The rules for dressing your bridesmaids have changed. They no longer expect to be asked to all wear the same dress, in the same style, in the same colour… Which is great news for you!
Today the mode is much more geared towards the individual figures of the girls. Gone are the days when brides uniformly put their attendants in the same dress, all in the same colour and style – with no consideration given to different figures, ages, skin tones and personalities.
Keeping girls over ten happy when it comes to bridesmaid dresses can be tricky. They don’t want to look ‘girly’ but grown up styles are not right for teenage figures. Involve them in your decision-making and they’ll love you for it! Choose a matching or coordinating fabric that will sit well with the flowergirls’ dresses.”
There’s no rule any longer that says bridesmaids have to wear exactly the same shade. We love it when brides mix it up a bit. It’s telling that the promotional poster for the comedy film ‘Bridesmaids’ showed all the girls awkwardly dressed in one size fits all hot pink taffeta, with ruffles.
Whilst we love hot pink, it’s a very distinctive colour and doesn’t suit everybody. The best way to decide what’s going to work is to look at real life weddings with real life bridesmaids.
There’s no one style suits all you can see that different styles of neckline feature – strapless and one shouldered. If one of your girls has a small bust she might feel uncomfortable wearing a strapless dress and a sweetheart neckline would be more suitable (actually a sweetheart neckline suits all busts). Or if one of your maids is better endowed then choose a dress with straps.
The same goes for lengths. Some of your girls might be happy with the shape of their legs, others would rather wear something below the knee. It’s always best to talk your ideas through with them and give them some options (but not too many).
Day to night dresses.
The recent law amendment that now lets you marry at any time up to 6pm has opened up new possibilities for bridesmaid dressing. If you’re having a late afternoon wedding (which in the darkness of winter will seem like the evening anyway) then why not dress your girls in dramatic deep shades? Dark blues, purples – don’t be afraid of dressing your maids in black either.
Your girls can then stylishly go from day to night in evening frocks. Talk to them about what you have in mind and let them be involved in the choice because this is certainly a time when they can choose a frock they could wear again and again to parties (particularly important if they’re paying for their own gown). It doesn’t matter if you go for cocktail style or something a little longer – just make sure that the colour blends the whole effect together.
