Wedding Party | 12k Wedding Blog

December 4, 2008 by Mrs. 12k | Filed in: Wedding Party

I was in Anthropologie today picking up a few tops and I saw this dress. I really like it, but I don’t know if it would work as a bridesmaid dress. Plus, it’s $188. And while I don’t think that’s out of the question, we’ve definitely already seen some dresses for less that we like more. But I still like it.

I also like this idea, posted by Heather at We Met in a Bar. All the bridesmaids wore black dresses of their own choosing and they were all tied together with a red ribbon around the waist. This way my girls could save some money if they wanted to and wear something already have. And everyone would still look coherent and it would be apparent that they are in fact bridesmaid. The one change I’d make: I’d probably tie the ribbons in front.

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Technorati Tags: Black, Bridesmaid Dress, Bridesmaid Dresses, Bridesmaids

Two New Bridesmaid Dress Choices

November 20, 2008 by Mrs. 12k | Filed in: Wedding Party

Okay ladies. This is primarily for my bridesmaids. Two new bridesmaid dresses to weigh in on. I know the one on the right is in ivory. I wasn’t looking for it – it found me. Both are about $150 and are listed in the cocktail dresses/evening dresses category. Let me know if you like either of these.

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Technorati Tags: Bridesmaid Dresses, Bridesmaids, Dresses

Top 10 Ways to Get Bridesmaid Dresses For Less

November 20, 2008 by Mrs. 12k | Filed in: Wedding Party

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.

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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.

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

Girls and Guys

October 3, 2008 by Mrs. 12k | Filed in: Wedding Party

I think I like the idea of the groomsmen buying suits instead of renting tuxes. Sure it may cost a little more, but they’re left with something they can keep and re-wear for years instead of returning it the next day. Not only that, but if they buy their suit, you can pretty much guarantee that other men haven’t had their ::ahem:: unmentionables hanging out in the pants.

So….

I’m trying to convince my fiance to have his guys wear tan suits with black ties. You might actually recognize these little black (bridesmaid) dresses from an earlier post. Whaddya think? Maybe I’ll add flowers in next time.

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Technorati Tags: Black, Bridesmaids, Dress, Groomsmen, suit, tan

Little Black (Bridesmaid) Dresses?

September 28, 2008 by Mrs. 12k | Filed in: Wedding Party

So, while I’m on the hunt for the most perfect ivory dress of all time, I realize I might need to think a little more like Meg at A Practical Wedding. While ivory bridesmaid dresses seemed like a really good idea after I saw them in someone else’s wedding, I lost sight of reality.

Here are the issues:

Ivory is difficult to find after Labor Day
I don’t know what color shoes I’d want my girls to wear
Whatever shade of ivory I end up finding might end up looking bogus next to the ivory of my dress
Dressmakers don’t seem to care to make many ivory dresses

Now, here’s why I’m thinking of having my girls wear black dresses:

Black dresses are in abundance
Easier for them to re-wear the dress
Everyone can wear their own black shoes
Black is generally flattering on everyone
Black is classic

If really necessary, maybe we can add an different color tie/belt/sash. But I think black will be the way to go.

I think my favorite dress is the one on the left in the bottom row. The best part though- all of the dresses in my sample block are less than $180, and one of them is only $95!

Can you guess which one?

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Technorati Tags: Black, Bridesmaid Dress, Bridesmaids, Dresses

Donna Ricco Bridesmaid Dresses

September 8, 2008 by Mrs. 12k | Filed in: Wedding Party

Since I still can’t seem to find a venue, I’ve been trying to keep my sanity by looking for bridesmaid dresses from time to time. I still think I want to go with ivory. And I think I want them to be knee-length. I have a Donna Ricco dress that I really like for the good fit so I’ve been looking at some of her other dresses for my girls. I like a lot of them on her site, but none of them come in ivory. Here’s a peek at a few:

*All dresses, courtesy of DonnaRicco.com

Do any of you have any suggestions on places to look for affordable, ivory, re-wearable dresses?

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Technorati Tags: Bridesmaid, Bridesmaid Dress, Dress, ivory, knee-length

Overstocked and Ivory Bridesmaids Dresses

August 6, 2008 by Mrs. 12k | Filed in: Wedding Party

Thanks to Ten Thousand Only, I was inspired to check out Overstock.com for some attractively priced bridesmaids dresses. I found a lot that I like, but it was difficult because I’m still semi-undecided on a color.

Fast forward >>>>>>>>>>

I just realized that I think I would like it if my bridesmaids wore ivory dresses. No sooner than I had this epiphany did I come across this wedding at The Bride’s Cafe. I love so much about the wedding, but especially the bridesmaids dresses.

So once again, I’m posing the question to you, loyal readers: Do you know who makes these dresses?