[Poll] Bridal Partywear

(I'll leave Jeng to explain last week's blogging absence. Don't think he didn't hear about it from me!)

A couple of weeks ago I was watching the movie, 27 dresses and was inspired by the creative bridesmaids attire. I realized that my wedding would be the perfect opportunity to embarrass my friends! Fashion from the 80s is making a comeback and it would pay homage to the decade of Jengs and my birth. I mean, how cool would my girlfriends look in dresses like these?!

Haha. Okay, I do love my girl friends and as tempting as it is, I will not subject them to humiliation. (At least as far as attire is concerned.) Instead, I face several options:
A) Go the fancy brand name route, forcing my bridesmaids to spend hundreds of dollars on a dress they will likely only wear once. (Because honestly, you might think the dress is something they will wear again but chances are... they will not.)
B) Pick a color and have them find a dress of their style. While this has become a popular choice for weddings, I'm a fan of the symmetry that comes with matching.
C) Have dresses made but risk the dresses looking handmade.
D) Hunt for dresses at a store for a decent price.

While option C is still on the table, D is the route I've ventured down (for now). Unlike my bridal gown search, this adventure involves multiple parties. (I have 2 maid of honors and 4 bridesmaids.) I had friends searching in LA, Colorado and all over the Bay Area. Our email chain is 40+ emails long, including many iPhone pictures in fitting rooms. (Gotta love picture messaging!)

We've narrowed it down to 3 dresses -- one from Macys (sexy, dressy and a bit funky), one from Nordstrom (classic and flattering) and one from TJ Maxx (cheaper, more simple but still cute, especially with some accessories). (I would post pics but since some elements must be a surprise, I will refrain.) Since we're all geographically separate, I went ahead and purchased most of the dresses myself. They are currently sitting in my bedroom, awaiting a 'bridesmaid dress vote' at the end of August when we're all together. (Luckily, its also just a few days short of Macy's and TJ Maxx's return policy expiration.) Since we love democracies, maybe we'll take your vote into consideration too: