Do you ever wonder how to make it through a summer of weddings on a budget?
Last summer George and I attended over 14 weddings (not a typo) and each stood up in 3 (2 separate and 1 together). It was absolutely exhausting and by the end of the summer I had my guest of the wedding dresses on repeat. Everyone knows weddings are expensive for everyone: the couple, the attendants and the guests. You can imagine the amount of money we spent on bridesmaids dresses, tuxedos, flights, hotels and gifts.
DISCLAIMER: We were beyond happy to do so because we love everyone who’s weddings we attended!
Because of the extreme expense I only wore dresses I already owned when I was a guest. It forced me to reuse items I forgot about and save some money. I’m actually really happy I did that, because I think we often forget the gems hiding in our closets. I still felt gorgeous and most people hadn’t seen the outfits. This is a a huge tip I have for anyone who isn’t worried about instagramming a different outfit every weekend. I mean, really, how often do you see the same people at friends’ weddings or showers.
I spent one day pulling every dress from the back of my closet and laid them out on my bed, then went through my calendar and started assigning dresses based on wedding style and who would be there. I made sure I separated the looks if I was going to be with the same people for more than one event. Shorter dresses are better for showers and casual weddings and my longer gowns were perfect for the black tie optional.
All of that said this summer has been a lot less exciting for George & I. We are only attending 3 weddings and I am standing in one. The pressure is off both mentally and financially. Naturally, I bought my first guest of the wedding dress in a while and am obsessed! I went with a more sultry style since they are not family weddings and the deep red everyone is currently wearing because 1) I am basic and 2) it’s a great color on me. Insert my staple Nordstrom BP Clutch (Under $40) and YSL Strappy Sandals (Over $40) and the outfit is complete!
