Can I use a resistor before a bridge rectifier to lower inrush current?
There are good and complicated solutions, relay, FET, and simpler, thermistor, but it still may be possible to use the simplest, fixed resistor, without too much dissipation for your application.

If you get an inrush, does it matter? Well, only if it breaks something. So what could break? Supply fuse, transformer, or diode rectifiers.

Fuses have 'T' rated versions that take a long time to blow, for just this application. The transformer is a heavy lump of copper, that's not going to fail. 

Read the specification of your diodes carefully. You may be surprised at how much the 'single cycle surge current' is. In a 1N40xx (cheapo workhorse mains diode), the continuous current is 1A, the surge is 30A. For 1N54xx series, the figures are 3A and 200A. This is specifically to allow them to survive inrush. You may find you already have enough stray resistance in your circuit to limit the current to the safe surge value. If not, you maybe won't need much more, and it still may give you acceptable efficiency. If it doesn't, then try smarter solutions.