Being a Bridesmaid

One of the perks of being a bridesmaid in my MOH's wedding (let's start calling her L) is that since her wedding is two months before mine (early August), if there's a task she's working on now, I then know to put it on my radar to complete soon! It's pretty convenient, actually. And funny, considering I got engaged before her...

Yesterday I went with L and her mom to the Priscilla of Boston store in NYC to look at bridesmaid dresses. L had already gone to one bridesmaid dress store and her plan was to pick out a few options before bringing the rest of her bridesmaids in (5 in all). Yesterday, she invited me along to be her model! I will be wearing one of these dresses, after all...

I tried on a bunch of dresses and we narrowed it down to three we think the other bridesmaids should try on. We loved one dress in particular. Unfortunately I can't show you the dress we loved because it isn't on their website yet, since it's really new. But it's lovely! It's long, made from this amazing light fabric called Satin Yoryu (it's like a mix between satin and chiffon), and the best part is that we can wear it strapless or with a halter top. The straps that make it into a halter can be removed. It looked great both ways, so we'll see what the rest of her bridesmaids prefer. If we end up getting this dress, L wants it in navy blue, which really looks great. Unlike me, L hasn't completely decided on wedding colors, so she's been choosing bridesmaid dress styles first and then seeing which color appeals to her. If we end up with navy dresses, she'll pick her other color(s) accordingly. In a way, it's an easier way to do things! I have a specific color in mind for bridesmaids dresses, so my dress options will be more limited.

One thing the Priscilla of Boston sales associate told L was that her bridesmaids should order their dresses by February. They can take up to 14 weeks to arrive at the store, and then alterations might need to be made. L's going to make another appointment to have all of her bridesmaids try on and order dresses in a couple of weeks. In terms of my wedding, if my bridesmaids are ordering their dresses from this or a similar boutique, they should probably do so by April! L is my only local bridesmaid so thankfully she's agreed to come with me to a couple of stores over the next couple of months to be my model. Then the other girls will come up in April so they can try on my top picks, and we can order the dresses then.

Our appointment at Priscilla of Boston was really fun, so I definitely want to consider their dresses. We all thought they might be way too expensive, but the dress we loved for L's wedding is only $199! Considering it's a long dress that's formal enough for an evening wedding, that's a pretty good price. Since I'm looking for a short dress, the price should be even lower. (Keep in mind--this dress is from the Vineyard line, which is apparently cheaper than the other lines.)

I still very much love the J.Crew dresses, and they have my exact color (spiced wine). I'm going to see if my b-maids can try on some of the dresses in their Rockefeller Center store, which carries their wedding line. If we do J. Crew, I'll let the girls pick whichever dress they like in the same color and fabric. There are so many cute options!

All Images from J.Crew

After we left the Priscilla of Boston store, L, her mom and I met with the rest of her bridesmaids at Kleinfeld so L could pick out a veil. This was the first time all of us bridesmaids have been together and it was fun! L got into her dress and tried on a few veils before we helped her decide on one. Then since there was a jewelry trunk show going on, L ended up finding a pair of earrings and bracelet that go perfectly with her dress. It was so sweet to see her in her complete outfit and to be part of the experience! I'm excited for her other wedding activities!