Happy Friday!!
Our favorite stylist to the stars, Alisa Kapinos Goldberg is back today with the inside scoop on how to dress your bridesmaids. LOVE her ideas!
One of the biggest trends I’ve been seeing is the transformation in bridesmaid dresses. For as long as anyone can remember, bridesmaids were the bride’s army, her sacred entourage, her Xanax, her first line of defense. Even with such high rankings, bridesmaids were always required to wear the wedding uniform – match in color, match in style. The bridesmaids have finally risen in retaliation and demanded a revolutionary change: bridesmaid to bridesbabe.
If you’re looking for a little something different for your bridesmaids, giving them a bit of a variation in style, color or accessory is definitely the way to go! For my wedding, I picked a style, Grecian dresses, and color palette, pastels, and had the girls pick their own dresses within those parameters. This was the best option for me for many reasons.
1. With all the planning going on, it was one extra thing that I didn’t have to worry as much about. The girls could go out on their own and pick a dress.
2. It gave the girls a chance to pick out a style that fit their body the best. I felt better knowing that my girls felt comfortable and secure.
3. They could pick a dress that they actually like and can see themselves wearing again in the future. Too many times I have seen bridesmaids in dresses that they definitely do wear in the future, but to someone’s Ugly Bridesmaid Dress Party.
*Alisa’s wedding photos by Amanda Ambrose Photography
With four different color dresses: yellow, blue, pink and peach, I coordinated these colors into my wedding by matching the groomsmens’ ties to the dresses. It created a nice flow and color story, brought beautiful color to our wedding party, and the best part was that all my girls felt so beautiful!
A few tips if you’re considering going for this untraditional look:
-Try picking one style, but assigning different colors to your girls. It could be different shades of yellows or blues, or, various pastel colors. Style options could be, a one-shouldered dress (so en trend this season), long gowns or short cocktail dresses.
-Or just the opposite, pick one specific color and have the girls find their own style. Here you need to remember to be more specific with the color; find a swatch and give it to your girls when they’re out shopping. And be sure to specify if you’re looking for long or short dresses. Check out places like J.Crew that offer so many gorgeous dresses in many different color variations, made to order. This is a great idea because if you’ve got a group of girls with different personalities or styles, it allows them to really bring something more unique to the table and to just be themselves!
-Remember that weddings in general can be very costly, and for your bridesmaids, this can be an added expense that they may not be too thrilled with. Giving them an option to pick their own dresses lifts the pressure off of spending an obscene amount of money on dresses, and fittings, and shoes and accessories. Believe me, no matter the price, they’ll be thankful that you took their feelings and bank account into consideration!
-Another trend that I’ve been seeing is black bridesmaid dresses. This is a stunning contrast to your white wedding dress and matches so well with the groomsmen in their tuxes. Black and white is such a chic combination, there’s something so clean and alluring about it. And of course, it’s always much easier to find a black dress with any style you choose.
-Another idea is for the girls to wear different dresses, but unite them in style by one accessory. My best friend is getting married this summer and we’re all wearing dark plum dresses, in any style we want, but to unite us all as bridesmaids (and not just as wedding guests) we’re all wearing a beautiful white flower broach. This is just a cute accessory that joins us to the bride in white, and joins us together as bridesmaids in plum. Other options could be pretty headbands with a flower detail or a sash around the waist matching the colors of the wedding or the bride.
Get creative here; ask your bridesmaids if they have any ideas. Just because matchy-matchy has been the norm for so long, doesn’t mean that it’s a tradition that can’t be broken. Your bridesmaids are your troops, they’re your buffer and most importantly, your best friends. You are the most important one that day, but make your girls your beautiful accessory and I promise you, they’ll thank you later.
Love it! How are you dressing your bridesmaids? You all know how my maid’s dresses were chosen… I’ll have two ladies by my side on the big day, and they will be wearing the same color in styles that suit them. I can’t wait!
XO
PS. Don’t forget to check out Alisa’s website to see lots of her work (and a few celeb photos!).
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