Beautiful Bridesmaids

So, you’re getting married, and you’ve asked your best friends and sisters to join you on your big day – but what will they wear? There are so many different options when it comes to bridesmaids’ outfits these days … here are some helpful, stress-free ideas to get your bridesmaids looking superb on your wedding day!

The First Step
Without a doubt, you need to select YOUR outfit first … no matter what anyone says, you are DEFINITELY priority number one in the fashion stakes, and until the bride has selected her gown, the bridesmaids should wait their turn! I have often seen brides get carried away or distracted by their bridesmaids’ enthusiasm, excitedly buying their dresses first, only to discover they have to compromise with their own wedding gown in order to match the bridesmaids! Don’t let this happen to you! Before you and your partner even begin to look for wedding outfits, sit down together and discuss the “look” and “feel” you both want for your wedding, with location, ceremony, reception, music, food and wine, entertainment, as well as fashion and colours. Talk about your ideas in depth, so you both know what sort of theme, mood or setting you are aiming for. This helps immensely once you have a direction to head in when it comes to bridal gowns as well as bridesmaids attire… formal and traditional, relaxed and casual, exotic or eccentric, colourful or subtle?

Once you have thoroughly researched, looked around and tried on at least a few different gowns, make your decision and if you wish, take your bridesmaids along so they can see your gown and understand the look you will have for the big day. Try to get a photo or sketch of your wedding gown, plus a small cutting or swatch of the fabric so you have a record of colour and texture. Once your gown is confirmed, you are ready to start looking for your bridesmaids! Have an informal meal together as a group to brainstorm your ideas, together with your girls, before you hit the stores. Arrange a few Saturdays when you can all go and look, at least 3-4 months before the wedding when possible.

Styling
Matching bridesmaids or individual styles … that is the question! Aussie actress Rachel Griffith was recently quoted as saying “Grown women should never wear matching frocks!” There is a lot of truth in that statement, and these days traditions can be changed to suit the mood of the day and the taste of the bride and groom. If your bridesmaids have drastically different figures, heights and colourings, I thoroughly recommend NOT to dress them in matching outfits, as it looks old-fashioned and does not do any favours to the less attractive girls in the group. Instead, you can use the same colours and/or fabrics, but allow each bridesmaid to choose a style that suits her personality, figure and hair colour. Metallic colours are super-hot right now, so selecting a range of pale gold or shimmery silver evening dresses in various shapes and sizes would look fabulous on a group of different-looking bridesmaids. Alternatively, each girl can be in a different colour, for example a mix of complimentary pastels such as lilac, pale blue and soft mint green. For a more exotic beach wedding, bridesmaids in a mix of bright tropical colours such as hot pink, deep purple and vivid emerald green can work magic against a sunny blue sky and sparkling ocean backdrop. Try to think outside the square, and consider multi-cultural looks such as Asian Cheong-Sam dresses in rich oriental brocades, or bridesmaids outfits made from ornate Indian saris … these can work splendidly when mixed with a well-planned theme that is carried through to the food, music and decorations. If the bride is wearing a bold coloured gown, why not dress all the bridesmaids in white or ivory for a creative, contrasting look!