Finding a dress that suits all your bridesmaids can be tricky
Today’s bride will often ask all her closest friends to be bridesmaids – school, uni and work all add to the number along with sisters and favourite cousins. But while it is lovely to ask so many, it is highly unlikely they will all be 5’8” and size 10! And finding one bridesmaid dress that suits everyone equally is simply not possible.
The answer is to opt for two or three different style dresses so all your bridesmaids look lovely. Colour can be a dilemma too as a bridesmaid with red hair may not suit the same colour dress as a blonde bridesmaid. Opting for dresses in different shades works beautifully.
Blush is a very popular colour at the moment and suits most complexions and hair colours. Last year I dressed a group of eight adult bridesmaids for Jemima’s wedding and used two different colour linings – a pink and a gold behind a blush chiffon. This subtly altered the shade of the dress to a warm or cool tone to suit each girls complexion. All the girls looked gorgeous and all felt happy and confident in their dresses.
The time of the year should also influence the choice of colour. Gorgeous winter weddings call for rich jewel colours for bridesmaids’ dresses – berry and amethyst are very popular but now gold or silver sequin dresses are in the mix of options and add perfect sparkle to Christmas weddings. Spring and summer weddings should be softer which mean pastel shades and top of the list are dusty pinks, blush and ivory. Coloured sashes add interest to ivory or white bridesmaids’ dresses – choose a shade to match your bouquet.
A vintage wedding is more refined with furnishings from the early 1900’s to 1950’s – painted French chairs, chandeliers and gilded sconces setting the scene.
A vintage wedding will normally be held in a period property often with lovely gardens where the ceremony can take place in a folly or gazebo.
Beautiful vintage china and cutlery will be set for the wedding breakfast. These can be hired from companies either as a complete set or mix and match pieces – alternatively some brides scour charity shops and antique markets and put together their own collections.
Little flower girls are easier to dress as one style really will suit all. Young bridesmaids look cute in a more traditional style and a classic ivory dress with a coloured sash in the same shade as the adult bridesmaids dresses will create real stand out.
Simply add flower garlands to their hair to finish the look.
Who pays for what can be tricky. In the past, etiquette demanded that the bridesmaid buy her own dress and shoes. However if you are constantly worried about your bridesmaids being able to afford your choice of dress, it can make it harder to come to the right decision.
Lately I have noticed that the bride’s parents are tending to pay for the dresses.
This keeps things simple and means you have total control over the style, quality and colour so you can focus on achieving the impact you are looking for.
The run up to a wedding can be emotional. If you can afford to have the bridesmaids’ dresses hand made it can relieve the tension, personal fittings can be really fun and a chance for all your bridesmaids to bond. And as the look and feel of your wedding comes together…it’s an excuse to share a glass of bubbly as the excitement builds.
But whatever you decide – or can afford – the most important thing is that your chosen bridesmaids are at your side feeling happy and looking positively radiant as they play their part in your special day…
Leave A Comment