Mismatched bridesmaid dresses – Pinterest makes them look effortless, but in reality, many brides miss the mark. Looking to pick a lineup of beautiful, coordinated, but not too matchy-matchy dresses for your girls? Follow these tips to find a dress for each bridesmaid that you and they love.
(Photo by Annie-Beth Photography.)
Don’t force one style, fabric, or color.
When a bridesmaid feels comfortable, the whole bridal party – including the bride! – look even better. No one likes being forced to wear a dress style or color that doesn’t flatter them.
Many brides make the mistake of choosing a lineup of dresses in the exact same color, but different styles. While this may seem like a safe decision, it doesn’t create enough variation in the dress lineup for any one of them to standout. My recommendation? Pick a color scheme with 3-4 complementary colors (see the next tip) and stick with one dress length.
Also, differences in fabric go a long way. To add depth and dimension to your bridesmaid dresses, vary the fabric choice so that each dress stands out from the other.
(Photo by Annie-Beth Photography.)
Pick your color scheme.
Before you start looking for dresses, search for sample color palettes on Pinterest. Depending on the number in your bridal party, determine how many colors you can incorporate. For larger wedding parties, consider 3-4 complementary colors.
(P.S. Don’t forget to also consider if your color scheme will work for the groomsmen. You may be picking your bridesmaid dresses first, but this is an important step that I overlooked!)
(Photo courtesy of Wedding Wire.)
Do your homework and pick a selection of dresses that you (the bride!) approve of.
While you want your bridesmaids to like the dress they’re wearing, you have the final say. Provide them direction on the types of dresses that you would like them to look for – length, color, style, fabric.
To get started, I found it helpful to search for dresses online first. Once you have a substantial list of dresses that complement each other, share the links with your bridesmaids for them to pick from.
Tip: to see how a dress looks next to another, save a picture of the dress from the store’s website. Since most show the model or dress on a white background, drop each dress into a lineup to get an idea of how they will look in a certain order. Make sure that you place each dress in the order your bridesmaids will be standing so that you can make sure colors and fabrics blend nicely together.
Take a leap of faith.
If your bridesmaids live out of state, you may not get to see their dress in person before the wedding (eek!). And depending on where the dresses are from (bridal shops, department stores, boutiques), you may not be buying them from the same location. I cannot stress the importance of the previous tip to help ease your nerves.
Once you’ve done your homework and the dresses have been purchased, relax – and don’t overthink your decisions. You have plenty of other wedding projects to worry about, so cross bridesmaid dresses off your list.
(Photo by Annie-Beth Photography.)
Looking for a local Pittsburgh photographer for engagement, wedding, or portrait photos? Check out Annie-Beth Photography and her new studio located in Beaver, Pennsylvania.
