Dressing your Bridesmaids
By: Candace Hutchins
Brides want to get married in the perfect dress, surrounded by their closest friends in equally, if not lesser-perfect dresses. The bridesmaid dresses are important because they often help define the color scheme of a wedding. When selecting bridesmaid dresses, Edens has noticed that, “brides are going with what they see in catalogues, picking a color that they want to use, and sticking with it.”
Color
Brown still dominates as a popular color choice for bridesmaid dresses, although black is becoming more popular. It is no longer a faux-pas for wedding guests to wear black and brides also think it is perfectly acceptable to have bridesmaids donning black.
“Brides are selecting cocktail style dresses that their bridesmaids can wear again,” says Angela McMillin, owner of Bella Bridesmaid in Nashville. “We are seeing a deviation from the popular strapless necklines on dresses to plunging and higher necklines.”
Brown and black bridesmaid dresses are an easy way to create a classic look that girls don’t have to pair with matching dyed shoes. Colored bridesmaid dresses are still popular, too. One twist that brides today are often making is choosing two colors for their bridesmaid dresses to enhance the look of a solid brown or black. For example, a recent bride chose light blue dresses with brown trim for her June wedding and a bride last fall paired brown skirts with mint green tops.
In addition the experts report that those beloved bright colors of the dreadful bridesmaid past are resurfacing. Brides want color at their weddings in every aspect from the flowers to the bridesmaid dresses. Because brides tend to stick to fairly traditional white or ivory wedding gowns, the bridesmaids’ dresses often define the color scheme of the wedding.
But bright-colored or metallic bridesmaid dresses don’t have to fit into the “ugly bridesmaid dress” cliché. McMillin says that jewel tones are really popular in cool color palates of greens, blues and purples. The key is to tone down the bright colors with accessories such as simple white bouquets and plain black shoes.
Style
In addition to color, brides also must make decisions about the style of the dress, in order to complement her gown and the formality of the wedding ceremony. Looking at catalogues, and knowing what colors and styles that other brides are tending to select is a good way for brides to develop a vision for their wedding.
Another “ugly bridesmaid dress” cliché is having sack-like dresses that do not compliment a girl’s figure. Brides should be aware that it will likely be difficult to find a style that will flatter all her bridesmaids’ figures.
Many brides choose to select a color, material and length for the dresses but let their bridesmaids choose a style for the top that complements their own figure. Bustier bridesmaids may look better in a halter-style top, while girls with more athletic figures look better in a strapless dress. Allowing bridesmaids to choose a flattering style ensures a clean-cut and attractive wedding party, and the dress is more likely to be worn again.
No matter what colors or styles you choose to use for your bridesmaid dresses, make sure your choices represent your personal taste, the theme of your wedding ceremony and make your bridesmaids feel almost as beautiful as you.
