Cheap Bridesmaid Dresses.

You try to juggle what you want with what the bridesmaids will feel comfortable in (but bear in mind you will never be able to keep everyone happy and you have the final say!)

You should start to look for the bridesmaids dresses as early as possible, ideally as soon as you have arranged your wedding dress. Many suppliers will have varying lead times, so always check these out.

You will need to allow adequate time for alterations so aim to have them around two months before your wedding date (this should allow enough time for two fittings/alterations).

At this point you have several options:

• Buy on the high street: This is usually the cheaper option plus you don't have the big lead times as you can buy them straight off the shelf. There will however be a more limited number of styles and colours available.

  If you're looking for cheap bridesmaid dresses on the high street it is a good idea to do a quick reconnaissance mission of the choices so you can narrow your selection down to three or four choices.

  Once you have done this you should bring a few of the bridesmaids or the maid/matron of honour to get their opinion. It’s always a good idea to give your bridesmaids some input (especially if they are paying for their own dresses).

• Buy from a bridal shop: Usually more expensive than buying on the high street but you will get a larger selection with lots of different colour choices. When going down this route remember you will need to get bridesmaids measured at the shop as each suppliers sizing charts may not be the same and a size 12 with one supplier may not be a 12 with another.

  You should also always order all the dresses at once, that way you will be sure that the fabric will all come from the same batch and you will be sure the colours will match perfectly.

Whichever route you decide to go down you should always consider your bridesmaids’ individual sizes, shapes and colourings. After all you want them to all feel comfortable on the day, and if you force a larger bridesmaid into a tight dress beside several thin bridesmaids she is not going to feel particularily comfortable.

What I am trying to say is get dresses that your bridesmaids will feel comfortable in and do take their feelings into consideration. More and more brides are opting to have the bridesmaid dresses in the same colour but different styles. Alternatively, the same style of dress in different but complementary colours. That way everyone is happy, (if that's possible!)

Always bear in mind that it is possible that one or more of your bridesmaids could get pregnant between now and the wedding, so when ordering the dresses check if a maternity option is available in the same or similar colour/style. Having all the bridesmaids in the same style of dress is not a necessity, as long as they all look good together.

Final Pointers on the big day:

1. Consider things that could potentially dirty the dresses - some flowers can stain (your florist can advise you and remove the offending parts). As a rule you should assume that everything can dirty the dresses, such as car doors, venue doors and the floor/ground, so always lift the dress and get the bridesmaids to do the same when walking from location to location (bring some “spot remover” just in case).
2. Check the venue has an iron and ironing board (or bring your own).
3. Get your and your bridesmaids’ hair and make up done before putting the dresses on OR use a towel to cover the dresses.
4. Use an effective antiperspirant and deodorant (antiperspirant will stop you sweating and the deodorant will mask any odour if the antiperspirant fails). The day will be very long and you will be dancing a lot!

So, follow my simple steps above and you should have a relatively pain free experience while picking and ordering your cheap bridesmaid dresses.

Related Articles:
Cheap Wedding Dresses.
Wedding Party Gifts.

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