Cost-Cutting Tips for Bridesmaids
As promised, here are some cost-cutting tips for bridesmaids.
Shop everywhere. Don't just shop in bridal stores. A dress doesn't have to be labeled "bridesmaid dress." Many dresses can work. Look in department stores or online stores. Look under "evening wear" or "cocktail dresses" or "party dresses." Many dresses are fancy enough to be a bridesmaid dress but without the price tag. I was in a wedding party where the bridesmaids wore black, so we all got out our LBDs (little black dresses). Okay, so I ended up buying another LBD - maybe two. Can you blame me? It's a wardrobe staple that I still wear today!
Shop the sales/clearance. This is a harder route because not all colors and sizes are available, and there's not a lot of dresses left in stock. For a big bridal party, this option may not be the best way to go, but it's worth a shot. You may just get lucky. Or you may not, so read on.
Start early. Hopefully - and I'm hoping really hard for all you bridesmaids out there - you have a lot of time to go dress shopping. The more time you have to pick a dress, the more time you can save to buy that dress. It's harder to shell out at least $250 for a dress with only a month or two's notice. But if you know you're going to be a bridesmaid months ahead, you can save at least $50 every month. And when it's time to go dress shopping, you're not worrying about cost. You may even have money left over for shoes and accessories or hair and makeup.
Consider credit programs. Some stores, like David's Bridal, offer a credit program with zero interest for the first few months. You can pay off your dress month by month. We don't like this option, but it's out there so we're going to let you know about it. WARNING! Be careful with opening credit cards. If you don't pay them off right away, you'll start acquiring interest and possible other fees. So if you have, for example, 6 months of zero interest to pay off the dress, pay off the dress in 6 months. We don't want any chismosas in debt. Capisce?
Share and borrow accessories. Now let's talk costs beyond the dress, because the dress isn't the only thing bridesmaids will pay for. Let's talk accessories. You don't have to buy new accessories, unless the bride is dead on specific. Get the bridesmaids together and borrow each others accessories. The other ladies might have something you can wear and vice versa. Of course, you're not limited to borrowing from inside the bridal party. Your mom might have the pearls you're looking for, or your friend might have the earrings you need. Just make sure to return anything you borrow.
The same can be said for shoes. Just make sure you don't ruin any shoes you borrow. So if you have wide feet (like I do), then don't borrow from a friend who doesn't because you'll end up stretching her shoes. If you're going to do some major dancing during the reception, you might want to bring an extra pair of your own dancing shoes if the shoes you borrowed are for looks only. Dancing can scuff and ruin shoes if you're not careful. If the wedding and/or reception is outside, you must be extra careful not to get sand, mud, grass stains, and other particulates on the borrowed shoes. You never know if it can be cleaned off completely later on. Remember to take care of your friends' things like you would want them to take care of yours.
Make use of your friends' talents. Getting a mani-pedi and your hair & makeup done can put a dent on your wallet. But more and more chismosas are learning to do these things on our own, and do it well. So ask your friends to help you out. They would probably be happy to take their skills on the next level. You might even be good at something yourself. Swap skills. You might be very good at making pretty up-dos, while another bridesmaid is good at makeup. One might be good at doing nails while someone else has an eye for trimming eyebrows.
One of the biggest mistakes is to disregard a friend's free skills for a professional just because the professional has the title and business license. A chismosa who knows how to do makeup well got married a year ago. She had a consultation with a professional makeup artist and hated it. She also hated the price, but the expectation to hire a professional for your wedding is strong. With encouragement, she did her own bridal makeup and she looked flawless. She already knows her style and she's got all the tools. So why go to someone else?
Another chismosa got married. One of her bridesmaids had a close friend who likes to style hair for fun. That friend did the bride's hair beautifully. She was willing to do it for free, but the bride gave her a small monetary gift as a thank you.
Don't automatically go to a professional. Many chismosas can actually build a business with their hobbies, but don't. Go to them. They might to do it for free, but we'd give them a small monetary gift to show our appreciation. Plus, with the hundreds of tutorials out there, it's almost impossible to mess up. Get the chismosas together, swap skills, and save money.
Since we're talking about skills, let's jump back to dresses quickly. Most bridesmaids will have to alter their dresses. There are chismosas out there with mad sewing skills, but to rely on one person to alter everyone's dresses is too much work for that chismosa. Pay her. Especially if she's a bridesmaid herself. And don't ever ask her to alter anything last minute. That's just stress. Alterations can be costly, but if you ask around, you can find someone who isn't as expensive (like someone working out of their homes, or does it as a side business). We found a seamstress who would alter our dresses for less than $20.
Get a cosmetics counter make over. Another option is going to a beauty counter for a make over. For the price of a few of their products, they will give you a make over. Just make an appointment and tell them what event you're going to. Remember to be courteous, and to say thank you. Ask questions to take advantage of their knowledge. And please, please, please. Don't screw them over by buying only one lipstick. Though you don't have to, it's only polite to buy something in return for your make over. And if they spend a lot of time on you, it's only polite to buy more than one - or the cheapest - item.
We recommend buying at least the lipstick, the powder, and a makeup tool or an eye product (the shadows, the liner, or the mascara). Here's why. Throughout the day of the big event, these are the products you'll need to have at hand. You'll need to re-apply that lipstick, especially after dinner. You'll need the powder to blot away any shine, especially before any photo sessions. And you'll need the tool to re-apply your make-up. And/or you'll need to re-apply eye products in case they smear, smudge, or get wiped off from any tears you might cry (or sweat from running around, the lights or the dancing).
We would go to a MAC counter, but that's just us. When figuring out which counter to get your makeover from, consider which products you prefer. Also, look at the makeup artists at the counter. Whose makeup do you like? Go to them.
Lastly, to save money, be honest from the beginning. Bridesmaids pay for a lot, including chipping in for the bridal shower and/or bachelorette party. Be honest to the bride or the MOH about your finances from the very beginning. Everyone understands financial straints, and they will work with you. If they don't understand or won't consider your financial situation, then it's not worth to be in that bridal party. Friends understand and friends help out.
So chismosas, it doesn't take a lot of money to have a beautiful wedding or event. Shop around, be creative, get together, and be honest about what you can and cannot afford.
Shop everywhere. Don't just shop in bridal stores. A dress doesn't have to be labeled "bridesmaid dress." Many dresses can work. Look in department stores or online stores. Look under "evening wear" or "cocktail dresses" or "party dresses." Many dresses are fancy enough to be a bridesmaid dress but without the price tag. I was in a wedding party where the bridesmaids wore black, so we all got out our LBDs (little black dresses). Okay, so I ended up buying another LBD - maybe two. Can you blame me? It's a wardrobe staple that I still wear today!
Shop the sales/clearance. This is a harder route because not all colors and sizes are available, and there's not a lot of dresses left in stock. For a big bridal party, this option may not be the best way to go, but it's worth a shot. You may just get lucky. Or you may not, so read on.
Consider credit programs. Some stores, like David's Bridal, offer a credit program with zero interest for the first few months. You can pay off your dress month by month. We don't like this option, but it's out there so we're going to let you know about it. WARNING! Be careful with opening credit cards. If you don't pay them off right away, you'll start acquiring interest and possible other fees. So if you have, for example, 6 months of zero interest to pay off the dress, pay off the dress in 6 months. We don't want any chismosas in debt. Capisce?
Share and borrow accessories. Now let's talk costs beyond the dress, because the dress isn't the only thing bridesmaids will pay for. Let's talk accessories. You don't have to buy new accessories, unless the bride is dead on specific. Get the bridesmaids together and borrow each others accessories. The other ladies might have something you can wear and vice versa. Of course, you're not limited to borrowing from inside the bridal party. Your mom might have the pearls you're looking for, or your friend might have the earrings you need. Just make sure to return anything you borrow.
Make use of your friends' talents. Getting a mani-pedi and your hair & makeup done can put a dent on your wallet. But more and more chismosas are learning to do these things on our own, and do it well. So ask your friends to help you out. They would probably be happy to take their skills on the next level. You might even be good at something yourself. Swap skills. You might be very good at making pretty up-dos, while another bridesmaid is good at makeup. One might be good at doing nails while someone else has an eye for trimming eyebrows.
One of the biggest mistakes is to disregard a friend's free skills for a professional just because the professional has the title and business license. A chismosa who knows how to do makeup well got married a year ago. She had a consultation with a professional makeup artist and hated it. She also hated the price, but the expectation to hire a professional for your wedding is strong. With encouragement, she did her own bridal makeup and she looked flawless. She already knows her style and she's got all the tools. So why go to someone else?
Another chismosa got married. One of her bridesmaids had a close friend who likes to style hair for fun. That friend did the bride's hair beautifully. She was willing to do it for free, but the bride gave her a small monetary gift as a thank you.
Don't automatically go to a professional. Many chismosas can actually build a business with their hobbies, but don't. Go to them. They might to do it for free, but we'd give them a small monetary gift to show our appreciation. Plus, with the hundreds of tutorials out there, it's almost impossible to mess up. Get the chismosas together, swap skills, and save money.
Since we're talking about skills, let's jump back to dresses quickly. Most bridesmaids will have to alter their dresses. There are chismosas out there with mad sewing skills, but to rely on one person to alter everyone's dresses is too much work for that chismosa. Pay her. Especially if she's a bridesmaid herself. And don't ever ask her to alter anything last minute. That's just stress. Alterations can be costly, but if you ask around, you can find someone who isn't as expensive (like someone working out of their homes, or does it as a side business). We found a seamstress who would alter our dresses for less than $20.
Get a cosmetics counter make over. Another option is going to a beauty counter for a make over. For the price of a few of their products, they will give you a make over. Just make an appointment and tell them what event you're going to. Remember to be courteous, and to say thank you. Ask questions to take advantage of their knowledge. And please, please, please. Don't screw them over by buying only one lipstick. Though you don't have to, it's only polite to buy something in return for your make over. And if they spend a lot of time on you, it's only polite to buy more than one - or the cheapest - item.
We would go to a MAC counter, but that's just us. When figuring out which counter to get your makeover from, consider which products you prefer. Also, look at the makeup artists at the counter. Whose makeup do you like? Go to them.
Lastly, to save money, be honest from the beginning. Bridesmaids pay for a lot, including chipping in for the bridal shower and/or bachelorette party. Be honest to the bride or the MOH about your finances from the very beginning. Everyone understands financial straints, and they will work with you. If they don't understand or won't consider your financial situation, then it's not worth to be in that bridal party. Friends understand and friends help out.
So chismosas, it doesn't take a lot of money to have a beautiful wedding or event. Shop around, be creative, get together, and be honest about what you can and cannot afford.
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