DIY Tip #9: Let your Attendants Choose Their Gowns

I always knew I wanted my bridesmaids to be comfortable in their outfits. It wouldn't be fair to have these special ladies dress up for half a day in something they didn't really want to wear. For this reason, I made sure my girls wanted to wear what they'd be donning during their traipse down the aisle for me. Here's what I did:
1. Asked them about their style. One wanted a long gown. The other, a dress that was on the knee, shell-sleeved. And the other wanted one with a rusched bodice, and a skirt that fell slightly below the knee. Taking all these things into consideration, I was able to tell the seamstress tasked to make these dresses just exactly what kind of work needed to be done. As you can see, each girl got what she wanted.
2. For brides: Pay for your attendants' attire. It's always been tradition for the bride to pay for her attendants' dresses. Since this is the case, consider the kind of materials you can afford for the dress. I wanted my MOH's and bridesmaids' dresses to be a spin-off of mine, which was a flowing chiffon number. So I shopped around for a seamstress who could give me the price I wanted on all three dresses that I needed. You can give a certain budget to your chosen seamstress/coutourier for the package, and they can usually make suggestions suited to your budget.
3. Make sure to have at least three fittings of the dresses. You ought to have three fittings: one for the lining, and two more for adjustments and final tailoring. It's imperative that your attendants feel comfortable in the final ensemble that they're going to walk in.

I had a package of three dresses made using chiffon, georgette and satin ribbon (for the waist). Here's the breakdown:

Downpayment to seamstress: P1,500.00
Cost of labor, plus materials: P5,000.00
Incidentals, for adjustments: P500.00
Total cost for three dresses: P7,000.00

For those who want my source for these dresses, please comment on this entry. I'll be glad to share my sources.