dressing for wedding season on a budget

As a twenty something, the term “wedding season” takes on a whole new meaning, even if you aren’t yet on the path to marriage yourself. It seems that summer plans these days revolve completely around all the weddings I will be attending! My two best friends are both engaged and I’m a bridesmaid in each wedding. My cousin and sister’s best friend are both getting married in the coming months, and two of our close friends/couples are engaged and planning weddings! I’m not complaining though, I love being able to share this wonderful time in all of their lives (and I will absolutely be calling on them to reciprocate when my time comes) but with all the travel, it does require a little strategy in order to avoid bankruptcy before age 30! Expanding your closet to accommodate each event would get quite pricey, so I’ve compiled a few helpful tips to get through the summer months with your stylish reputation and savings account intact!

1. Invest in a great neutral dress that can be worn many different ways. I try to avoid being an “outfit repeater” and accomplish this most often by switching up a look with fresh accessories. A versatile dress is essential because it can be styled differently depending on the location and vibe of the wedding you are attending! A classic LBD is always safe, but anything in a solid color with a flirty silhouette will do the trick.

2. Borrow from a site like Rent The Runway. I tend to be a bit of a last minute Larry, and this site works best with some planning, so I’ve never actually used it. However, I’ve come to know the ins and outs of their service over the million times I’ve almost used it. The site is very easy to navigate and they have a huge selection of dresses available to rent for just a fraction of the retail price! There are reviews and personal photos to give you a good sense of how the dress will actually look and fit, but they also send you an extra size for free! It’s a really great way to switch up your wardrobe, while still saving money.

3. Reuse your bridesmaid dress! Hopefully you have awesomely stylish friends like I do, who chose a cute bridesmaid dress. Although, even if its not your taste, these dresses are more than likely going to be a bit of an investment so you want to be able to wear them more than once. While in the actual wedding, you are at your brides mercy, which means you will wear that dress inside out if that’s what she wants! But once the wedding festivities are over, that dress is yours to style and play with however you like. I found a dress similar to the bridesmaid dress I’m wearing in Dayna’s wedding this September, and put together three different ways I might wear it after the wedding.

Hope these little tips have been helpful ladies! Not to be a total cheese-ball, but at the end of the day weddings are such sweet and memorable occasions that it’s sure to be a fabulous summer no matter what we wear 🙂

xo

If The shoe Stiletto Fits.