With our economy in such a dismal state, brides aren’t the only ones who need to save money. Don’t forget about your girls/bridesmaids/ladies in waiting. Just like you want an affordable bridal gown, they want affordable bridesmaid dresses.

1. Look for dresses not labeled Bridesmaid Dress. Everything made especially for the wedding industry will always undoubtedly cost more. Cocktail dresses come in different lengths and colors and will work fine for bridesmaid dresses. A lot of designated bridesmaid dresses will look cheaper than a cocktail dress anyway.
2. Shop clearance. JCrew, Ann Taylor, etc. A lot of the major retailers now have wedding/celebration sections and will stock certain dresses in a variety of colors and sizes with the idea that they will be worn as bridesmaid dresses.
3. Resist the urge to match exact colors. Chances are Blue Sky During a Perfect Dawn probably isn’t available in the dress you want. So let it go. I promise it won’t ruin the wedding.
4. Order online and use coupon codes. I’m a sucker for a good coupon code. Sites like retailmenot.com provide codes for percentages off purchase and shipping discounts on lots of online retailers.
5. Buy in bulk for a discount. If you can purchase all your bridesmaid dresses at once, you could work out a discount with the retailer.
6. Let go of the brand/designer name (Bill Levkoff, Hilary Morgan, Jim Hjelm, Alfred Angelo). Even if you like the style of a certain designer, don’t let the name become the determining factor. At the wedding, no one will no what brand your bridesmaid dresses are and that dress will probably sit in the back of the closet with every other brand name bridesmaid dress after the wedding anyway.
7. Let your bridesmaids have some input. If they like it, it softens the financial blow. Plus, if it’s something they feel comfortable wearing again, they really do get their money’s worth.
8. Let them wear what they already have. They can choose colors complimentary to the wedding and you an tie them all together with matching shawls, cardigans, or just their bouquets, depending on your style. This is probably the most inexpensive option. Shoot – it’s pretty much free.
9. Buy at the end of the season. It’s the best time to find a discount. When retailers have new stock to bring in, they’ll slash prices to get the old stock out of there.
10. Choose short dresses. These are less likely to need hem alterations. Although these are usually the cheapest of all alterations, every little bit helps.

To help bring my points home, here we have a lovely little number from JCrew that comes in a few different colors and can definitely be worn again. It was $150, but is now on sale for $69.99. So get out your little checklist and get ready to check another thing off. Following these rules, your girls will be outfitted in no time. I’m sure there are other ways to save, but I’m tapped out at the moment. Share your ideas in the comments. We could all use the help.

Possibly Related Posts:

• Ivory Bridesmaid Dresses
• Ringbearer Pillow – A DIY Tutorial
• 25% off MAC Makeup
• Steve Madden Anjelica Shoes – UPDATE
• Steve Madden Anjelica Shoes – FAIL

Technorati Tags: Affordable, Ann Taylor, Bridesmaid, Bridesmaid Dresses, Bridesmaids, Cheap, Clearance, coupon, discount, Dress, Dresses, Free, Inexpensive, JCrew