Tips for the Bride: Bridesmaid Dresses

Weddings are all about the bride, and this post doesn't mean to take away from that. But we stand before all of you lovely brides begging that you please, please pick out bridesmaid dresses that are actually cute and pretty, and not what nightmares are made of! Here are some suggestions to ensure that your bridesmaids don't secretly hate you when you say "Aren't these dresses great? The best part is that you can shorten it and wear it again!" à la 27 Dresses:

1. One of the first decisions a bride makes is her wedding colors. Often times this decision is based on the season, what flowers are available, and overall theme, but many brides have already picked out their palette years ago. All we ask is that you steer away from clashing colors, neon shades, and colors that resemble baby food (unless it's pea green... which is a color that we actually kind of love).

Dark pink can be lovely on your bridesmaids! 

But hot pink plus multi-colored petticoats, yikes!

2. Remember Charlotte's bridesmaid dress in the first Sex and the City movie? The poor girl could barely walk! While a dramatic floor length mermaid dress may look amazing in the fitting room, walking down the aisle can end up being very dangerous for your besties. Instead, choose a dress that is pretty and comfortable, as your bridesmaids are going to spend all day and night on their feet. Also keep in mind your setting -- for instance, if you're having an outdoor wedding, then a structured floor length dress can get quite messy, so a floaty dress or a cocktail length may be more appropriate.

Try this!

Not this!

3. Most brides have an average number of 4 bridesmaids (the back of our Herbal Essence Conditioner said so), and you can be pretty sure that none of these girls have the same body type. So when picking out your dress, try to go with a style that flatters all of your bridesmaids silhouettes,  or go for the latest trend of dressing your bridesmaids in different cuts and styles of the same color.

They're all smiling because they know they look good!

4.  Don't forget about skin tones.  While a yellow might look great on darker skin it's possible your pale pink pals will look completely washed out.  Another trend these days is to let your bridesmaids wear the same dress, but in coordinating colors.  The shades not only compliment one another but also your bridesmaids skin tone so everyone will look their best.  Plus, this is a great way to incorporate multiple wedding colors and tie your dresses and theme together!

The perfect blend of shades to compliment a variety of skin tones!

5. If you love bows, giant flowers, or extra ruffles, then please be tasteful! Bows, ruffles, and the like used to be a nightmare of all brides (think 80's weddings), but nowadays many bridesmaid dresses incorporate these extra fills in a fresh and flirty way.

Giant bows don't have to be fussy!

6. Finally, we know creating a beautiful wedding can be very expensive, but that doesn't mean you can't cut some costs. Particularly, when choosing the bridesmaid dress, opt for something more affordable, or at the very least, if you go for something more pricey, then make it something that your bridesmaids will likely be able to wear again.  We are big fans of nice neutral colors like gray, black, or navy.

J. Crew's bridesmaid collection is definitely something we'd recycle!

Much love to all you blushing brides!

XOXO,

Jen & Saira