It is true that most wedding guests, especially the females, all look forward to seeing the bridal party and wondering what color and style the Bridesmaids will wear. Where and when did this tradition start anyway? Apparently, the Bridesmaids and the Bride used to dress similar and wear veils. This was to confuse evil spirits that may or may not crash the wedding and to mask who the real Bride was from kidnappers as they traveled far, sometimes, to wed their Groom. So, instead of only assisting with a bachelorette or bridal party before the wedding and then helping the Bride on the day of, they were actually willing to put themselves in harms way to protect the Bride on her Wedding Day! Some interesting info! But nowadays, picking your own wedding dress, wedding colors and Bridesmaids dresses can be one of the most exciting parts of planning your big day. Picking bridesmaids dresses can also be stressful - Can they afford the dress I picked? Does it suit their body style? Can they ever wear it again? These are all questions that go thru a Bride's head as she shops!
So, a few tips as you go forward and try to pick those perfect dresses...or not pick them.
Decide if you even have a specific look or color you want. Some Brides have been planning their wedding forever and have an exact picture in their minds of what it will look like...right down to the dresses that will be standing next to them. If this is you, then here are a few tips for you.
1) If what you want is a more elegant dress that will not likely be worn again, then remember you don't
need to pick an expensive material that washes well, etc. It only needs to hold up for one day, maybe
only 10-12hours. So, shopping online for a less expensive dress is the absolute way to go. Literally
just search online for cheap bridesmaids dresses and a flurry of $29+ dresses will come up that look
stunning, but will not be the top of the line quality. Your bridesmaids will thank you! This way you can
pick an exact dress you like the look of and they can not spend a fortune on something they will never
wear again.
2) Let them pick their shoes and other accessories! Honestly, no one will notice whether or not their shoes
and other jewelry, etc. match. So, pick your dress, but leave the rest to them (other than their bouquet).
3) Be very aware of your bridesmaid body types. If you do end up picking a more expensive dress and then
they have to have it tailored on top of that, it just adds to the expense. Remember, too, that while it may
not be their Wedding Day, they still have to stand and sit in front of a lot of people all day long in their dress. So, either offer different options/styles or pick one that all will be happy with.
For the rest of you, who are not as set on what your bridesmaids wear, you should still set some guidelines.
1) Maybe pick a color palette, literally, from a paint store or other online source and send it to your bridesmaids. You could allow them to choose any color or pattern dress that falls within the palette chosen.
2) Set some dress code guidelines. For example, length, no strapless, must have/not have sparkles, etc. Maybe there's a material you don't like (shiny, lacy, patterns, etc) or you don't want too much cleavage. Whatever they are, just make those known in the very beginning.
3) Make sure they all know to text a picture to you, before purchasing, for your approval. This way you can still have a bit of control over what is worn. If you are not good at telling someone "no" then give them your wedding planner/coordinator's number and have her approve or disapprove. ;-)
Pintrest is full of amazingly beautiful wedding ideas, but it also has some pretty hideous pins of bridesmaids dresses! Just for fun, copy and paste the link below to get some ideas of what not to pick!
