Choosing Bridesmaids Outfits: Tips for Brides
Don’t give yourselves dress stress when it comes to choosing your bridesmaids outfits. If your girls have very different shapes, colouring or style then you don’t have to dress them all alike. Spend an evening in with your girls, looking at the latest wedding magazines and dresses online and you’ll find the perfect colours and styles to suit everyone. Here’s what to consider when it comes to choosing bridesmaids outfits.
Image from Tracey and Glenn’s Real Wedding
Traditional bridesmaids dresses
You might already have a colour and style in mind but don’t be surprised at just how many different shades, necklines and skirts will persuade you to change your mind! It’s great to start off with an idea of what you’re looking for and even better to discuss it with your bridesmaids as they’re the ones who will actually be wearing the frocks. If traditional wedding style is what you’re aiming for then matching gowns on almost-matching bridesmaids creates a stylish uniform look. If the bridesmaids dresses are a similar shape to your bridal gown then they will co-ordinate even better.
Bridesmaids accessories
With the dress as the basis of the outift, accessories will add colour and texture to enhance the overall look. A plain dress can be transformed with the right sash, shoes or shawl. A group of traditional bridesmaids, for instance, might be dressed in long blush pink gowns to match your bouquet, wedding flowers and venue decor, with pale green sashes tied around their waists, matching pale green shawl-like wraps around their shoulders and ivory or silver shoes. The pale green and silver/ivory might be echoed in the invitations, orders of service, menus and place cards to tie the whole colour scheme together.
Image from Anna and Gavin’s Vintage Style Real Wedding
If a traditional look is not for you however and you’re planning a more modern, informal or alternative wedding then keep reading…
Contemporary bridesmaids style
These days anything goes and you don’t have to follow tradition or etiquette if you don’t want to. If a row of matching bridesmaids is not your style then consider having a Best Woman in a smart suit or your girls in unmatching outfits, alternating colours or styles. If your bridesmaids have very different shapes or colouring then finding a colour or style to complement their individuality can be the best way forward.
Image courtesy of Dress Shop.com Blog.
It’s fashionable these days to have bridesmaids in different dresses all based on a theme to tie them together. The theme could be the colour or the style, here are some examples:
Bridesmaids with different colourings
You could have one bridesmaid with pale skin and long red hair in a royal blue gown with a pale blue sash and the other bridesmaid with black skin and short black hair in a pale blue gown with a royal blue sash. They could both wear the same style of dress in different colours with the same coloured shoes and matching jewellery and bouquets.
Bridesmaids with different body shapes
You could have one bridesmaid who is short and curvy in a long, v-neck navy blue gown with a corseted waist and one tall and slim bridesmaid in a knee-length, halter-neck, backless navy blue gown. Both bridesmaids are very different but will look amazing by wearing dresses to suit their body shapes. They might also feel more comfortable than being asked to wear matching styles. The colour and accessories will tie their look together.
Find your dream Bridesmaid Dresses in dresses & style.