Weddingbee boards

I want my maids to look gorgeous, but I also want to be respectful of their budgets. I'll have 5. Three of them are still in college, two are recently out, and 2 will have to travel from out of state. I'm in love with J.Crew, it's my favorite store in general and I especially love their navy dresses, particularly the Rebecca one, but they run about $250. Is that too much, or pretty close to average? Think I can find something as fun for less?

Unless you are the one paying for it I think it is way too much.
I almost bought Jessica Mc Clintocks dresses for 200USD each until I found out about this great sale at Ann Taylor. Now I have found a bargain and I paid for each dress (silk) only 45 bucks! Plus it fits my color scheme. Couldn't be any happier. Why don't you find a local seamstress that could copy your dress but charges less for each dress?
You could for example offer to pay for the fabric while the bridesmaid cover the labor. 

I think yall are right. The dresses aren't in a very unique style, so I think I could probably find something similar for less at a different store. Luckily, these girls shouldn't have too much trouble fitting standard size dresses.

Oh ErinSea I love JCrew Bridesmaid Dresses too! Luckily the color I needed was charcoal so I waited until they started showing the spring/summer colors and called them  I got all my girls dresses for $60 each! Originally $195.00  check it out  maybe if you get a color that isnt going to roll over into next season and depending on when your wedding is? Just a suggestion! Good Luck!

I think $150 is max what you should expect someone to spend to be in your wedding. It's not that they probably wouldn't spend more than that on a dress - but you are picking out the color and style and it is most likely not exactally what they would pick themselves.

If you find an expensive one that you REALLY like, you may want to top it up for whatever it is over $150.

My bridesmaid dresses were $79 at Anne Taylor. I paid for them myself as the girls are doing more than enough for me through helping with DIY wedding projects.

$250 is too much- sorry for the bad news . . . If you can afford to pitch in then it is not too much, but otherwise I agree with the ladies above- $150 max.  You can find discounted dresses on nordstrom.com for about $100 and have the ladies get them tailored if their sizes are not available.

Believe it or not, my friend found her bridesmaid's dresses at Forever 21.  They were $11.50.  I was very skeptical when she told me about this, but then she showed me the dresses in person and they are actually SUPER cute.  They are a little on the shorter side, but they will still work perfectly for the occasion.  It's not a bad idea to check out stores like that that you would never think would have what you are looking for!!  I know that wouldn't work for everyone, however.  It's hard to set a limit because each case is different.  When I get married, my bridesmaids will all have been out of college for at least 4 years and have steady jobs, so I could probably ask them to get something a little more pricey.  If your bridesmaids are still in college or can't afford a pricier dress, then definitely consider cheaper options.

I'm with mantillabride. I found a dress I love, and the girls love too! totally rewearable after the wedding...and it'll be $280 including taxes, but it's made from scratch, so alterations are kind of included. And it's the perfect color, so I went with it.

I see it as...if I were a bridesmaid for my friend's wedding, I would pay anything (almost) to make it her happiest day ever.

But for bridesmaids in college, getting out of college, and traveling, I would say be mindful of their budgets.

I wouldn't ask my girls to pay more than $150. And to be honest, if I was a bridesmaid in someone's wedding, I probably wouldn't pay more than $200 - if it was more than that, I'd probably have to back out.

and JMO, but the girls with $270-280 dresses, I'm betting your BM's weren't exactly jumping for joy at that pricetag.

I was going to say 250 max, but given their situation ( in college, recently out and/or travellin) I agree with other posta that you should try to aim for 150 or less. I don't know how much time you have until the wedding, but J.Crew dresses often go on sale, so if you can wait, that might be an option if you have your heard absolutely set on it.

It depends on quality. I'd pay up to 400 for a quality dress, especially if I could wear it again. The 178 I paid for a awful quality Ann Taylor Chloe- WAY too much.

JCrew bridesmaid dresses often don't require alterations.  You can order several sizes and return the ones that don't fit to the store w/ no cost for shipping.  We are leaning towards JCrew for our May wedding (yes, May '08 - yikes) but all of the women have been out of college for 5 years.  Each of them have emphasized that they aren't scared of the possible $250 (max.).  On another blog, someone mentioned that students get a 10% discount at JCrew. Also, possibility of having it sent to a JCrew store and avoid shipping costs.  Worth looking into.  We are also considering Ann Taylor dresses but I think they will require alterations which can add a considerable cost. 

I love that yall mentioned ebay (how I shop for most of my own clothes) and sales. I do have plenty of time, so I think I'll wait to see what goes on sale after this summer. Also there is an outlet near me, but you just can't tell in advance what they are going to have in stock as far as sizes and styles go. But thank you for all the suggestions, I'm keeping my eyes on other stores too.

My MOH wore a black dress of her choosing, so I'm not one to ask.

I did want to chime in from a former BM's perspective, though. Don't assume that if people are a few years (or more) out of college, that they'll be fine paying $200+ on a dress they'll wear once. Yes, I could probably swing it, but the Mr. and I have a mortage, student loans and lots of other expenses. My wedding dress was only $250, so I would def. feel weird about spending the same or more on a BM dress.

Yes, as another poster mentioned, it is about being there for the bride, but it is also about the bride being respectful of her most-valued friends. I do think that the acceptable cost probably varies widely based on your social circle, geographcial location and other factors.