At Silverland Jewelry, we strive to make shopping for your bridesmaid jewelry gifts a pleasant experience, but shopping for the bridesmaid dresses is often another story entirely. After all, what could be harder than finding one dress that looks good on a variety of different shapes, sizes, and styles? Or turning everyone loose to pick her own bridesmaid dress and hoping that the end result looks chic and eclectic, not disorganized and clashing. These days there are more ways than ever to undertake shopping for bridesmaid dresses. Learn about the different options so you can choose the one that will be the easiest and least stressful for you and your group of bridesmaids.

A full service bridal salon is the place to shop for classic special order bridesmaid dresses like these from Amsale. Image credit: Adam Barnes Fine Art Photography via Snippet & Ink.

Full Service Bridal Salon: This is the most traditional way to shop for bridesmaid dresses. Visit the same shop where you purchased your bridal gown, and let the highly experienced consultants help you select the dresses that will complement your  wedding dress and personal taste. The difficult parts about shopping at a full service salon can be higher prices, long custom order times, and that out-of-town attendants will have to order their dresses sight-unseen.

Bridal warehouses like David’s Bridal are a good option if you want to pick one color and fabric and let each bridesmaid pick a different dress. Image via Borrowed and Bleu.

Bridal Warehouse: When time and budget are a concern, brides often round up their whole group and head down to the closest bridal warehouse store. They typically have a large variety of styles on hand, and ready to take that day in many sizes. These stores also carry bridesmaid lines that allow you to pick one color and have each attendant order the dress silhouette she likes from that hue. The downsides to bridal warehouses are the lack of personal service and often lower quality.

A boutique is an ideal place to find chic mis-matched bridesmaid dresses. Image credit: Steven Michael Photo.

Local Boutiques: Local boutiques are the place to shop for the most current styles and chic dresses that are not just for bridesmaids. They work well if you want each bridesmaid to pick her own unique dress or have a small bridal party that can shop together. Boutiques typically won’t carry multiple sizes in a single style and they may not be able to accommodate plus sized ladies, so keep that in mind if you prefer each woman to wear the same dress. Small stores are also likely to have strict return policies, so it is a good idea to have bridesmaids try on the dresses rather than order over the phone.

Bridesmaids in two styles of J Crew bridesmaid dresses. Image via 100 Layer Cake.

National Chain Stores: In recent years, it has become quite popular to shop for bridal parties at national retailers. Chains like J Crew and Ann Taylor have embraced this trend by offering ever-expanding collections designed especially for weddings. The convenience factor is a definite draw: the bride can pick a style, and each woman can visit her local store to try it on. It is also usually very easy to order multiple sizes online to try and return the extras. The disadvantage to shopping at a national chain store can be limited selection as compared to custom orders at traditional bridal salons. While they typically have a good size run available, chain stores may not offer plus sizes, which may be a factor.

Find top designers like Donna Morgan bridesmaid dresses at Weddington Way.

Online Bridesmaid Retailers: There is a growing trend of online retailers catering to weddings. Websites like Weddington Way offer assistance from personal stylists, virtual showrooms where you and your attendants can gather favorite dresses and vote, and carefully curated selections from top bridesmaid designers. Another option is Rent the Runway, a fun concept that allows customers to rent designer dresses for far less than purchasing them. That can be a good idea for brides whose taste far exceeds their bridesmaids’ budgets, particularly if she doesn’t expect each attendant to wear the same dress. The one obvious disadvantage to online-only shopping is that you have to take a leap of faith and order dresses that no one has had a chance to try on.

Brides, where did you end up shopping for your bridesmaid dresses? Was it a good experience – why or why not?