The wedding dress search can seem like the most difficult part of your style search, but finding bridesmaids dresses can impose many more issues to take into account. Bridesmaid dress designers have lots of styles they create and it is very important that bridesmaid dress styles must be agreed upon by various girls of different shapes and sizes, the color must be chosen by the bride and available in the dress chosen, and the budget the bridesmaids are willing to spend is also a big factor. The following tips can make the whole process a bit easier.
My first suggestion is to choose a color (or color family) and a fabric, and let your girls figure out which style they prefer for their body type. Make sure that the color you choose is appropriate for your season, location, and works with your wedding decor. You shouldn’t have everything too matchy-matchy, so if you have light orange flowers you may want to consider a darker orange gown or maybe even one with a reddish-tone so that it coordinates without being the same exact color. You should also know your bridesmaid dresses designs and options and keep that in mind when thinking colors.
If you aren’t too sure about colors, visit my website and use my interactive color tool on each style to view different colors together. When choosing the fabric, you don’t want to choose a fabric or length that is inappropriate for the season and/or location. For example, chiffon and short lengths work for spring/summer weddings, beach locations or garden settings, but are not the best solution for a winter wonderland wedding. For a snowy location, you may want to go with a longer length and a heavier fabric such as Satin. Remember, there is a lot here to think about but designer bridesmaid dresses are plentiful and there is lots of choice, so don’t stress out.
Oh…one more thing which tends to drive me nuts when I go to Trunk Shows- Please take the time to give your bridal consultant (the person assisting you at the retail location of your choice) the color or colors you are interested in. They can easily let you know which designers offer those colors and in which fabrics. This way, you can be free to roam and search for styles without worrying about color. Most designer bridesmaid dresses gowns are available in huge ranges of colors, so if it is hanging in the store in Yellow it does not mean that it does not also come in Red or Gray or Blue. Please do not only look at gowns which are hanging in your color of choice…you are only limiting yourself.
When doing your research for bridesmaid dress styles, you can visit various websites and browse many magazines for inspiration. However, make sure to dig a bit deeper than the front page articles or “top 10” lists. You have to understand that wedding advertisement is a business like anything else and, unfortunately, it is the bridesmaid dress designers with the deepest pockets that usually make it to front pages because of the amount of money they spend on advertising. You may find a hidden gem if you just take your time and do your research. Don’t be fooled by the fancy banners and editor’s picks.
My last suggestion is to take a deep breath and allow yourself to enjoy the process. So what if you had your heart set on the one-shoulder short dress and your 5’2″ bridesmaid looks like she’s swimming in it? So what if she loves the sweetheart, strapless bridesmaids dress so much more? At the end of the day, you want your bridesmaids to look like they own their dresses and not like they were hand-me-downs from some other wedding and you want them to feel comfortable in what they are wearing.
You want all eyes on you, so the last thing you want is girls tugging at their necklines because they feel like they are falling out, or a dress engulfing your petite MOH because you had to have that style. Just take a deep breath, relax, and enjoy your amazing and special day.
Just in time for the holidays, let’s discuss holiday trends and your style for the New Year in my next post!
