How are you?
Welcome back to another Wedding Wednesday.
This week, I turn my attention to choosing the right bridesmaid dresses for you.
Small disclaimer before I begin: now, it's becoming much more common for the roles of the wedding party not to be dictated by gender. I know you might have boys in your bridal party! In this post, I will be referring specifically to girls & dresses because that is my experience. You can obviously adjust to suit you if you have to factor in boys!
So let's get into it!
Traditionally, bridesmaid attire all matched - same colour, same dress, same shoes, same everything. Whilst various trends come & go every year, one thing is for sure - mix & match wedding party outfits are here to stay!
And it makes so much sense (to me anyway) - what's the point in forcing your girls into a dress of your dreams, when it really doesn't work for them.
Choosing your bridesmaid dresses should not be stressful either. I think so much pressure is placed on weddings in general (that is definitely a topic for another time) & the wedding attire is no exception to that pressure. Mix that with the opinions of each bridesmaid, & sometimes even the mother of the bride or other miscellaneous people & you have a nightmare on your hands.
Here are my 6 tips for finding the right bridesmaid outfits for you (& your girls!).
1. Use Pintrest for inspiration
I have talked about Pinterest before; whilst it can be a curse & cause more stress, it can also provide valuable ideas for different bridesmaid looks that might work for you. I pinned quite a few different ideas for mine (I will make this board public after my wedding so keep an eye out for that!) before settling on my favourite option. It is a cool idea to share this board with your maids to see their thoughts on the situation - it is a great way to start talking about an option that is perfect for all of you.
2. Ask your maids for their opinion
Yes, it is your wedding. But you can actually see in wedding photos if someone is uncomfortable! And I don't know about you, but I'm not keen to look back at my photos in ten years time & see that one of my maids looked unhappy. For example, my maid of honour does not like wearing pink or yellow. It's a hard one if those are the colours for your wedding (which is a problem I don't have), but I would, if that was the case, go out of my way to find a dress in a colour I'm happy with but also she is comfortable in. It's all about compromise!
None of my girls were keen for a strapless dress - again a super easy compromise to make sure everyone is happy!
I'm not saying do whatever your maids want. Don't be a pushover (especially if you have upwards of 5+ maids with differing opinions) & sacrifice your vision to accomodate everyone else, but definitely find a place where everyone is comfortable with the arrangements.
screenshot from my bridesmaid Pintrest board
3. Price does matter
If you are paying for your maids attire & money is no object, then go for it - anything goes. But if you expect your maids to pay for their own (which is generally the accepted practice) then you need to take budget into consideration. Your maids agreed to stand by you when you tie the knot; with that does come some financial commitment, but it doesn't have to break the bank. Money can cause such an argument & whilst it is your wedding, you also want to keep your friends after the day is over. Don't put pressure on them if they can't afford something you like - there are plenty of affordable options out there.
4. Think about body shape & colouring
Not everyone is built the same, so the chance that you have 3 - 10 girls in your life who suit the same dress is SO slim! This is definitely the reason the mix & match trend came about! One that I think should be the norm, to be honest.
I have 3 girls in my bridal party; one of them is tall & slim & one of them just had a baby, so the chance of me finding a one-dress-fits-all was near impossible! I'm sure, if it was a deal breaker for me, they would have tried to find one for all. But for me, it comes down to what makes my girls comfortable. And, actually, what would they wear again (I am also not big on wasteful purchases, so I would never choose a dress that will just sit in the closet later).
This, again, comes back to yes it is your wedding, but do you want to look at unhappy, uncomfortable maids? Probably not!
5. Think about the weather
I think it is a no-brainer that you wouldn't select a tea length dress in winter, or a heavy full length gown in summer - but it happens so often!
If you are having a summer wedding, pick a light summery dress that fits your vision, but is also cool to wear. If it's winter, think about how the girls are going to stay warm.
I'm really not keen on having my maids shivering at the alter haha! For one, I want them to be happy but 2. it shows in your photos! I feel like a broken record now. But in being a little bit considerate, you will have a much better experience (& it will show!).
6. Start shopping early
Do not leave this until the last minute!
If you are looking at purchasing through a bridal boutique, the wait time can be just as long as purchasing a wedding gown (3+ months).
If you shop online, factor in alteration time, because you have no idea if these dresses will fit (or worse.. what they will even look like. What if they are awful & you need to shop again?).
Just give yourself time, is all I'm saying. I am aiming to have my maid's outfits ready to go 2 months out, so that I'm not stressed about them not being here, or not fitting or anything else that might happen.
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What was your process to selecting your bridesmaid outfits?
Did you have an easy time?
What were the trials & tribulations of your experience?
You will have to wait until after the wedding to see what I chose to do for my wedding... will update this in a few months so you can see (yes I went for a mix & match option...).
Until next week.
Hx
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