Kelsey Tice Photography

Thanks to TLC’s “Say Yes to the Dress: Bridesmaids“, I was a little bit terrified to begin this process. Now, obviously, my bridesmaids are actually decent people…. I’m convinced that TLC only excepts the biggest divas in the world to be on their show. Nonetheless, it was still a little bit overwhelming to get everything figured out.

Obviously, the first step in finding the perfect dresses for your girls is deciding on a color… This is actually pivotal for the entire wedding planning process… The sooner you know the better. Now, I am a pink girl. I love EVERYTHING pink. Unfortunately, my sweet husband does not share the same love. In fact, he refuses to wear anything that is even close to the color pink and would not budge on this for the wedding. So there I was, a bride hopelessly in love with pink, having to figure out an alternative. Thankfully, I stumbled upon a color that I instantly fell in love with and knew it would be perfect for our bridesmaids. SANGRIA! I loved the richness of it, and it was definitely still a girl color.

The day that I tried on wedding dresses (and said YES! to the dress), I ventured with my mom, grandmother, and a few bridesmaids to David’s Bridal. I had seen a lot of their dresses from shooting weddings, so I was already pretty familiar with most styles. They had the exact color I wanted, but after having my girls try on a few different styles, I was just thinking, “meh”. I’m sure it has to do with the fact that I’ve been to so many weddings, but I just felt like I had already seen everything 1000 times.

The next weekend, I was walking through Dillard’s, on my way to another store, and I happened to pass by their women’s dress department. Not only were there racks upon racks of dresses on sale, but there was an additional sale happening that made all the sale prices an additional 60% off! Internet, you know I love a good sale, and thriftiness at its finest was happening right before my eyes. Somehow, like HALF of the dresses were the exact color that I wanted. In 10 minutes time, I was at the checkout counter with about 8 different dresses in various sizes… Bringing my total to around $700. Yeesh! I took the dresses home, had a few of my girls try them on to see how they looked and decided on the perfect dress:

Once I had decided on THE dress(by Kensie), I took all the rejects back and went CRAZY trying to find the 5 other dresses I needed. Between the two Dillard’s that are in Jacksonville, I found 4, and Dillard’s was able to find the last one I needed at a store in Alabama and had it shipped! Now, here is the best part… These dresses were originally $180, but the final price that my bridesmaids had to pay was $46 (plus a little bit of tax). FOURTY-SIX DOLLARS, internet! The only downside was that the Alabama Dillard’s wasn’t having the extra sale, so that one was like $95, I think. But still. GREAT deal! Yay for being thrifty!!!

I loved the final look of the dresses on the wedding day… The ruffle detail on the shoulder even matched my dress!

photo by Julie Cate Photography

Here’s some tips for brides on how to find the perfect bridesmaid dresses:

1. Yes, ultimately you get to make the decision on what dress to choose, but it’s not the worst idea to ask their opinions. Wedding days are usually longggg, and you don’t want your bridesmaids to be super uncomfortable the whole time. With that being said, don’t allow yourself to become super overwhelmed with too many opinions. As the bride, you do hold the trump card, so don’t worry too much about pleasing everyone! That’s basically an impossible task!

2. Talk through a budget with your bridesmaids ahead of time. Being a part of a wedding costs a lot of money… Dress, shoes, hair, makeup, jewelry, bridal shower gift, travel expenses, etc… It can really add up! Obviously, to most bridesmaids, the price will totally be worth being part of your big day, but it won’t hurt to let them know how much money they’ll have to be paying ahead of time.

3. Think outside of the box… David’s Bridal is great because they have locations all over the country, which is super convenient for out of town bridesmaids, but they’re not the only option! Check department stores at the mall, Forever 21, Target’s bridal line, or my favorite Ruche!

My picks from Ruche…
Morning Sunshine ($46.99), Pretty Pastel ($42.99), and Harmony ($79.99)

4. An awesome new trend is having bridesmaids in the same color palette but wearing different dresses. This is great because it allows each of your girls to pick their own dress, and the results are a unique, fun looking bridal party. If this is the route you choose, head to Lowe’s and pick up a few paint chips for your bridesmaids in the colors that you want your bridesmaids wearing… It gives them a super convenient and accurate reference point when shopping for their dress.

5. If you find a dress you really love, buy one for yourself! I was kicking myself for not getting one… It would have been perfect to wear on our honeymoon!

photos by Julie Cate Photography

Happy Wednesday! :)