We started at David's Bridal. After I was finished trying on wedding dresses, they all tried on bridesmaids dresses but none of them found anything they really liked. They all decided a shorter dress was the way to go since we'd be outside in a garden in the summer. After David's Bridal didn't work out, we all went over to Nordstrom's Bridal Suite to try on dresses there. We only found one option that looked really good but it only came in one style and cost $250. I think that if you dictate what dress you want your bridesmaids to wear, then you should pay for their dresses. If you are just going to pick the color and they can pick their own style then it's okay for them to buy it. That's just how I feel people should go about it. To me, it doesn't make sense to ask someone to be in your wedding but then force them to shell out a ton of money on a dress you pick. Plus, everyone has different body types and what looks good on one person isn't going to look good on everyone.
One of my bridesmaids suggested a Target dress. Apparently Target started a bridesmaids dress line called Tevolio that's similar to J Crew bridesmaids dresses but only 1/5 of the cost. They had a few basic styles and a dozen or so colors for $55. They're only sold online but can be returned to any Target store within 90 days. She ordered the Chiffon Strapless in Shiny Plum. The material definitely looks cheaper than the Silk Chiffon J Crew dresses but the color was pretty and I figured that it would photograph really well. It fit what I was looking for and would save them all a ton of money. So, we decided to go with that. I told everyone to pick a Chiffon dress in the Shiny Plum in whatever style they wanted. The options were Strapless, Halter Neck, Illusion (which had a mesh top), V-Neck and Cap Sleeve. They had other styles in Satin and Taffeta but those materials are cheap and awful looking. Plus, they all had to be the same material in order to look cohesive. Everyone was able to order a dress they liked. The only problem was that Target would run out of everything very quickly. It was difficult for everyone to get the dress they wanted in their size. All but one of my bridesmaids had to get a size down or a size up (one even had to go two sizes up) because they just didn't have anything in stock. The Target dresses didn't restock for over a month but eventually when they finally did, my bridesmaids were able to get the correct sizes though it was still kind of a hassle. Plus, the prices on the dresses were raised to $69.99 by the time everything was re-stocked (though still cheaper than J Crew).
My wedding was very short notice, only about six months to plan and tell everyone. We only wanted to have a small intimate ceremony with our closest friends and relatives. One of my more recent friends who I'd met in pole class and had grown close to over the past two years was invited to the wedding but I didn't ask her to be in my bridal party because I thought it was too short notice. I mentioned that I would like her to be in it, however I wasn't sure if I was giving her enough time. She was very happy to be asked and excited to be a part of it but she only had a month to get her dress. At that time Target was out of absolutely every size and style of dress in the Shiny Plum color except the V-Neck. She didn't like the V-Neck style and I hated to make her spend money on a dress she didn't want but it was the only option. She bought it but decided to have it altered because she said it looked really bad on her. I diligently checked Target online every day to see if one of the other dresses she liked came back in stock. The alterations were going to be pricey so she wanted to wait until a week before to have them done. Literally a week before the wedding (the day she dropped off her dress for alterations), Target restocked the Strapless. It was cutting it very close and I wasn't sure if it was going to be shipped in time so I ordered it for her and shipped it directly to my house. She still had the V-Neck she could wear if it didn't make it in time. It arrived three days before the wedding. The size was perfect and everything worked out perfectly.
The night before the wedding, all my bridesmaids except the one that lived a few blocks away, slept over at my apartment. I hired hair and make up professionals to come to my apartment and get us ready early in the morning. Joe came to pick me up after I was ready and we left to meet the photographer while all my bridesmaids went out for lunch and met back up with us at the garden later for party pictures and the ceremony. I love all my friends so much and they're so important to me, I couldn't imagine getting married without them being there and it felt really special to have them be a part of my wedding. They were all so supportive and helpful all day and I feel truly blessed to have friends like them. Everything really was perfect and it was the happiest day of my life.
*Photo by Judy and Gavin Photography.
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