Saving on Bridesmaid Dresses

When I was getting ready to look for bridesmaid dresses, I knew that 1) I wanted them to be full-length and 2) I wanted them to be affordable (less than $200). There were a few things I didn’t know as well - the color, the fabric or material (I’ve always loved chiffon but wasn’t sure until I saw other fabrics in person), and the neckline (sweetheart looks good on everyone, one shoulder is always pretty and simple, and I love little sleeves on dresses!).

I remember that for my friend Stephanie’s wedding a few years ago, her sister, Erin, had ordered our bridesmaid dresses online from Netbride for a significantly lower price than you’d find in most boutiques. It sounded like a great idea and right up my alley (I am all about efficiency and doing everything online) - though, the thought of purchasing something as important as the bridesmaid dresses on this world wide web scared me!

When I went to their website, it didn’t look as professional (and if you’re into websites and design, I can tell you a number of things they can do to improve it). It definitely made me uneasy thinking about potentially ordering all eight of my bridesmaid dresses from there.

So I reached out to Erin to get more information. She said that not only did she get Stephanie’s bridesmaid dresses there, but she also got her wedding dress there as well! And she raved about how amazing and legit it was. I kept that in mind as I started to look at dresses with my bridesmaids.

After we had found “the dress,” I decided to submit a quote for that specific designer and style number, which they carry almost every bridesmaid designer you can think of. I received a response in less than 2 days and the price was lower than the stores I had checked - the quote was for $175 and most places ranged from either $200-$275. Another plus: no sales tax!

After talking to Erin and reading some of the thousands and thousands of testimonials - I decided to go for it. And I’m so glad I did! The service was far beyond what I expected.

They sent me an email to confirm my order, called and left me an email when my card number didn’t go through (issue was resolved in a matter of minutes), sent me a handwritten card to thank me for using their service, and the order arrived a little over a month before the estimated delivery time. So now, I am going to be one of those people recommending this place to everyone - it’s great! And even if you can save $50 per dress, it’s still a steal.

And just a few helpful hints:

• Try and pick from designer’s colors first BEFORE the dress style. I did this the other way around and found a dress I loved, but didn’t love any of the colors offered in that style. Me and my bridesmaids had already decided on the dress and I was THIS CLOSE to placing the order after “settling” on a color, but had second thoughts and backed out. Luckily, all of the girls were so supportive with my small breakdown and we were able to find another dress after I checked out designer’s color swatches first!
• Order swatch samples from the designer’s website before you place your order. That way you aren’t surprised with the color when you receive the dresses! If you look at the color of my bridesmaid dresses on the designer’s website, they don’t look anything alike! Swatches can be a bit pricey ($15 per swatch from where I purchased from) and the size is 5” x 7”, so it can be hard to get the full effect of the coloring, but still worth it!
• Make sure to order all of your bridesmaid dresses at once, that way they all come from the same “dye lot” and are all the same color. If you order a few dresses at one time, then another at a different time, they don’t guarantee that the colors will be exactly identical. 

My girls loved their dresses and they turned out amazing and looked great on everyone!

Bridesmaid Dress Style: Dessy Collection 2834 in Taupe
Bridesmaid Necklace: Francesca’s Collections