MovieChat Forums > Bridesmaids (2011) Discussion > About the bridesmaids dress scene

About the bridesmaids dress scene

posted 10 years ago by TheGodessOkami
12 replies | jump to latest

So one thing that bugged me was I thought it was impolite to make bridesmaids buy dress they have to wear for the wedding, especially if it cost $800 dollars. I've always heard the bride or the the brides family should buy the dresses. The only exception I've heard is tha if the bride pickes a single color, like black, and tells her bridesmaids that the dress ihas to be black but can be any style and price. IDK that scene bugs me. I would have stuck up for my self and said, I can't afford a $800 dress, a $150 to $300 maybe but not $800.

Hasa Diga Eebowai

[–] JC_Aliss 10 years ago

It's actually customary (in the U.S. at least) for bridesmaids to pay for their own dresses, whether it be the exact dresses the bride wants or she lets them pick for themselves. The idea is, when they are asked to be a bridesmaid, if they accept they are agreeing to the added expenses incurred from buying their own dresses. It's not unheard of for women to turn down the request if they know they can't afford the average dress price or extra expenses related to parties, travel, etc.

Annie agreed to all that because as we saw, she had a lot of pride. No way would she turn down her best friend's request by admitting to be too poor (remember, she was the only one in the wedding party who couldn't afford a first-class plane ticket, and refused Helen's offer to pay the difference for her.)

[–] goldenguarantee 10 years ago

I've almost never heard of the brides paying for their bridesmaids' dresses. When my best friend got married, she told me that the max price on our dresses would be $200. She picked the dress out and I ended up paying $140 for it. It's very normal for the bridesmaids to foot the bill for their attire. Most brides are up front about the expenses to begin with, that way the ladies can decline if necessary.

[–] mbeuchert24 10 years ago

I've only been bridesmaid or MOH for two weddings, one was my best friend while we were still in high school and I can't remember if my mom paid for it or my friends mom, as I didn't have a job at the time, but it was also probably $50 max.

2nd wedding was my sister's wedding, and because my mom paid for her dress for my wedding and I was moving across the country and financially strapped around that time my mom offered to buy my dress. Both my bridesmaid dress and my sister's were also probably in the $200 range

I think it was incredible rude to pick out an $800 dress that she obviously knew was MORE since she found out $800 meant it was on sale. That's a crazy amount of money to spend on a bridesmaid dress. Heck, my wedding dress wasn't even that much.

[–] jennlin77 10 years ago

Just because you ask someone to be in your wedding doesn't give you the right to pick any expensive dress you want for your bridesmaids. The bride should have some consideration for her bridesmaids. If I asked my friend to be in my wedding knowing full well that money could be an issue (as I'm sure Lillian did), the last thing I would do is pick out an 800.00 dress!

[–] JC_Aliss 10 years ago

Lillian didn't pick them. It was Helen and she ordered them while everyone else was in the throws of food poisoning. Lillian wasn't exactly in her right mind at that moment and Helen took advantage of that.

[–] lizcarlo87 10 years ago

800 is way too much. I get its the brides day. I also think bridesmaid should not be expected to pay for dress that's out of their price range. For my friend I payed about 200. For my sister in law I payed about 50. If I was bride I would not make people pay ridiculous amount for dresses especially when I know it's too much for them to pay.

[–] JC_Aliss 10 years ago

Don't forget it was actually Helen who green-lighted the $800 dresses when Lillian was deathly ill. I think Lillian kind of lost control of that situation because she never really had a chance to think through the price tags. Helen was known for overpowering decisions so she took advantage of yet another weak moment of someone else's to get her way.

[–] kolnoaMograbi 9 years ago

I too can't believe that someone who's chosen for an honorary role should be expected to fork out for the dress, or for anything else. You require matchy-matchy Barbie dolls for bridesmaids? Bankroll it yourself.

"When you think of garbage, think of Akeem!"

[–] bluerevenge 9 years ago

Like some others above, I've never heard of bridesmaids not paying for their dresses (most of which are some colour or design they'd never wear again either).

Similarly I've never heard of the Best Man/groomsmen/ushers not paying for their tux/suit rentals (though admittedly it's usually a rental for them and not a purchase but it's still not that cheap).

As for the price, well it's all relative. If someone is having a $10-20k wedding then yeah it's not going to be an $800 bridesmaid dress. However if it's a $60-80k wedding? I don't think the bridesmaids are going to be wearing $100 dresses, lol.

By the time most people get married most of their friends are in the same/similar income range as them, so asking them to buy a dress that's priced along with the rest of the wedding is pretty much par for the course. As someone else mentioned above, some people turn down/decline the request to be a bridesmaid/usher for this reason. Otherwise if a couple getting married knows one or some of the people in their party can't afford it, they have the option to "subsidise" them buy either paying for part or all of their dress. When I attended a wedding I had to take a flight to, stay in a hotel for, and rent a tux being in the wedding party, my friends getting married paid for part of my hotel stay, which was nice (I didn't even ask but I'm sure they understood it cost a lot of money for me to be there).

[–] vicky_lc2001-1 9 years ago

It surprised me as well that they were expected to buy their own dresses that they'd wear once and $800? That's rude.

Global Warming, it's a personal decision innit? - Nigel Tufnel

[–] andromache3 9 years ago

Exactly. Not only that, but Helen wasn't even the maid of honour at that point, so the way she took over was apalling. It served Lillian right when she complained to Annie later that Helen took over the wedding and her dad couldn't afford it.

[–] charlotte_goldenblatt 9 years ago

In the US and Canada, bridesmaids pay for the dress. In the UK, the brides pay for the dress. It's just cultural differences.

However, I agree it is inconsiderate to choose an $800 dress.

I had 6 BMs and I paid for all of their dresses as my gift to them. They were sweet heart tube plain black cocktail dresses that they can wear again.