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Budgeting for a wedding can be stressful at the best of times, and often it can be tricky to stick to a budget and plan the wedding that you desire. Therefore, it is important to cut costs where possible and find affordable wedding options.
An area where money can be saved is when looking for bridesmaid dresses, as there are many online retailers that are online only and can offer great discounts and affordable prices. Additionally, online retailers can also have a wider range of stock for you to browse, giving you more choice.
Bridesmaid dress cost depends on a number of different factors including the material, the company that makes it and the style. So, how can you save some money while shopping for the perfect dress for your nearest and dearest? Let’s take a look at our top money-saving tips to help you get started:
Think Budget and Identify Who Is Paying
It is important to have an idea in your head of how much you are looking to spend on bridesmaid dresses before you start browsing as this will help filter your search to appropriate dresses. Firstly, sit down and work out who will be paying for the bridesmaid dresses. Traditionally, the bride and groom, or whoever is paying for the whole wedding will buy the dresses out of the overall wedding budget, however, it is becoming more common for bridesmaids to pay for their dresses themselves as a gift to the happy couple. If this is the case, it is important to get an idea of their budget so as not to put financial pressure on them by picking a dress that is too expensive.
Come up with an overall agreement of what you are looking to spend and this will help shape your search. Be honest about your budget, and set a realistic amount as an overly expensive design is not worth the financial worries. Remember, bridesmaid dresses are often just worn once, so take this into consideration when talking about budgets. No matter who is responsible for paying, it is important that all bridesmaids and the bride are on the same page before shopping begins to help avoid any awkward miscommunication.
Shop Online for Bridesmaid Dresses
While shopping for bridesmaid dresses in-store can be fun, it can also be impractical especially if your bridesmaids live further afield. A better solution is to shop online for your bridesmaid dress as this means you and your friends can access dress options from any location. Additionally, online bridesmaid dress stores such as Chicsew can offer dresses at a more affordable price point as they do not have expensive overheads such as physical bridal shops.
Sign Up For Dress Shop E-Newsletters and Check Websites Often
Many online bridesmaid dress shops offer discount codes or special offers that can be used to further reduce the cost of your bridesmaid dresses. Chickasaw, for example, offers many discount codes throughout the year that can lead to some serious savings. The best way to find these offers is to check the website often and sign up for their newsletters. Often the best discount codes come in emails to those who have signed up. Once you have found the code you want to use, you can easily unsubscribe from them.
Give Your Bridesmaids Choice
If your bridesmaids are paying for their bridesmaid dresses themselves, then it is important to give them choice rather than simply telling them they have to get one particular dress. This ensures that every bridesmaid has a dress that she loves and that suits her unique budget. Using an online bridesmaid shop such as Chicsew can help with this as they have dresses to suit every budget. The dresses can be filtered by colour, meaning that even though the dress styles may be different, they will still have a cohesion theme.
Think About Dress Length
If you are looking for bridesmaid dresses on a budget, consider what type of dress length you are looking for. Longer dresses use more fabric, and therefore the cost of the dress could be higher. Shorter dresses use less fabric and usually take less time to make, making them a more affordable option. Shorter dresses are perfect for the hot spring and summer wedding seasons.
Choose Swatches Before Committing
The material and shade of a dress can make or break it, and this can be tricky to get a real feel of when ordering online. The last thing you want to do is order multiple bridesmaid dresses, only for them to arrive, and you do not like the colour. One of the best ways to avoid this costly mistake is to order material swatches before committing to a final design. These inexpensive searches will allow you to see the material up close and feel its texture before making a final decision.
Factor in Extra Costs
Buying a bridesmaid dress isn’t just about the cost of the dress itself, but there are also hidden extra costs that have to be taken into consideration. This could include return shipping costs if you are shopping online and doing what you order, or shoes and accessories to go along with the dresses. On top of this, you may also need to pay for alterations to the dresses so that they fit your bridesmaids perfectly. One way to get around costly alterations is to choose an online bridesmaid dress stockist that has a custom size option. This will allow you to get the dresses made specifically to your bridesmaid’s measurements. ChicSew UK, for example, offers free custom sizing, ensuring a great fit.
The Take-Away
Your wedding day will be one of the most important and memorable days of your life, and making sure that it is as perfect as possible is vital. The day, however, can be costly, so it is a good idea to make savings where you can to splurge on the more important aspects (think an exotic honeymoon or stunning venue!). By following our advice above, we hope that you can find the bridesmaid dresses of your dreams at an affordable price point. Let the wedding shopping begin!
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