In Honor of Earth Day; Renting Your Bridesmaid Dress

Today is Earth Day. The day where we remember that we only have one earth and we better take care of it and our natural resources. We do this by reducing, reusing and also recycling our waste. How about recycling dresses?

Most people do not get excited over buying a bridesmaid dress. The bride chooses the color and most of the time, the style of the dress as well. Then the bridesmaids have to shell out a lot of money for a dress that 1.) may not be their taste, and 2.) they will most likely never wear again. If you are in a lot of weddings, your closet may start to look like this:

(picture from the movie 27 Dresses)

Well, I have good news for you! At Rent the Runway, you can actually rent designer dresses for a reasonable price. The prices range from $50-$250 for bridesmaid dresses. They rent dresses for any occasion, along with jewelry and purses. It's also earth friendly, since the same dresses are worn over and over again. You can search for dresses by size, price, occasion and even body type. Don't worry about sizing, either. You are sent a back up dress a size bigger or smaller just in case, for FREE. When your event is over, just put the dress in the prepaid envelope included, and drop it into the mailbox. You don't even have to worry about the dry cleaning. A $5 insurance fee covers any minor damage that may occur, such as spills or zipper issues or losing a rhinestone. Plus, you can rent a dress that retails for almost $2000, for $250. Buying a dress that expensive is out of the question for most people, but renting that same dress, is now a possibility.


Rent the Runway carries designers such as, Nicole Miller.

retails for $430, rental is $100

Or Nina Ricci

retails for $1,890, rental is $250

Or Christian Cota

retails for $1,860, rental is $200

and also, Badgley Mischka (love this one!)

retails for $355, rental is $100

If you're getting married or are going to be a bridesmaid anytime soon, check out this convenient rental option. Save some money, wear a luxurious dress and then send it back, so someone else can do the same!

Happy Earth Day!


written by Melissa York

Take a swatch of your Bridesmaid Dresses to your florist and decorator

Take a swatch of your Bridesmaid dress material along with you when you visit your floral designer and decorator for your wedding.  Your wedding professionals will then be able to blend (or even match) the florals and decor that you select.  With so many shades of the primary colors, your Ceremony/Reception will have a professionally coordinated look that will WOW your guests.

Emergency Bridesmaid Gown Fix

Approximately 1-1/2 hours before the Ceremony was to begin at St. John's Orthodox Church in Southfield, I was called into the Bridal Dressing Room. The Junior Bridesmaid (pictured here) had attempted to put her own dress on. She not only broke the long brown zipper down the back of the dress, but she ripped the material next to the zipper. I immediately called a couture wedding gown alterations professional to ask if she had a replacement zipper. When I learned that she did, I asked my Associate to drive the gown to her for repair. My Associate returned with the dress within 1/2 hour of the wedding with a brand new zipper. Everyone walked down the aisle as though nothing had happened!