bridesmaid dresses

Choosing bridesmaids' dresses can sometimes be as stressful as choosing your own wedding dress! Or even more so if you have picky bridesmaids, or ladies of varying sizes and shapes... How do you keep everyone happy and make sure all your bridesmaids look great?

bridesmaid dresses

First off - have a get together with all your bridesmaids, preferably after you've bought your wedding dress to talk about styles and colours. Have some magazines or websites to browse through and gauge whether everyone has similar or vastly differing ideas! Of course, the final decision is usually up to you - it is your wedding after all - but the whole process is made much easier by a little cooperation and flexibility.

bridesmaid dresses

If you also have flower girls, you may want to be a little more flexible and allow just plain white flower girl dresses with a splash of colour added in the form of ribbons, shoes or flowers. Since many bridesmaids are now expected to buy their own dresses and/or shoes, bear in mind people's budgets and the overall cost of an outfit.

bridesmaid dresses

Some things to think about when deciding on bridesmaid's dresses are:

bridesmaid dresses

Customise - have fun and let your bridesmaids show their personality by differentiating with accessories - perhaps different colours or styles of cardigan/shawl, jewellery, tights, bags or shoes? You chose your bridesmaids for who they are, let them express themselves and you'll be surrounded by happy friends.

bridesmaid dresses

Colour - make sure the colour you pick suits all the bridesmaids' different skin tones. The wrong shade can wash out or clash with complexion or hair colour. It's great to choose a colour that complements your wedding gown and the groom/groomsmen's outfits too. You can continue this colour scheme throughout your entire wedding decor and tie everything together.

bridesmaid dresses

Style - different styles suit different body shapes, whether your bridesmaids are apple shaped, pear shaped, hourglass, tall or short! A-line and empire-waist dresses suit the majority of body shapes, and fabrics like jersey and loose, flowing materials will flatter most figures. An uncomfortable bridesmaid is an unhappy bridesmaid - think about your friends' feelings before you squeeze them into something totally unsuited.

bridesmaid dresses

Variety - there's no reason why all your bridesmaids have to wear the exact same dress. You can often get the same colour dress with different necklines, straps and styles so that you can adapt to fit each body shape. Straight and scoop necklines suit most body shapes. Or sew/buy infinity dresses (gowns that are made from a basic with long pieces of fabric attached that can be configured into many different straps, bodices and styles) so that each bridesmaid can truly be unique.