bridesmaid dresses

Needless to say, I have been looking at bridesmaids dresses since the Spring 2009 lines came out ( told you I have been planning this wedding for a long time).  Those of you who know me know how much I really hate bridesmaid dresses.  The whole concept to me is silly... "Hi, I am the bride so I would like for you to go out and buy yourself this ugly, $500 dress that you will surely never wear again." I have been a bridesmaid in so many weddings I have lost count. I have worn some fabulous dresses, ones that I will still never wear again, and I have worn some very ugly dresses that I wouldn't have ever put on my body if it wasn't for the bride "thinking the dress was perfect." I remember one dress in particular which some of us actually burned ( yes it was that bad).  And what makes this whole situation worse was I ( as the bridesmaid) had to actually pay for that dress I hated!  So while I was the bridesmaid all these years I never said this but now as the bride I can say it... No, if I as the bride expect my bridesmaids to all dress alike then I need to pay for the dresses, period.  And why would I want them wearing something they didn't love? Or why would I want to pay $500 for a dress that they will clearly never wear again? Having said all this, as I look at the new spring 2011 bridesmaid collections my heart seems to belong to Jenny Yoo.

 So as I add up the cost of these dresses for my six beautiful bridesmaids I hear my dad saying "budget, budget, budget" ( which we have already blown by the way). My father is another post. He is so practical. He always says things to me like "think about where you are spending your money."  If it was up to me, I would clearly have all things fabulous without even thinking of the price. However, I am on a budget for this wedding so I do have to think about where I spend my money!
So last night, after playing in the sand with kids for five hours doing therapy, I come home and start doing some wedding stuff while BCS is doing baseball stuff.  I decide to start looking at new arrivals from all the new collections for Spring 2011 to get a jump start on outfits for engagement pictures.  I quickly go to a site I have used a few times to get fabulous designer dresses.  I instantly had an idea....Rent the Runway (Renttherunway.com) has just launched a bridesmaid collection. Basically, you rent designer dresses for a fraction of the cost.  We are talking badgley mischka, catherine malandrino, Nicole Miller, Robert Rodriguez and so many others!! Dresses that are normally over $1,000 rent for $75!
What I love about this idea:
-my girls get to wear a fab designer gown, within my price range
-I can spend the money on something else ( like a fab honeymoon photoshoot in Italy)
-I get my own personal stylist to help me find the perfect dresses for the girls!
-you can reserve the dresses up to six months in advance
-You get a free in home fitting, where the dresses are sent, you decide on your size ( they send multiple sizes) then you send them back.. all I pay is shipping!
-Since it's for a wedding, we get an 8 day rental.
Whats not to love?  Here are some dresses I love.  What do you think?

Bibhu Mohapatra 

Diane Von Frstenberg