One mistake many a bride makes when choosing dresses for her bridesmaids to wear is that she often makes an all-too hasty decision, based solely on her desires. While it's true that you have the final say about what your bridesmaids will wear, and your decision shouldn't take as long to make as when you agonised over your own dress, there are still many things to bear in mind for the ladies who will stand up there and represent you.
One of the worst things for anyone attending a wedding is being so distracted by the bridesmaids' dresses that people all but forget what they are there to witness. It happens all the time. The wrong dresses not only don't flatter your bridesmaids, but they also have people paying attention to the bridal party for all the wrong reasons. This is your day to shine and have all eyes on you.
Their Heights, Weights, Shapes And Complexions
If you are anything like the majority of people, your friends come in all shapes, sizes and ethnicities. All of these should be considered when shopping for dresses.
The Long and Short of It
Some of your girlfriends may be tall, while others might be short. What looks good on a woman who is 175 centimetres tall, who has long legs will more than likely not flatter your friends who are under 165 centimetres. By definition, the shorter of your friends will have shorter legs and possibly smaller torsos as well.
Pear Shaped, Apple Shaped, Bean Pole, Oh My!
Linda resembles a pear with her petite top and gorgeous round hips. Melanie is shaped like a perfect Pink Lady apple - she is a 16D and yet has the tiniest thighs you've ever seen. Rochelle plays professional basketball, is 186 centimetres and although she's symmetrical, there seems to be no end to her legs. How on earth will you be able to accommodate each of their various shapes?
The A-Line to the Rescue!
One simple way to flatter each shape mentioned above and more is to ask your girls to look at A-Line dresses. Nobody knows what is going on underneath that dress and so all people are concentrating on is your bridal party and how elegant you all look.
If you are a particularly daring woman, you can allow each bridesmaid to choose her own length of dress, which will really ensure each body shape is flattered to the hilt!
Olive Complexion, Brown Skin, Pale Skin
Your best friend is Italian, your sister in law is of Punjabi descent and your cousin came from Sweden. Trying to find dresses in colours that will suit each of your beautiful ladies will indeed be as much of a challenge as finding ones that will fit their various shapes. While earth tones tend to compliment your Italian best friend, pastels bring out the natural beauty in your sister-in-law. Women with pale skin tend to like solid colours, such as black or white.
Rather than make them all wear the same colour, which will have at least one or two standing out like sore thumbs, you could offer that they each wear a slightly different colour from one another. Many brides see this as a daring move that most would be unwilling to risk. However, there is tradition and then there is what's downright unfair to your friends. And again, whatever keeps the focus off your bridesmaids and onto you is the name of the game isn't it? People will applaud your ability to think outside of the box.
Practicality Rules
Although your bridesmaids all accept the fact that each must come out of pocket to purchase her dress, not all of them have endless streams of money to buy the dress you want them to buy.
If you are finding that the dresses each of you is agreeing on are a tad bit expensive, you could have them buy dresses that they can try and wear for future events. For example, ones that can be worn to their high school reunion, to the office holiday party, which is usually formal or to an awards banquet, that will make the pain of laying out a goodly sum of money less painful on them.
With a little effort, a lot of empathy for your bridesmaids and a great eye for detail, you can have the wedding day you've always dreamed of, make sure all your girls look stunning and that all eyes are on you. Chris J. Carpenter
