Tuesday, January 18, 2011

Dressing up the Ladies: the Search Begins

I'm not gonna lie, I was a little concerned about starting to look for bridesmaid dresses.  One of my girls is really not into girly stuff, and I thought finding a formal dress she liked would be pretty challenging.

I was pleasantly surprised to find that both of my girls are much more concerned with my wants than theirs though I still really want to find a dress that they like.  And today, we were able to find several that could work which was much more than I was hoping for.

Before we started shopping, I sat them down just to talk about what I expected from them and what I really do not give a shit about.  They thought this was hilarious.  Apparently, I was a little too organized about this, but I've heard sooooooooo many people suggest that you make your intentions clear in the beginning to avoid problems, so I'm glad I did it.  Besides, it gave them a laugh.

Then it was off to the bridal salon.

I have no idea where my taste in bridesmaid dresses came from.  It certainly isn't my taste for myself.  But for some reason I've been looking at form-fitting halter dresses with flowy bits on one side.  Fortunately, this works for the girls anyway because neither of them wants a strapless dress, and they seem to be attracted to similar kinds of dresses.

Our first shopping trip yielded these:




*All Personal Photos

I apologize for the poor picture quality, but I was taking them on the fly.  We especially like the last two, and despite Megan's face in the last one, that was probably the favorite of the day.  Though we also really liked number two, especially because it was already in the right color (I never could separate the current color from the dress in my head), and it's got the flowy bit on the side that I like.

It was a good first start, but I get the feeling we aren't going to get the dresses at a bridal salon.  Department store dresses and formal dresses are just so much cheaper, and above all else, I do not want this wedding to be a financial burden on my bridesmaids.  So the plan is to check out some of the cheaper stores like David's Bridal and Alfred Angelo, and then scour the racks for prom and formal dresses that will make things a bit easier for them.

But for now, don't they look awesome?

5 comments:

  1. They're all pretty, especially the first one! It might work to write down the name of the dress and try to find it online. I remember how annoying it was going dress shopping when one of my bridesmaids was in England, the other two in SoCal, leaving only two in the Bay Area. I really appreciate David's Bridal for that. It was so easy for the girls to go in wherever they were and just give them my name, then find a dress in the right size. It was so hard for me to find 5 dresses in appropriate sizes at any one store, so David's Bridal was the only choice for us. They weren't too expensive either, only around $150, if I remember correctly. Also, they always have good deals, like if you also rent tuxes from them, the fourth one is free, or something.

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  2. Love that last one! I agree though, you can find much better and cheaper stuff at department stores. Have a fun search!

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  3. Since you only have two girls to dress, I agree that a department store might be a good option. The challenge, though, is finding a dress you like in the color you want - dept. store dresses only come in one (or a few) colors each.

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  4. NicoleDenise sent me to your website when I asked on behalf of my daughter's friend about how she kept costs down at her wedding. I've really enjoyed both her post and yours. For bridesmaids' dresses, have you tried the Jessica McClintock outlet in San Franciso? My girls and their friends have gotten some amazing ball gowns and dinner dresses there for amazingly cheap, and they usually have lots in the same color.

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  5. Sorry, "Nicole DenEse."

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