The best bridesmaid dresses (UK) for under £150
You've budgeted for your wedding dress, but how much should you put aside to pay for bridesmaids' dresses? In this blog, we look at how much you should be spending, and take a peek at Maids to Measure's best bridesmaid dresses for under £150 from our new Ego edit.
How much should you spend on bridesmaid dresses (UK)?
According to a survey by fashion brand Oasis, the average price of a bridesmaid dress is £114, so if you've got three bridesmaids, you're looking at an investment of £342. Some people spend more than this and some people much less – here's the breakdown:
- 80% of brides spend more than £50 per bridesmaid dress
- the majority (that's 44%) spend between £51 and £100
- only 20% spend more than £200 and just 3% over £250
As more high street stores launch their own line of off-the-rack bridesmaid dresses, the average price of a dress has plummeted, but is fast-fashion right for your big day?
If you want a wider choice of styles and colours to suit your bridal party, then we recommend avoiding cheap alternatives and paying slightly more than the average.
Maids to Measure: top 3 bridesmaid dresses for under £150
We've ransacked the rails at Maids to Measure to bring you our favourite affordable bridesmaid dresses from the Ego edit (part of our satin collection).
- Allegra in duck egg blue
If you follow our blog, then you'll know that green and pastel blue bridesmaid dresses are tipped to be big this year so we had no hesitation in picking the 'Allegra' in duck egg blue for this series of dresses under £150.
Made from satin, this elegant floor-length dress has a contemporary square neck with tie shoulder straps. It's incredibly easy to wear with just the right amount of sheen and stretch, and an elasticated crepe back.
If you like this style but pale blue doesn't fit with the theme of your big day, the Allegra is also available in champagne ivory and lilac.
- Celeste in dusty pink
If you're looking for affordable dusty pink bridesmaid dresses (UK), then the 'Celeste' from the new Ego edit ticks all the right boxes. It's priced at £130, but its elegant style and luxe fabric give the impression of a dress worth double that amount.
The tie shoulder straps and V-neck front and back are universally flattering, making this an easy-to-wear dress. Beautifully crafted in blush pink satin, it has a simple sophistication – and you can expect more colours to be available soon.
- Stella in champagne ivory
Nude bridesmaid dresses are more popular than ever, and this new offering from the satin collection is not only in-keeping with that trend, but it costs less than £150.
The 'Stella' is an elegant slip dress crafted from satin with adjustable straps. The slip dress has been a staple in women's wardrobes for years, but this piece has been brought up-to-date with a low tie back that gives it a modern but sophisticated feel.
Pink and lilac bridesmaid dresses are tipped to be big this year, and the Stella comes in both these colours. Far from a dusky pink, this dress is available in a vibrant hot pink, which would suit a summer wedding perfectly.
Who should pay for the bridesmaid dresses?
The bride typically pays for her bridesmaids' dresses but not always. Increasingly, brides are asking their maids to chip in, and that might be because they are happy to hand over some of the decision-making when it comes to the style and colour of the dress.
According to the Oasis survey, only 37% of brides take full control of what their bridesmaids wear. In fact, it's more common today for the bride to choose the colour of dress and let her maids pick their own fit and style.
This is a great way of celebrating your bridesmaids' individuality, and it also means that they get to pick something that suits their body shape so they feel good wearing it. It might sound like a cliche but we don't all look the same, and it would be boring if we did.
Find out what else bridesmaids pay for on the Maids to Measure blog.
How to shop for bridesmaid dresses by colour
We recommend that you have at least one consistent element that ties together your bridal party, and this is usually colour. Before you send your bridesmaids off with a budget, set some parameters and be as specific as you can.
Some colours are open to a wide variety of interpretations, so if you want forest green bridesmaid dresses, just simply asking your maids to pick a green dress could end in disaster (you might end up with one in olive green and another in emerald green!).
It can be helpful to give your bridesmaids a colour swatch, so they know what they're looking for – or even just a paint sample card from your local DIY store with the right shade highlighted on it.
There are also discrepancies between dress makers, so try to stick to one or two shops. If you buy all your dresses from one place, you're guaranteed the same shade of colour across different styles.
To make it easy, at Maids to Measure, we've organised our collection of dresses by colour so you can see everything that's available in your chosen shade. So, if it's green, you can search for all dresses in forest green, and the same goes for grey, pink, blue, and nude dresses.
Bridesmaid dresses under £150 – the key takeaway
No one wants to have to make compromises when it comes to their big day, but realistically we all have a budget. It's useful to have a rough idea of how much you want to spend before you start shopping around, but don't let it stop you from considering a wide variety of styles. You never know where or when you'll find the perfect dresses – or how much they will cost.
