Now that you’ve found your dream wedding dress, the next dress hunt begins: the bridesmaid dresses. The dresses of your bridal party are will be photographed almost as much as your own dress on your wedding day, so it’s important that you choose dresses that you and your bridesmaids will love equally.
To find the ideal bridesmaid dresses, you’ll want to start with researching the dresses available that you feel will match your theme. Since there are so many styles out there, a good place to start is with color. Your wedding’s colors can help you narrow down what style will look the best in those shades. You can browse thousands of bridesmaids’ dresses online and bookmark those you’re most interested in. Feel free to share the images with your bridal party, however, keep in mind that it will be rare for you to find one dress everyone agrees on.
For this reason, JJsHouse.com designer Jessica recommends a convertible dress, which will allow your bridesmaids to choose which style fits them best. Your bridesmaids know their body type best, but a convertible dress will allow you to accommodate all their needs in one style. She also suggests floor length gowns.
“Floor length gowns are actually a lot more forgiving and easier to wear than people think,” Jessica says. “People are used to maxi gowns now, so it’s not a stretch for them to wear floor length. It’s a classy cut, allows anyone who prefers it to hide their legs, and will wear equally well on your shortest or tallest friend.”
Wrap dresses and illusion necklines are also hugely popular right now and can look quite striking on a variety of body types.
While it’s common practice for bridesmaids to pay for their own dresses, it’s good etiquette to keep your friends’ budgets in mind. While they may be very flattered to be involved in your wedding, it’s best not to thank them by bankrupting them. For this reason, look to find affordable options for your bridesmaids.
Another option many brides are going for is to provide their bridesmaids with the appropriate swatches and then let them choose whatever style of dress they wish. Don’t want your dresses to be that varied? Consider giving them both a fabric and a color swatch and asking them to work within those boundaries.
If you don’t want to limit your bridal party to just one color, look for complementary shades like a combination of gray and beige, or jewel tones, and allow them to choose from several choices. If you’re having an Indian wedding, then places like Adoniya make this super easy.
To make sure your bridesmaids all have their orders in time, it’s important to remind them to order early. Like wedding dresses, it can take up to 6 months for orders to arrive and 4 to 6 weeks for alterations to be completed. For that reason, you’ll have to start shopping for your own dress quite early on to give your wedding party ample time to find, order, and be fitted for their dresses.
