Brides Magazine offers this very helpful advice in letting their bridesmaids choose their own dresses. While totally love this sweeping trend, we admit it can go very wrong, very fast if you don’t have some guidelines.
Letting your bridesmaids choose something that flatters their own form and features can save everyone from a lot of drama. But, with this in mind, it’s also important to remember you, the bride. is supposed to be the central focus in all the wedding pictures, especially during the ceremony.
We recommend creating unity by giving your bridesmaids matching jewelry to wear, special hair ornaments or flowers. Or even by gifting matching shoes. But if the bridesmaids are all choosing their own dresses, here are some parameters to consider and guidelines you might want to use. ( BTW if you feel uncomfortable asking the ladies to abide by these rules, ask your wedding planner to spread the word, it’s our job to make you look good!)
1. Be specific about dress length — while they don’t have to be exactly the same, it looks off when you have a few girls in knee length dresses and one in floor length. Tell them a specific length range from which you want them to choose.
2. Some dress shops and bridal designers offer a variety of styles available in a palette of colors. You can choose a few specific styles — and pre-designate the exact color — and then let each bridesmaid choose what is most flattering on her.
3. It’s popular to offer the girls a color palette to choose from that matches the wedding’s color theme — “seaglass colors,” for example. Even with that guidance, it’s a good idea to give them some swatches to have as example of what you specifically have in mind. Otherwise, what you called “aqua” in your email could turn out to be a teal dress your girlfriend thought was aqua-enough.
4. Be specific about what kind of shoes and color you’d like your bridesmaids to wear with their dress selections. Especially if their feet will be visible. One bridesmaid in flat sandals standing next to another in platform stilettos with ankle straps just stands out and not in a good way.
