Pause to take a mental poll. How many weddings have you attended where the bride and bridesmaids walked down the aisle like they were lugging bowling balls, not an artful arrangement of blooms?

A couple years ago, I went to two weddings who demonstrated polar opposite philosophies about bridesmaid's dresses. You didn't know that choosing a dress for your bridesmaids was a philosophical matter? Well, now you do.

How much can you expect to pay if you say "yes" to being a bridesmaid in a friend or family member's wedding?