Given a lucky day at the J.C. Penney sales rack, a traditional bridesmaid dress can cost as little as $59.

If you broaden your search a bit, to include the regular evening gown section, the "discount wedding dresses" department (for a daytime wedding), you can find remarkable bargains. And some of these dresses are very nice, and can be worn again unless your bridesmaids' entire social lives revolve around the better casinos as Monte Carlo.

The "wedding plan" section has even more ideas for controlling dress costs.