--Adapted from Bridal Bargains
Pop quiz: Can you name 10 ways to find bridesmaids' dresses that won't break the bank? (Bonus points for dresses that they'll actually like!) If you're a bride who's struggling with this age-old question, here are our top money-saving secrets for finding bridesmaids' gowns on a budget:
Check out package discounts. If you order your gown from a bridal shop, they may offer a discount if you order all the bridesmaids' dresses there as well. This discount can range from 10 percent to 20 percent. Sometimes this is negotiable, so ask.
Rent or buy secondhand. Resale and consignment shops often carry matching bridesmaids' gowns at attractive prices in a range of sizes. Rental stores rent bridesmaids' gowns at a fraction of retail prices. Stores that rent gowns include Formals Etc., with six stores in Louisiana that rent bridal gowns (for $200 to $275) and bridesmaids' dresses ($65). Call 318-640-3766 to find a location near you. In Boston, Teresa's Gowns (781-233-8737) rents wedding gowns ($100 and up) and bridesmaids ($50). The shop will even order a dress they don't stock for a $200 rental fee. If you live in Kansas City, check out An Alternative (1-888-761-8686 or 816-761-8686).
Call Discount Bridal Service. (800-874-8794 or www.discountbridalservice.com) With savings of up to 40 percent and dresses that are shipped directly to each bridesmaid, DBS is a convenient and affordable alterative. (For more on this service, check out Find Your Wedding Dress for Less.)
Avoid rush cuts. Bridesmaids' dresses are expensive enough when ordered at full retail. Add that extra ''rush'' fee (incurred when you order a dress less than two months before your wedding) and you'll see the price rise 20 percent. Don't delay making this decision as you plan the rest of your wedding.
Sew your own. What's a bridesmaid-style dress, anyway? A basic dress pattern with little detailing or fuss. And can't you just buy typical bridesmaid fabrics such as taffeta or crepe at a fabric store? We've heard from several brides who had their favorite aunt sew their bridesmaids' dresses. Although not a solution for everyone, it has its merits.
Next page: Money-saving secrets through the mail
Pick a dress, any dress. Instead of forcing all the bridesmaids to wear the same dress, just give them a color (a swatch is best) and then have them buy separate dresses. Sure, they won't exactly match in style, but who cares? Let the bridesmaids hit the department stores and find a style that they can wear again. (One tip: suggest to them a basic style or skirt length). Obviously you can't be a control freak to do this, but it might be worth a shot.
Surf the Web. As we discussed in the Find Your Wedding Dress for Less section, Websites now offer bridesmaids' dresses at a discount. The savings can be 20 percent to 50 percent off retail.
Check out department stores. Thanks to a change in fashion trends, hip bridesmaids' dresses now look much like the same offerings found in department stores. And those department stores offer much lower prices (and higher quality) than bridal shops. One reader pointed out that Bloomingdale's has many bridesmaid-looking dresses available off-the-rack or orderable in different colors, sizes and lengths. She hit a sale and got her dresses from just $60. Even if you pay full price (about $100 to $200 at most stores), you can at least try on several styles, colors and sizes right in the store. And you don't have to wait for an eternity for an order to get in; most department stores will track down different colors and sizes at nearby locations.
Buy the gloves at a discount. Don't pay high retail prices for bridesmaids' gloves. We found a mail-order outfit, Discount Gloves (1-800-484-7208, ext. 3622, or www.bridalgloves.com), that offers a 20 percent to 30 percent discount off nationally advertised gloves. It works like Discount Bridal Service: To identify the gloves, give them the page number of a magazine ad or the bridesmaid dress info (style, color, etc.), and they do the rest. Most full-length gloves (made by the same companies advertised in bridal magazines) are only $20 a pair. And there is no charge for shipping or, if you're outside New York state, sales tax.
Do it by mail. Who says you have to order a bridesmaids' dress from a bridal shop? The best bargains are often from mail-order catalogs such as Talbot's (which also has its own stores; call 1-800-882-5268), Bloomingdale's by Mail (1-800-777-0000), Spiegel (1-800-345-4500) and Chadwick's of Boston (1-800-525-6650). Another key advantage to mail order: returns. Get in a size that doesn't fit? A flaw in the dress? Most catalogs have a ''no hassle'' return policy that makes exchanges a snap. Contrast that with some bridal retailers whose attitude when something goes wrong is, ''Tough -- even if all the sizes are wrong, you ordered those hot fuchsia dresses with butt-bows on a non-returnable basis, honey.''
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