Finding the perfect Bridesmaid dress
Bridesmaid dresses - just that phrase conjurs up all sorts of hideous images of peach, polyester, unflattering items. But it no longer need be the case for poor suffering bridesmaids. I mean come on, these are the girls (or guys) who have spent hours painstakingly hand sewing bunting, organising amazing hen do's, trawling round dress shops with you and calming your nerves in the proceeding months - the least you can do is make sure they look pretty darn special on the day. Plus, dresses are the sort that can be worn time and again rather than being so specifically 'bridesmaid esque' that there is no chance of it ever leaving the wardrobe. Here are a few of my top tips for finding those dresses:
1) Mismatch
This is my favourite way to dress your girls. If all your bridesmaids have the same body shape, skin tone, hair colour and height then it will be easy finding a dress to suit them all. The chances of this happening are pretty slim, so instead of trying to find a one size fits all style let them choose the dress with a little guidance from you - all the same colour or all the same make and type of colour. The photo at the top of this post and the one here show this off perfectly - the photo at the top the girls all got their dresses from ghost in similar pastel colours - but they are all different styles and colours. The look amazing and meant that every girl could have style and colour that suited her. The photo below, the bridesmaids were simply given the brief to find dresses in navy. The eccelctic mix of dresses perfectly complimented the bohemian and relaxed vibe of the day and meant that all the girls looked amazing.
2) Break with tradition
In the past all bridesmaids were expected to wear dresses that matched perfectly and the colour was carefully considered to match the exact colour of the flowers in the brides bouquet. Throw all that out the window and do what you and your bm's want. More often than not weddings nowadays do not have a very fixed and specific colour scheme anymore. Finding one colour can bring a nice cohesion, so if that is what you want go for it. Similarly, if you couldn't care less then be flexible and just go and look at a range of dresses and colours with the girls and find something that you all like. BM dresses don't even have to be just one colour anymore - include patterns and swirls, try skirts and tops rather than dresses or get them all to wear white which can look amazing. Do it YOUR way, not the way that tradition dictates.
3) Use an amazing company
There are 2 fab bridesmaids companies that have really transformed bridesmaid dresses:
Maid to Measure: http://www.maidstomeasure.com/ offers a unique dressmaking service for you and your bridesmaids. You can choose a colour, neckline, length, style and make sure that you get dresses that look amazing on all of them.
Two birds: http://twobirdsbridesmaid.co.uk/ Provides one dress in a floor length or knee length option that you can wrap, twist and change into 15 different looks. I kid you not. And they look amazing! Such a simple idea but it works brilliantly. There are a huge range of colours to choose from and with 15 different ways to wear it every one of your bridesmaids should be happy.
Good luck! Let me know how you get on in your search and remember - do it how YOU want it, not how you think it should be xx
