bridesmaids dresses

My general rule of thumb is if I am asking someone to wear something in particular (eg dress, suit, make up, a hair style) then I would expect to pay for it. I am not paying for shoes because I am happy with whatever shoes they wish to wear and they don't need to match anything. X

I will be buying my BM dresses, as i felt i couldnt ask them to play an important then expect them to pay

Traditionally they pay for their own dresses, but its up to you. I offered to buy them, because I was choosing the dress, but in the end, we went halves, as it was a dress she could wear again.

If you ask them to pay, check what is an acceptable amount for them. If you want dresses that are more, I'd say you pay the extra.

For my first wedding I didnt have much budget so said that I could pay £30 per dress or they could wear something they already owned. They both chose to wear something they already had.

This time I bought my bridesmaid her dress, she will wear shoes she already owns and I am paying for her makeup to be done.

I was buying my dresses from the high street but the girls didn't suit them, so they opted to pay half and we went for bridal boutique dresses. Generally the bride should buy if she is dictating the dress, colour etc but have a chat with your girls, see what they think. Have a look at high street dresses, you can get pretty affordable ones that look gorgeous

Hi,

I will be paying for my bridesmaid's dresses as ultimately it's my decision what they wear on the day. I have been a bridesmaid at other weddings and they were also paid for by the bride.

It makes sense because you are dictating what you want someone to wear, and it might not be something they would wear again or choose for themselves so it's unfair to ask them to fork out for it.

Hi,

I need some help on bridesmaids dresses. I would like to buy them for my bridesmaids but I'm struggling to find any good website which has a free deliviry within UK. I have a budget about £100/each. Any idea or suggestion?

Many thanks! x

I would pay for them as I am the one who is asking them to wear this particular dress. And the two time when I have been a bridesmaid the dress was bought by the bride. But if you cannot afford for all of them maybe you can pay for half and the BM's will pay the rest.

I agree with Teal! You can pay half since they will still be able to wear it. Just be honest of your budget and they will definitely understand Anyway, your bridesmaids are usually your best girl friends right?

Ive been under the impression the bride pays for them but if im wrong let me know, i could do with saving the money haha

Thanks all for your advice! When we start looking I will have a talk with them and say depending on what we find, I may be able to pay or may have to ask for a contribution. I was under the impression the bride paid too, but have heard very different things from different people.

I love watching don't tell the bride and they always seem to go to debenhams. What I was thinking was getting the basic dress from there and a couple of custom accessories to put a bit more styling onto it!

I think it really depends on what your friends are like, me and my friends are joined at the hip so it would have been impossible to pick one to be bridesmaid so they decided that they would pay for their dresses so i didnt have to chose between them as they knew i couldnt afford dresses etc for them all!

i am paying for their hair and make up as a thank you to them

ive also bought them a necklace to wear on the day as a present.

M&S have a great range of dresses, I've got 7 bridesmaids and got this multiway dress so they can wear it as it suits them. There's loads of colours now as well. I've gone for the pink one, it's dusky in real life and shimmery - really pretty.

I set a limit of £100 per bridesmaid, as they all have varying incomes, and I didn't think it was fair to say you have to spend xx on a dress for my wedding. I said that I really wanted to pay for their dress, hair and make up as part of their bridesmaid experience, but if they would rather have a more expensive dress then that's fine, they would have to sort hair/makeup themselves. I also don't care what shoes they have, so their choice. (plus I need to get a gift each on top of that...)

Just stick to your guns on what you want to spend and what you expect them to spend right from the beginning and be very clear on it so there are no crossed wires later. People do expect to pay for things, and you can't be expected to pay for absolutely everything.

(hope the link worked!!) x

Http://www.marksandspencer.com/bodice-multiway-skater-dress/p/p22305560?extid=ps_gglpla_UK_Gen_,Women+_PLAWomen+--%3E+Clothing+--%3E+Dresses+--%3E+Party+&+Cocktail+Dresses_M&S+Multiway+Bodice+Skater+Bridesmaid+Dress+ONLINE+ONLY+DUSKY+ROSE+8&ef_id=U19f6QAAAbZskbod:20150216123539:s

try again....!