As you plan your wedding, choosing bridesmaid dresses that are affordable and stylish may sound like a tremendous feat. You want your bridal party attendants to love the dress they’re in, but you also don’t want to pick something that’s too expensive. In this guide, we’ll show you the best places to shop bridesmaid dresses in every fit, style, and size to suit all bridesmaids PLUS I’ll reveal helpful tips to make sure bridesmaids don’t hate the dresses you pick. Let’s go!
How much should I look to spend when buying bridesmaid dresses?
What makes a cheap bridesmaid dress a good price when shopping? How much should you spend on bridesmaid dresses? As a rule of thumb, you’ll want to spend anywhere from $75 to $200 for an affordable bridesmaid dress. If you go above the $200 range, it can start to get expensive when you add in alterations. If you spend less than $75, make sure the shop has great reviews to back the quality before you buy.
Do I have to shop for bridesmaid dresses off the rack… or can I buy them all online?
You can shop online if you’d like! If you want to go to a bridal shop in-store, there are some great places to do so. Look locally for a bridal shop near you and call to make an appointment.
At-Home Try On
The most popular option is to do at-home try-on, which is a new-ish feature offered by Azazie. It’s a helpful way to shop because you can get dresses sent to your door, try them on, and see what works (and what doesn’t). You’ll also get a better visual for the color, so you know it’s a perfect match.
These shops listed below are terrific options that offer attire online for a great price.
Affordable Options for Every Budget
Great question! In this blog post, I’ll show you the best places to find the right dresses for your bridal party that are cheap but offer fantastic quality and rave reviews from bridesmaids.
1. Lulu’s: $79 to $129
I adore the quality yet low-priced bridesmaid dresses available at their shop. They have an incredible bridal and bridesmaid collection and I’ve bought many pieces of clothing from their store (and love it!) You’ll find cheap prices and on-trend styles. They offer standard to 3X sizing. Shop here.
Here are some of the most popular dresses in their Bridesmaid section:
2. Azazie, starting at $79
*AT-HOME TRY ON! (for certain styles)
Perfect for all lengths, sizes, styles, and silhouettes! I love their selection and pricing. They offer standard and plus sizes, plus at-home try on for certain styles. How convenient!
3. Petal + Pup, $79+
This affordable retailer is a popular choice in the wedding world! You’ll find affordable dresses and you can get swatches, try-on at home, and more. They’re not your average “bridesmaid” store, which makes their dresses really pretty and unique. I especially love their floral patterns this season.
4. AW Bridal, $89.99
Starting under $90, these stylish and affordable dresses for bridesmaids are available in many lengths and colors to suit your needs. Here are some of our top picks from their collection here.
5. Anthropologie, $198+
Although not known as the cheapest option for bridesmaids, you can find some really amazing deals in the bridesmaid section at Anthropologie Weddings. One major point is the quality here: you’ll find a dress your bridesmaids will likely wear multiple times, so that’s a huge plus. Here are just a few of the more affordable bridesmaid dresses from their shop.
Now that you know where to shop, let’s talk about how to make sure you’re uncovering the best dresses for your bridesmaids. Here’s our comprehensive guide to shopping for bridal party attire.
If you prefer, watch the video.
1. Make sure it’s flattering.
Give your bridesmaids the kind of dress YOU would want to wear! No one wants to wear an ugly dress.
2. Choose something that isn’t wildly expensive.
Don’t make them take out a loan to buy the dress! Kidding. But still, try to keep costs low on the bridesmaid dress. All of the examples shown on this list are perfectly affordably suggestions.
3. Select a dress they’ll wear again.
It’s not always easy to achieve this, but when you do… it’s magic. :) Try to pick a dress they’ll love so much they may actually get to wear again. Bonus points if it is elegant enough for the occasion, but not to fancy that it sits in their closet forever.
4. Know where to shop.
Buy your bridesmaid dresses from the top stores – all of which I’ve outlined here for you.
Here’s a shortlist to make shopping easy:
• Lulus
• Azazie
• AWBridal
Where do you plan to buy your bridesmaid dresses? Did these suggestions help? Tell me in the comment box below!