Online ShopChoosing bridesmaids’ outfits: tips for brides
Choosing bridesmaids' outfits: tips for brides.
You may think that choosing a wedding dress is quite a tricky job. But once you begin looking for bridesmaids' gowns, you may feel that selecting a bridal gown was the easy part...
Whose decision is it anyway?
Whoever your bridesmaids are, there obviously has to be some kind of compromise reached between your ideas and what each of them feels like wearing. Bear in mind that these are close friends and relatives for whom you are picking outfits, not Barbie. Think about their individual personalities and tastes, and don't expect bridesmaids to wear something you yourself wouldn't be comfortable in.
The matter of who is paying for the dresses changes the boundaries a little. If you are stumping up the readies, bridesmaids may be pleased to have a dress they can wear again, but shouldn't necessarily expect it. However, if you are asking them to shell out, you should expect to decide on a dress that your attendants can wear again. Avoiding outré colours and patterns is therefore a must. Nobody is suggesting that you should kit out your bridesmaids in jumpers and jeans, but if you choose something a tiny bit practical your bridesmaids will love you for it, and compromise may be reached a little sooner.
They all look so different!
You do, however, have the right to point out that bridesmaids should resist the temptation to impose their own style on your wedding. Your Goth younger sister doesn't absolutely have to have a black dress just because that's the only thing she'd choose. A good practical solution is to opt for separates rather than one-piece dresses -- even if they'll never wear that fuchsia bodice again, they might wear the grey silk skirt (or vice versa).
Another complication is that few brides are lucky enough to have bridesmaids who all share the same skin or hair tone or body shape. However, if you have your heart set on a particular colour theme, you could suggest that each bridesmaid chooses a style of dress most suitable for her within that colour range. This is a very popular approach in America, and many US designers are now bringing their ranges over here: check out confetti’s dress search for inspiration. (There are in fact two colours that do suit all skin, eye and hair tones -- emerald green and purple.)
Alternatively, you can ask all your bridesmaids to wear the same style and fabric, but let them choose the colour. This can look really stunning. Choosing a black-tie dress code is another way to solve the bridesmaid issue. Bridesmaids in evening dress look wonderful at urban, evening, register office and large formal weddings.
If you have a number of bridesmaids, it's difficult to get everyone together for shopping trips. So do as much advance research as you possibly can in order to minimise the organisation involved! Bridesmaids' outfits can usually be found in all the same outlets as bridal wear.
