There are so many things to think about when choosing your bridesmaids dresses. Here is my guide to help you decide and what to consider!
Price
Who is paying for the dresses? What do your bridesmaids do for a living? It costs the average bridesmaid about $500 to be in a wedding. Remember that when asking your girls to fork over $200 for a dress. Oh, and shoes, jewelry, accommodations, alterations and gifts. Work with your girls and make them know that you’re doing your best to be sensitive to budgets.
Size(s) of bridesmaids
Some girls are bustier than others. Some are curvier. Some are taller than others. If you want your bridesmaids to be in the same dress, find a dress that will work on multiple body types. If you aren’t particular on them being the same, then you obviously have much more wiggle room here! I would recommend that you see your bridesamaids in their dresses. Face it, we all want to be a size 2 super model build, but we all aren’t blessed that way. Make sure the dresses fit.
Same or different
Do you want your girls to match? Do you want the same color of dress? Do you want the same style of dress? I love the versatility of weddings today! Your girls can be matchy matchy or wear different dresses in a shade of green (for example). Be sure that your vision is clearly explained if you are allowing different dresses to be worn.
Colors available
If you find a dress that you absolutely love, see what colors it comes in. And pick a dress that is appropriate for the season and theme of your wedding. For example, oranges, reds, golds, maroons, creams and browns are great colors for a fall wedding. Bright colors are great for spring and summer weddings. Also, try envisioning the colors in your wedding photos. You will have these photos forever, and you want to pick a color that you feel like you can enjoy for your lifetime!
Long or short
Do you need your maids to be in heavy dresses in the dead of summer? Probably not! If your wedding is in a cooler month, consider long dresses and provide shawls as gifts. If your wedding is in a warmer month, consider a short dress with strappy shoes. You can always have long dresses in the summer, but be nice and have them be thin material for your girls.
Who Picks the Dress?
Do you want input? Or do you have your heart set on “the” bridesmaids dress? If you want to take your girls shopping, that would be a good idea so that you can see how the dresses fit. If you’re having matching dresses, it would be even better if you took 2 different build of bridesmaids with you so that you can make sure the dress looks good on them both. Once you’ve picked your dress, give your girls a deadline of when to order the dress. That way, if they need to have alterations done, they have ample time before the wedding to do so.
Take my advice. You want your girls to look fabulous, so help them do so!