You’ve got the man. You’ve found the dress. You’ve asked your best girls to stand by your side on your big day. Now…. how do you choose a bridesmaid dress that they’ll all love and feel amazing in?!
First, let’s get a huge question out of the way.
Who pays for the bridesmaid dresses?
Traditionally, each bridesmaid would pay for her own dress. However, costs can quickly add up after they’ve paid for the bridal shower, bachelorette, dress, shoes, hair, makeup, and any travel costs associated with the wedding!
Increasingly, brides are offering to pay for bridesmaid dresses, but as we all know, weddings are expensive! If paying for the dresses won’t work with your budget, offer to pay for their hair and makeup, go halves on the dress or even include gift cards for the dress store as part of their gift.
Now that we’ve got that out of the way, here are some tips for finding the perfect bridesmaid dresses for your big day!
Keep the budget in mind when choosing your bridesmaid dresses
Once you’ve set a budget for bridesmaid dresses, stick to looking at styles that fall within your budget. There is nothing worse than finding a style you love that is $200 more than you’re wanting to spend!
Remember as well, you don’t have to spend a lot to find beautiful bridesmaid dresses!
A $99 dress can look just as stunning as a $300 one and is a lot friendlier on the wallet!
Credit: Goldlight Photography
What colour should I choose for my bridesmaid dresses?!
There are several things to consider when choosing a colour (or colours!) for your bridesmaid dresses!
Think about the season and colour palette of your wedding. If you’re getting married in the spring or summer, you’ll probably want to consider lighter, fun colours like powder blue or a dusty pink. Deeper, richer hues such as purple and burgundy, work well in the fall and winter months.
Credit: Goldlight Photography
Credit: Source Unknown
However, don’t be afraid to step outside the box and pick a shade or a print that people wouldn’t consider typical for a bridesmaid dress! Mustard and emerald green dresses are all the rage and it’s not hard to see why! The muted, neutral tones are so complimentary on different skin tones and work well against a variety of backgrounds.
Credit: Source Unknown
Credit: Source Unknown
Also consider your wedding venue when choosing a colour. If you’re getting married at a rustic, outdoor venue, a more neutral, earth toned shade may suit better than hot pink or bright yellow.
Credit: Source Unknown
Ultimately, remember that there are no hard and fast rules when choosing a colour! It’s more important that you and your bridesmaids love the colour you’ve chosen!
Consider what your girls will feel comfortable in
It’s going to be a long day, so you’ll want to pick a style that your girls will feel good in from start to finish. There’s nothing worse than feeling like your dress is going to fall or that a (nip) slip may happen as they’re walking down the aisle.
When they’re trying on their dress, get them to twirl, jump, bend, raise their arms and move around in them to make sure that they fit well and are comfortable!
Credit: Translucent Photography
Don’t be afraid to mix and match bridesmaid dresses!
Gone are the days when every bridesmaid must wear the same dress in the same colour! Finding complimentary styles and colours for your bridesmaid dresses is the perfect way to ensure that every bridesmaid feels confident and beautiful in her dress.
When mixing and matching bridesmaid dresses, decide on a theme to tie the dresses together. This can be through a complimentary colour palette, style or even dress material.
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Don’t underestimate the ability of matching accessories and flowers to bring everything together either! Tie your bridesmaids looks together by getting them matching bouquets or ask them to wear matching rhinestone belts, statement earrings or headbands.
Credit: Morgan Luca Photography
In between sizes?
When in doubt, go up a size!
Measure the bust, waist and hips and choose a size based on the largest measurement. Remember, it’s a lot easier (and cheaper!) to take a dress in than to let one out.
Think about undergarments!
Remind your bridesmaids to choose the right undergarments for their dresses. A strapless or one-shoulder style will likely require a strapless bra. A backless dress may need some additional support sewn into the bust of the dress. Don’t forget to also consider shapewear if the dress style is tighter!
