It's really up to the individual bride, James. Some do, some don't. But when the average cost of weddings these days is $25K and up, some may not want to. There are some absolutely gorgeous dresses out there that can definitely be worn again, but they are often in the $200-500 range.
With the exception of my oldest sister's first wedding, I thought all the bridesmaids dresses I wore were okay. (Aforementioned sister was married in 1994 and we wore horrible pastel floral-print dresses with poufy sleeves, scalloped hems and butt bows. Yak! Her second wedding was better: short-sleeved, floor-length, scoop-neck in butter yellow.)
And anymore, there are no "rules" as to what colors should be worn in what season. My other sister was married in July and we wore bright red dresses. I was just married this past September, and my girls wore a deeper red color. Please don't fault the bride in her personal taste (or seemingly lack thereof), wedding planning is stressful enough as it is!
