They wear ugly dresses, anyway: They're just there to make the bride look better.
Elope. It'll save so many things.
I saved money by asking to go through my best friend’s closet and helping her pick out a dress from her stack from her sisters’ weddings. It was easier, and cheaper, than getting a new, one time dress.
my bridemaids didn't wear ugly dresses... i let them choose the dress... most of my bridesmaids were family... sisters and a niece with a couple of friends... my niece was the maid-of-honor... she has really good taste and she was in charge... she wore the same dress as the bridesmaids... she and my sisters chose it... we were also all in our 30s... i think it helped that we were a little more mature... the dress was not big, not shiny, not some silly color... but yes, you are right... generally, the bridesmaids are there to make the bride look better...
That's why I let my bridesmaids pick their own designs. They were all made of the same fabric though. They wore sheer capes so they all looked the same for the ceremony and pictures. I wanted them to have dresses they could (would) wear again. The only problem was my sister, who was pregnant and due near my wedding date. We had no clue what size she would be. She chose a tent-like pattern. She had the baby two weeks before my wedding. She was in another city and had to have last-minute alterations to her tent. LOL.