Ways to Reduce the Cost of being a Bridesmaid
Being a bridesmaid can be expensive. From the dress to the shower to the cost of travelling and more, you may end up spending quite a bit. The following are some ways to reduce the cost.
Save on the dress
Sometimes you will have no choice on the dress - the bride will pick it out from one specific place. Oftentimes, however, you will be able to save. If the bride does not give you a particular dress that you need to buy - i.e. she just says to get a knee length, strapless blue dress then try to get an inexpensive one. You can look through your closet to see if you have anything that fits the bill. Just because you have worn it before does not mean that it can't work as a bridesmaid dress. Also, you might be able to ask women you know who are about your same size if they have a dress that you can borrow. If you do want to go out and buy one then look at less expensive places such as Ross. You can also look at sales and clearance racks.
Sometimes the bride will give you several choices of a dress such as any dress from a designer in a particular color. In that case, you can look for one of the less expensive ones that would fit the bill. Even if they have a particular dress in mind you can look around to see where you might be able to get it for less. Be sure to consider alterations. Some bridal salons might throw in the alterations, which can save you a lot of money. Also look on the Internet. Someone might be selling a pre-owned dress on www.ebay.com.
Do your own hair and makeup
You can easily spend upward of $50 and even $100 on your hair and makeup for the wedding. Instead consider doing it yourself. There are many fancy clips that you can buy inexpensively at stores like Claire's that can make it look like a fancy hairdo without the fancy price. You can look in books and on the Internet for tips on doing your hair and makeup.
Save on the shower
You can also save on the shower by buying decorations from less expensive places like the dollar store. Instead of spending a lot of money on premade games, look on the Internet to find games that you can make yourself.
If you are traveling for the wedding, then look for less expensive airfare and hotel rates. You might be able to share a room with another bridesmaid and save money that way. Consider that and the above tips to help you conserve funds.
