
I've already been a
bridesmaid one too many times in my life. Can you sense the lack of enthusiasm in my voice, er words? If my friends had let me wear this
Calypso Satin Convertible Wrap Dress ($270), my outlook on bridesmaid fashion would be very different.

I've done a lot of
wedding coverage for brides, but I was thinking how many of us are
bridesmaids so many more times than we are brides - and how we all end up with many of those dreaded bridesmaid dresses.
So what to do? I've put together a couple of ideas for ways to recycle all those bridesmaid dresses collecting in your closet, and please - if you have any more ideas, do share!

Being a
bridesmaid is such an honor - but it is also a big responsibility! To help the bride get through one of the most fun - and most stressful - days of her life I put together a little last-minute checklist of essentials to have handy on the big day. (If you're the bride, check out the
checklist DearSugar has put together.)
- Travel sewing kit
- Safety pins
- Moleskin for blisters
- Stain remover
- Extra stockings
- A watch
- Band-Aids
- Cash
- Deodorant/Antiperspirant
- Pen, paper
- Breathmints
- Tweezers
- Healthy snacks (Check out YumSugar for some great ideas!)
Have these items handy and you will have fulfilled one of your many duties as bridesmaid!
So often, the moment your best friend asks you to be in her wedding party, you're so thrilled that you forget that
it's going to cost you! There's the bachelorette party, the bridal shower, the
wedding gifts, but most importantly, there's your dress! No matter if your friend, the bride, is going to wear a
short dress, one with
new necklines,
funky fabrics or
dramatic hemlines, there's no way of getting out of purchasing a bridesmaid dress that you will maybe never again wear.
If you haven't already noticed, it's
Wedding Planning Mania here and all the Sugar sites are onboard so please spread the word! It's fitting that we feature the fab site:
Lynn Lugo Bridal. Before hearing about this website, I didn't know one could
design a bridesmaid dress online!