Bridesmaids

maids made easy (ish!): bridesmaid dress shopping tips

Rachel Hirst

4.Olegs Samsonovs Photography

Olegs Samsonovs Photography

A post for you and your #girlsquad this afternoon as the focus is on finding the perfect outfits for your leading ladies. Here to suggest how to shop smart and keep everyone onside in the process is our lovely guest writer, Carrie Marsden of media partner Love Our Wedding Magazine.

carrie says:

So, the day of choosing your bridesmaids’ dresses has finally arrived. Everyone has assembled excitedly for brunch somewhere uber-chic first (the flowergirls and smaller bridesmaids are meeting you later). There’s a free prosecco fountain in the middle of the restaurant and, obviously, in the background, Bradley Cooper is setting the mood on the harp. You get down to business and brainstorm some dress ideas and are delighted to find your bridesmaids in unanimous agreement on your style of choice – even more surprisingly, they suddenly break into a rousing burst of spontaneous applause. Bradley Cooper is so moved by this show of female solidarity that he sweeps you off your feet and then…you wake up!

Real talk, it’s more likely that the day will begin with your maid of honour calling to say she’s fallen out with the other bridesmaid over hemlines; one of your maids will casually let you know that she can’t possibly wear any shade of pink… or blue; your best friend will reveal she’s pregnant and will be eight months’ gone by the time of the wedding, and your flowergirl lets you know she’s not coming if you try and put her in a dress. Bradley Cooper is nowhere to be seen.

As unlikely (and borderline depressing) as it may seem ladies, choosing your bridesmaids was the easy bit. Whether you’ve gone big and love the thought of fifteen girls of all ages accompanying you down the aisle, or have chosen an intimate and select group of your very closest two besties, there are still potential minefields to navigate. To help ensure nothing but smooth sailing ahead, read on for top tips for dressing your bridesmaids and be ahead of the game when that day of shopping arrives…

twobirds

twobirds bridesmaid

parameters

Being honest with yourself about what sort of a bride you are and your vision for how the bridal party will ‘look’ is paramount. And this is information that needs to be shared with your bridesmaids from the outset. If it’s important to you that all maids wear a particular and uniform style in a colour that you’ve been dreaming of since you were ten (and there’s nothing wrong with this approach whatsoever; in many ways, it makes life easier!), then tell your maids before you go dress shopping. If they’re worthy of the bridesmaid banner, they’ll respect that this is your day and that your wishes are the only thing that matter.

budget

Again, a frank and candid discussion with your best girls about who you anticipate paying for the dresses is needed at the very beginning of the whole process. Bear in mind the overall expense of your wedding for your bridesmaids, including travel, and accommodation etc. Many brides negotiate this often awkward conversation by offering to pay for the dress but ask their maids to cover the cost of shoes. Do also consider the budget for hair and makeup too – will your bridesmaids get their hair and makeup done with you on the big day?

emma-janephotography.co.uk

Emma Jane Photography

measure of the maids

If you see your bridesmaids in styles and colours that are tailored to suit them but loosely coordinate under a general theme, approach dress shopping collaboratively. That picture of prosecco-fueled fun with all your best girls need not be out of the question (sadly, we fear Bradley Copper’s presence might). We women of the world have some incredible insights; get your maids involved with the process! Consider hosting a ‘mood board’ party. Give your best girls some general guidelines then ask them to do their research and bring two or three dress ideas to the party. Put everyone’s ideas up on the wall to pack a visual punch and let the creative juices flow! Out of the mix, a sharper sense of clarity could well emerge, as well as fostering a truly positive dialogue that helps everyone empathise and understand one another’s hopes for, or anxieties about, the big-day look. Plus, this mood board will make an excellent memento for you afterwards!

accessories

Perhaps one way to let your best girls nurture a sense of individuality is through their accessories. Let them choose their own shoes, earrings, hairstyles etc. and embrace the eclectic sense of style they will bring (we promise you, such an approach will only serve to enhance and add detail to the overall effect in the photographs).

1.jennyyoo.com

Jenny Yoo

playfulness

Now is truly a magical time to be a bridesmaid. Gone are the stuffy, traditional bridesmaid styles that look like they wandered straight out of the 1980s; in are innovative and imaginative new styles and designs to cater for every single body shape and age. ’Tis truly celebratory stuff and we love how this approach makes women and girls look and feel fabulous. Don’t miss out on any of this joyful zeal on a shopping trip with the girls. Choose boutiques that carry a range of colours, fabrics and lengths and, complementing a well-researched approach, do keep an open mind too; just like your bridal gown, there are bound to be surprise styles that your girls unexpectedly love. Being able to find the playful side of bridesmaids’ dress shopping is crucial. Accept that you may need two or three outings, and see that as a bonus! You get to hang out with your amazing group of girls for longer!

(And about that flowergirl conundrum above: it’s tricky but consider – does it really matter if she’s not in a dress? There are some pretty incredible trouser styles for younger ones, just ask Monsoon and Zara!)

Rainbow-Club

Rainbow Club

top trends for 2018

  1. Mesmerising maids in head-to-toe gold metalic from Jenny Yoo
  2. Combine fashion-forward trouser suits with shimmering peekaboo necklines from Mark Lesley
  3. Opt for vintage Hollywood glam in a blush rose tea-length gown by True Bride
  4. Consider mix ’n’ match designs in bold, colour-pop shades and styles for bridesmaids across the ages, twobirds style.
  5. Choose subtle contrasting cream and blush maids’ gowns is a look that will stand the test of time. Dessy has lots of designs in such hues to inspire you.

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Love Our Wedding is stocked by hundreds of top bridal boutiques, venues and fairs nationwide. Visit loveourweddingmag.com to download or order your FREE monthly copy.

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comments

  • Hannah Judah
    June 28, 2022 | Permalink | Reply

    Really great bridesmaid dress shopping tips here! And I agree, it’s definitely worth the bride thinking through who will be paying for the dresses and raising it from the get go! As a Brighton based wedding photographer, I love getting inspiration from all over the UK and beyond – and I really enjoyed this article. Thank you 🙂

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