With the wedding season at its peak, asking your best friends or sisters to be your bridesmaid is one of the most crucial moments for both of you, and sharing these moments with the people you love makes the journey all the more exciting and less daunting. However, shopping for bridesmaid dresses could be stressful and costly, and there is always the possibility that your bridesmaid doesn’t like the color or the designs because of the limited options. To keep this task off your list without worrying, we have devised clever, cost-effective ways to keep you and your bridesmaids delighted.

Let Your Bridesmaids Choose

One of the brightest bridal trends ongoing is letting your bridesmaids choose what they feel comfortable wearing. You can decide on color together to set a theme and keep your communication lines open until they finalize a dress you agree on. This savvy solution will not only help save you some bucks but will also give your bridal party a stylish and eclectic look.

Try Renting

Since a bridesmaid dress is often one-time wear, why not try renting? Nowadays, many brands and designers offer rental services like Rent the Runway, Marchesa, Amsale, and more. They even start at $30 for a four-day rental, and you can order whichever size you want. The solution is not only budget-friendly but also extremely sustainable in the long run.

Online Shopping to the Rescue

If budget is your top concern, try scouring online. You can get coupons or discounts on sites like RetailMeNot or Rakuten. You could also find affordable smaller brands with great designs and fabrics. And, if you are in doubt, check out the brand’s reviews; that will help you finalize which stores you should buy from.

Shop at Local Retail Stores

You don’t have to go overboard and buy expensive bridesmaid gowns and then regret them later. You can check out local retailers like Lulus, Birdy Grey, Azazie, David’s Bridal, and more which all sell party dresses for under $100. You can even negotiate and find a good deal that fits your budget. After all, there’s truly nothing like exploring your local offerings.

Check Resellers Websites or Thrift Shops

Buying from thrift stores or reselling websites is the best solution if you have a tight budget for your bridesmaid dresses. You can check out websites like eBay, ThredUp, and Poshmark for used dresses, or you can even donate or resell your dresses in the future. And, you don’t have to worry about these reseller dresses as most of the time they are worn once, so the quality’s on par as well. You can get a good quality dress at a much lower price.

Sign-Up for Store Newsletters/Memberships

Many stores offer you discounts once you register your email with them. While it might be annoying to go through those promotional emails, you can find some great deals or coupons specific to your bridal needs there. Also, if you apply for their memberships, you’d definitely get many perks and points you can use to shop for your bridesmaid dresses.