Dressing Your Bridesmaids

We’ve all heard the jokes about the bride who takes her five most special, dear friends and forces them to wear a hideously colored taffeta creation in order to fit her image of her wedding and additionally, to make her look even better by comparison. Realistically, as brides we face a challenge in attempting to dress our closest friends in dresses that will make them look and feel as beautiful as they are. Here are a few guidelines to help us be considerate brides.

Consider your bridesmaids body types. Strapless, spaghetti straps and revealing dresses are the trend these days. Plus size women, petite women with little or no curves, or women who are slightly self conscious about their bodies may not feel comfortable in these types of dresses. Ask your bridesmaids how much skin they feel comfortable showing and listen to their input. You may be able to talk them into wearing something they’re uncomfortable with, but their uneasiness will show on your wedding day. If you have your heart set on a strapless dress, consider adding a shawl or wrap to make your bridesmaids more at ease. They’re available in many fabrics and styles to coordinate with the rest of your wedding.

When choosing your colors, remember that your bridesmaids will actually have to wear them. You may love pink, but if your bridesmaids don’t look good in it consider another color. You can keep the color in the flowers and centerpieces to maintain the color scheme you want, and your bridesmaids will definitely thank you.

Contrary to popular belief, your bridesmaids no not all have to wear the same dress, or even the same color. Many brides are choosing to dress their bridesmaids in dresses that suit each person the best. You can specify a color and ask each to choose a dress they prefer. It’s a good idea to specify a designer when you do this to ensure that each shade of lavender is in fact lavender, not periwinkle. If you have many different complexions, it may be difficult to find a color the looks good on all your girls. If this is the case you may want to consider different colored dresses for each girl. You can specify the same style to ensure a consistent look in your bridal party or allow each to wear a color and style of their own choice.

A popular option is the black dress. Nearly everyone looks good in a black dress and a simple black dress is easily re-wearable, which is every bridesmaids dream come true. Whether you use the same style dress or different styles to suit each person, you can easily achieve an elegant, contemporary look for your bridal party. You can add color with flowers and accessories if you choose, or keep the look clean and simple with white flowers and gold or silver jewelery.