The Bridesmaids Dress

So you’ve got the dress, now it’s time to choose your bridesmaids dresses.  You could play it safe and just have a maid of honor.  This would of course offend all of your other friends, relative, and your mother who promised your 3rd cousin, twice removed; she would be in the wedding.  This is also only the beginning of your worries.  Now you will have to select the  best bridesmaid dress that will accommodate the party’s various shapes, heights, and sizes.  This may seem like a daunting task, but it’s really quite simple.  Just follow these few tips and your wedding party will be almost as gorgeous as the bride!
Go with an empire waist.  Dresses with a high waist will flatter every size.  It doesn’t matter if one of your girls is a size 22 and the other is a size 6; this shape will skim over larger hips and hide a full belly.  Just pay attention to the color, neckline, and the sleeves on the dress.  Empire waists can look outdated and matronly worn with a cap sleeve or a high neck line.  Instead opt from a spaghetti strap and a plunging neck.   This will draw attention to the wearer’s face, and not an unsightly paunch. 

Don’t worry about the cut and design, focus on the color.  This is a trick used by brides across the country.  Choose a popular color, such as burgundy, navy, or sage, and ask each bridesmaid to purchase a dress in that color, but allow them to choose a style that flatters their shape.  The only other parameter that should be set is the length.  Nothing looks more haphazardly thrown together than half of your maids in minis and the other half in skirts that skim the floor.  If the dress styles seem disjointed on the big day, ask your hair and makeup stylists to give each bridesmaid an identical look.  This will give you a little boost of cohesion amongst the chaos.
When in doubt choose black.  Black is the only color that looks great on any woman’s body.  Get the notion out of your head that black equals doom, gloom, or is just for funerals.  Black should definitely be considered if you are having an evening or winter wedding.  Nothing looks more beautiful that the contrast of the white snow, your white wedding dress, and your bridal party in this distinctive statement color.

There are a few general tips to keep in mind.  Ask all your bridesmaids what they would like to wear and make sure that everyone agrees on the final choice.  Keep in mind the varying financial situations of your maids as well.  Always purchase these dresses in a store and ask each girl to try the looks on.  Don’t let them fall into the trap of buying a dresses a few sizes smaller based on empty dreams of sudden weight loss.  This plan never works out and always spells disaster.

*My girls did not buy theirs in the stores, it was handled by my maid of honor who did research and ordered them all for about $40 smackeroos cheaper. Then when the dresses came in, they went to a tailor and spent less on alterations.