Bride Guide

So you've gotten engaged, you’re getting married, you've set the date, and in all this flurry of excitement, the bridesmaids dresses are probably not the first thing you’re thinking about. But I assure you, as soon as you’ve told your close female friends about your plans to get married, the question of ‘will she ask me to be a bridesmaid?’ and ‘what kind of dress will I have to wear?’ will most certainly be on their mind! To help guide you through this tricky process, we’ve put together the ultimate guide for choosing bridesmaids dresses.

First things first, how many bridesmaids?

This initial decision can often be the trickiest part. First of all, you’ve got to consider the size of the venue and the size of your wedding party (hopefully you’ve got at least a rough idea of this!). If you’re having a big wedding in a large and lavish venue, and you want 10 bridesmaids, then sure, why not, as long as you can manage the load (and I mean both financially and mentally)! But if you’re having a small and intimate wedding, it’s probably not going to be suitable to have an army of bridesmaids.

The next thing to consider is who to ask. The number of bridesmaids you have may be dependent on the number of close female friends or family members you have – who of them would welcome the role of bridesmaid, who would expect to be asked (and may be offended if not asked), and who you’ve been a bridesmaid for before. My advice is that it’s best not to worry about offending anyone, letting any silly factors cloud your decision making, or asking someone that you know would not want to take on the role of being a bridesmaid. If you’re having trouble choosing between your friends, or just have too many close friends to choose from, why not offer other special honors to friends that don’t make the bridesmaid final cut? This could include tasks such as writing a toast for the reception.

Just remember, weddings come in all shapes and sizes these days, and the final decision is entirely up to YOU. It’s your special day, and you know what’s best for it. Just make your mind up and make everything clear to all bridesmaids from the start. As for anyone getting offended… well, lets just hope everyone can be grown-up and respectful of your decisions, as you really don’t need any additional stress at this time.

Choosing their dresses

You’ve chosen your bridesmaids and you’re ready to start thinking about what they’re going to wear. Chances are you’ve already got an idea of the kind of wedding dress you will wear. This is a good start, and something to build upon when it comes to choosing bridesmaids dresses. Here’s the run down of what to bear in mind when looking for bridesmaids dresses:

Your Bridal Style

If you’ve already chosen a gown, then great! If not, you probably have an idea of the kind of styles you like, based on your personal style and taste, the season, location, color scheme, and theme of your wedding. You'll want bridesmaids dresses that are going to compliment the event and your dress – without overshadowing anything, especially your wedding dress!

Your Theme, Venue, and Color Scheme

Just like you’ll have an idea of your bridal gown style, you probably have an overall vision for how you want your wedding day to look – what kind of energy and vibe you want it to have. The bridesmaid’s dresses play an important role in this and if carefully chosen can have a wonderful effect on the color pallette of your wedding, not to mention look fantastic in your photos. You might have a strong vision for what you want the bridesmaids dresses to do, such as a complete contrast with your gown (black bridesmaids dresses anyone?), or a close match to your gown (how about making like Kate Middleton and decking the bridesmaids out in white, to match?). Or you might want to use them to add color, or even pattern, to your special day. Think about how they’re going to work with the ‘look’ of the day as a whole – collect images that you like, weddings that inspire you, colors that you’re attracted to. Make a scrapbook (online or real life!) of these, and it will really help you figure out what would work best.

Your Bridesmaids as Individuals!

It’s so important to really know your bridesmaids. There’s high chance they’re not all the same shape or size, and perhaps not even the same age. Do they have different hair colors, eye colors and skin tones? Probably. Do they each have their own individual style? I imagine so! And these are all important factors to consider when choosing bridesmaids dresses. Make sure to get all of their measurements, and have a chat with each of them to find out if there’s anything they’d feel really uncomfortable in. Make notes, and remember to keep their shape and coloring in mind.

If your bridesmaids are all entirely different, you don’t have to force yourself into the nightmare of finding one dress to suit all. Nowadays plenty of people don’t choose matching dresses. It’s becoming increasingly popular for brides to choose a color and material, then providing their bridesmaids with a few styles to choose from, so that they match enough but with a bit of variation, and smiles all around! Alternatively, you could choose one style of dress in varying colors or tones of one color. There are lots of options to make finding something to suit everyone easier, just establish the basics such as color(s), length, material, and the general look or feeling your day is going to have.

A rundown of the basics:

Color
  • Choose carefully to make sure they compliment (or contrast) your wedding dress as desired.
  • Make sure the colors are keeping with (and seriously contributing to) the general look and color scheme of your day – bridesmaids dresses do make a difference here.
  • Make sure the colors don’t drown out your bridesmaids or clash with hair color.
  • Remember that darker colors help to disguise lumps and bumps!
Fabric
  • It’s very important to consider the season you’re getting married in. If it’s summer, choose a light fabric like chiffon, just use your common sense and consider the temperature and weather!
  • You probably want to make sure all the fabrics match, unless you have some elaborate plan and vision for mis-matched fabrics.
Style
  • Keep in mind the size, shape and preferences of your bridesmaids.
  • Styles can be similar or different – in matching colors or if you’re really going for the whole eclectic look, different colors. Your creative options are unlimited.
  • Don’t ask your bridesmaids to buy a dress they’d wouldn’t be seen dead in ever again.
  • Don’t choose something unattractive or boring in order to make yourself look better! It’s your special day and it should be perfect. Do you want a troop of terrible looking bridesmaids surrounding you in the wedding photos to look at forever more? Thought not. Make sure their dresses don’t overpower your gown and you’ll shine. Your radiant bridal glow will ensure you’re the star of the show!
Accessories
  • From the start you should also be thinking about what accessories you would like to go with the bridesmaids dresses.
  • Like the dresses, shoes can be matched or mismatched by style, color, heel height, and so on. Choose something that will compliment the dresses and make sure to talk to your bridesmaids about what they’re comfortable in to avoid any embarrassing moments at the wedding!
  • Jewelry makes an excellent bridesmaids gift, and means you don’t have the expense of jewelry and a gift.
Nowadays there are so many great options for bridesmaids dresses, and most of them can be worn again and again for different occasions, making it less of an extravagance and more of an investment. We offer all of our bridesmaids dresses in any length, plus loads of gorgeous colors, making the process a lot easier for you. So sit back, relax, and let’s color those ladies (and you’re special day) lovely!



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