My mother claims that it is NOT a legal wedding unless there are bows on the butts of the bridemaids.
I have to heartily second the comment about not gushing over the re-wearability of the dresses. While that might be true in theory, when I had future formal or semi-formal occasions come up, I wanted to wear a dress I chose–a color a liked, a style I liked. Just because I had a dress that could be reworn, didn’t mean I wanted to wear it. I actually resented one friend who kept ramming that fact down my throat as a justification for making me spend $200 on the gown SHE chose, in the color SHE liked. I’m not saying you’d be the same way–I’m just bringing this up as a way of seconding the comment hedra made.
One useful reuse of gowns: I’ve heard of women throwing “Miss America” parties, where everyone drags out those frocks and wears them to someone’s house to watch the event. After the pageant broadcast is over, all go hit the bars, still wearing the gowns.