask them what their budget was prior to choosing the dress? I've been in two weddings, the first dress cost $60 and the second $120. $180 is a lot of money for a dress. My dress cost 2k with $700 in alterations and I still gave the girls an option of an $89 dress.

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  • Colleen
    Master September 2019
    Colleen ·
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    You should ask them budget before hand.
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  • Caytlyn
    Legend November 2019
    Caytlyn ·
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    You should have asked for their budgets before choosing a dress. Almost $200 is expensive for a bridesmaid dress, especially considering they’ll likely need alterations.
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  • Sara
    Devoted April 2020
    Sara ·
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    I gave my girls a wide variety of dresses to pick from, we’re using Azazie, and the most expensive one is $139. I even felt bad about that. I know that everyone has families, will need to pay for hotels in my case and theres always more expenses being in a wedding so I’m trying to cut costs for them in every way possible. Maybe just have an honest convo with them and see what is doable with everyone and go from there.
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  • Kaleka
    Devoted September 2019
    Kaleka ·
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    Hello Megan reading some of the comments I see the advice, but I also feel that as brides and women we tend to "chew each other other out" over simple advice. I do agree with talking to all the girls regarding a budget. I did this with all my ladies and we agreed on a budget of $150 and under and a style dress from David's Bridal for their dresses. 3 of them bought their dress during a sale and saved a $40 (they paid $140), but my MOH waited last minute to buy her dress and paid $170 for her dress. I would also say try to look on Azazie.com, they have a great selection of dresses to choose from in varies styles. Wishing you the best.
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  • Cassi
    Super October 2019
    Cassi ·
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    Different approach you could let everyone choose their own dresses. Decide a length and color and let them choose the style that fits their bodies and budgets. My girls all very in size and have different budgets (2 teachers, one stay at home mom, one girl working three jobs and 2 new moms). I wanted more than anything for them to be comfortable and not break the bank. One of my good friends got married (we had just become friends at this point) a few years ago and when I attended the wedding I remember thinking how hideous the BM dresses were so all things to take into consideration. Also like pp's said:


    you can ask budgets and pay difference or offer multiple dress selections or find a new dress that falls within budget.

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  • Katie
    Savvy September 2019
    Katie ·
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    Hi Meghan,
    I can’t believe some of the comments on here! When they said yes to being a bridesmaid they knew what they were signing up for! I don’t think $179 is unreasonable, especially if it’s the dress that you love. My bridesmaids dresses were $140 and they were all of our favorites. If it was $200-300 I would say that is a bit ridiculous, but that is the cost of nice dresses these days. Is there another area that you can save them money with, such as shoes? I told my bridesmaids they can wear whatever shoes they prefer, and that saved them money. Try to find a happy balance and don’t settle. You can’t make everyone happy.
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