Bridesmaid Dresses Blog

If you’ve decided to have an outdoor wedding, congratulations! Outdoor weddings are romantic and beautiful. However, they aren’t as easy as they may look. Outdoor weddings come with additional caveats and pitfalls, but if you follow these tips, you’ll be sure to shine on your wedding day.

Full length dress, strapless piece with a gentle heart shaped neckline. Made of light chiffon fabric in flame , the skirt is wrapped over to a knot on the waistline

1. Make your guests comfortable Think about what the weather will likely be at the time of day and month of the year of your outdoor wedding. Sunny and hot? Don’t leave your guests uncomfortably melting – have your ushers give guests ice-cold bottles of water as they are seated. Consider printing your wedding program on a fan so that guests may cool themselves. Don’t forget to have plenty of sunscreen on hand as well. For a very warm location, look into renting large electric fans (don’t forget a generator) and/or a tent to shade the suns rays. If it will be cold and damp, make sure you tell guests that so they can wear extra layers. A simple xeroxed insert will do. You might want to have lap blankets on hand, or rent portable heaters.
2. Have a backup plan What will you do if it rains? The ideal outdoor wedding location has an indoor location waiting just in case. Many brides and grooms opt to have their ceremony outside and reception inside. In a pinch, the tables can be scooted to the back of the room during the ceremony. A tent is another option, but only for light to moderate rain storms. A heavy rain will soak the ground underneath, leaving guests with soggy and muddy shoes. Make sure any tent you rent is sturdy so it won’t flip over, and that it has thick and weighted sides.
3. Plan for Wind Many outdoor weddings suffer from windy conditions. Avoid light fabrics like chiffons and china silks in your dress and the bridesmaid dresses. Tell your hairstylist that you’ll be having an outdoor wedding so she/he can plan a style that won’t leave you looking like Cousin It! Men in the wedding party should use pomade or other styling product. Again, tell your guests in a printed insert so that they can plan accordingly. And of course, make sure your tent will stand up to gusting winds or find an indoor backup plan.
4. Can everybody hear? When you picture your dream wedding at the beach, you’re probably not hearing the roaring of the waves, the rushing wind, or the local kids running and screaming around you. Look into renting a sound system with clip mikes for the bride, groom and officiant. Your DJ or band may be able to easily arrange this for you.
5. Decorations One of the bonuses of an outdoor wedding is the natural beauty around you, lessening your need to decorate. But you still need to do some work. Visit the site a week before your wedding to make sure the grass is mown, the ground raked, and the flowers have bloomed. If your wedding is at a public park, you may want to ask the groomsmen or friends to do this the morning of your ceremony. If  it’s been an especially cold season, you may need to supplement the flowers with some potted bulbs from a florist. Other decorations you may want to consider include an arch or trellis to focus the ceremony and frame the bride and groom as they say their vows; strings of lights or lanterns in the trees; luminarias; torches; or farolitas.
6. Make things tasty outside Does your caterer have experience planning an outdoor wedding menu? Make sure they’re planning things that will keep well outdoors in the heat. Avoid things like mayonnaise salads or dishes which must be served cold.
7. Don’t leave your guests parched Since alcohol is dehydrating, consider serving a variety of lemonades, teas and punches. Be sure to have plenty of ice and water around as well. For a fancy cocktail, why not serve a classic mint julep or a mojito? The mint will refresh and cool your guests.
8. Those pesky flying things Be sure to put out citronella candles or a bug zapper so that your guests won’t spend the whole ceremony swatting at the air.
9. Here comes the sun Consider timing your outdoor wedding for sunset where your guests will see you take your vows surrounded by the warm glow of the sun. Those having a daytime outdoor wedding should orient the ceremony so that the sun will be on guests’ backs rather than in their eyes.
10. Permits Don’t forget to contact your city parks department or other local government to get a permit for an outdoor wedding. Be sure to ask about rules concerning trash removal, candle or torch lighting, and pre-wedding photography.

Having specific wedding colors can help give a visual unity, and help your wedding seem more elegant, and even more expensive than it really is. Choosing your wedding colors may seem a bit daunting,

full length strapless piece with leveled neckline in dark scarlet satin bridemaid dress

especially if you are not particularly visually oriented or your partner is color-blind and absolutely no help. Yet it’s really quite easy.

Most people base their wedding colors on a favorite shade or favorite flower. You’ll want to choose one primary and one or two accents. Start off by seeing if there are any predetermined factors.
• Does either the reception or ceremony site have strong colors?
• Are you set on having a particular flower?
• Have you already chosen your bridesmaid dresses?

If so, you’re halfway to finding your wedding colors. If not, start by thinking about the season when your ceremony will take place. Spring and summer affairs usually include pastels or brights. Winter suggests deep purples, burgundies, grey-greens, and silvers. Fall brings harvest tones – oranges, reds, and yellows.

What to avoid:
• Too much black – while sophisticated, it can end up looking like a funeral, rather than a celebration. If you love black, balance it out with a bright color, or lots of crisp white.
• Losing your personality – Don’t just do pastels because I’ve suggested it above. Think about what you wear normally in your clothing and the shades you’ve used to decorate your home. These are probably colors you are comfortable around already.
• Picking too many wedding colors – two are perfect, and three will still work, but any more than three wedding colors will end up looking ununified and strange. The purpose of wedding colors are to tie everything together, and the best way to do this is to have everything in one of two shades.

If you have a favorite shade, but don’t know what else will go with it, try consulting a simple color wheel. Artists and designers have used this tool for years as a design principle.
• Consider going monochromatic; many shades of one color. A bride I worked with used blue for her ceremony by the sea. Each bridesmaid had a different shade of blue for her dress, and the bouquets include irises, lilies, and delphinium, along with several white varieties of flowers.
• Consider having related tones; ones adjacent to each other on the color wheel. A bride I’m assisting now has green bridesmaid dresses with blue sashes. You might also consider green and yellow, or red, purple and blue.
• Consider having complementary shades- located opposite each other on the color wheel. For example, lavender and pale yellow, or forest green and burgundy.
• If you really love one hue in particular, you might want to highlight it among neutrals. So, bridesmaid dresses might be cream with purple sashes, groomsmen might wear off-white tuxedos with purple boutonnieres, and bouquets might be stephanotis, white roses, and lavender sweet pea.

Once you have some idea of your wedding colors, try out this handy web tool to see how they will look together.

What’s so special about a maid of honor? A lot of people think she’s just the bossiest bridesmaid, or perhaps the person most likely to go home with a groomsman. But she (or he) actually does have some special duties, as well as some special benefits. Here’s the role of a maid of honor explained.

What Does a Maid of Honor Really Do?

The maid of honor is the bride’s chief support. Specifically:

• She helps the bride with wedding planning, making decisions, and navigating family difficulties and other stresses.
• She’s also responsible for being the head of the bridesmaids, keeping them organized.
• The maid of honor leads the bridesmaids in planning a bridal shower and often a bachelorette party.
• On the day of the wedding, a maid of honor helps the bride get dressed and stay calm.
• Often, she makes a toast or a speech at either the wedding or the rehearsal dinner.
• Couples getting legally married in the United States frequently ask the maid of honor to be one of the signers of the marriage license.
• Perhaps most importantly she’s a good listener, and has a strong shoulder for the bride to lean on.

Who Should be Chosen for the Maid of Honor?

Typically, a bride asks her sister or her closest female friend.

Can a Man Be a Maid of Honor?

Of course! When a woman’s closest friend is a man, it makes sense that he be the person she relies on for her wedding, and wants to honor. It does mean that any traditionally-gendered events, such as the bridal shower or bachelorette party, need to be inclusive of all genders.

An elegant long length dress in gloss pink colored chiffon with ironic wrap over bodice that seemingly twists into a finely pleated umbrella style skirt.

Does This Person Have to Be Called a Maid of Honor?

Whether you’ve got a female or male best friend, sometimes the term “maid of honor” just feels strange. Instead this role can be called, “bride’s honor attendant”, or even whimsically, “the bride’s sidekick.” If a married woman is chosen, she’s traditionally called “the matron of honor.”

Bridesmaids are the most important women in your life and the people you have chosen to stand next to you on your wedding day. Show your appreciation for them by giving them a well-chosen bridesmaid gift.

Bridesmaid gifts run the gamut in terms of price, style, and individuality. Some brides spend hundreds of dollars, while others chose to spend only a few, or chose to make something inexpensive yet time-consuming. Some people think that the cost of bridesmaid gifts should correlate with your wedding budget. Others say that the more time your friends helped you with wedding planning, the more you should spend on a bridesmaid gift for them. There’s no right or wrong answer – do what feels best to you.

You can also choose to get everyone the same thing, get variations on a theme, or chose entirely different presents for each person. Try to spend about the same amount on each present, except for the maid-of-honor’s gift, which is typically more lavish than the other ones. However you chose to celebrate your wedding attendants, make sure they know how much they mean to you by inclosing a personal note with each present. Here are some bridesmaid gift ideas to get you started. Scroll down to read more advice about choosing bridesmaid gifts, and how much you should spend.

Accessories for the wedding
A classic bridesmaid gift is something she can wear on the wedding day, but still use later on.
• A necklace, perhaps with a center stone that matches the dress.
• Beautiful earrings, perhaps personalizing each set to the style of the woman who receives them.
• If it’s going to be a chilly day, a warm wrap or shawl. (Wedding pictures where the women of the bridal party are all wrapped in matching shawls are so befitting of a winter wedding and picturesque. I especially like it when the bride’s shawl matches the bridesmaids’ dresses and the bridesmaid shawls match the bride’s dress.)
• Long white gloves
• In some cultures, it is customary for the bride to give the wedding day attire as a bridesmaid gift.

A tea length eye catchy v-shaped neckline dress in lucent chiffon fabric in flame

The number of bridesmaids and groomsmen at your wedding is largely a personal decision and depends on whom you want to stand by your side on one of the biggest days of your life.

That being said, there are certain guidelines that will help you make wise choices.

Ushers You should have one usher for every fifty guests, to show them to their seats and distribute programs. Typically groomsmen double as ushers, but if you want a small wedding party, ask other friends to fulfill this duty.

Very formal weddings with more than 200 guests : 6 to 10 bridesmaids, 6 to 10 groomsmen, plus a flower girl and a ring bearer. An extremely formal wedding in a large cathedral might have as many as twelve bridesmaids, but that is very rare.

Semi-formal weddings: 1 to 6 bridesmaids, 1 to 6 groomsmen and sometimes a flower girl and/or ring bearer.

Casual wedding: Sometimes just a maid of honor and best man,

especial and gorgeous long chiffon bridesmaid dress covered with chiffon

. Typically no flower girl or ring bearer.

Second wedding or late-in-life wedding: Older brides typically choose not to have attendants. Parents may choose to have their children present at the aisle.

Of course, these rules are made to be broken! Do what feels right to you, and appropriate to the size of your family and social circle.

They’re your closest friends and loved ones and now you want them to be a part of your wedding party. When you ask a bridesmaid to be in your wedding, you’re honoring her, but you’re also asking for a considerable time and financial commitment. Make sure you ask your bridesmaids to be in your wedding in a memorable and special way.

Here are six creative ideas that will let your friend know how special she is to you.
1. Ask Her Face to Face If you can, it’s always lovely to take her out to lunch in order to ask her. If several of your bridesmaids live nearby, ask them all at once and use the lunch as a chance for early bridesmaid bonding
2. If You Have Friends Who Live Far Away There’s nothing wrong with calling her, but I think it’s nicer to take the opportunity to write her a card. There are now will you be my bridesmaid cards, but you can also make one, or use your stationery to write a personal note.
3. Ask Her With a Sense of Humor It’s a long-standing joke that bridesmaid dresses are ugly. Print out your favorite ones (if you can stop laughing), and use them to creatively make a card. You can write inside something like “I know you’ve always wanted to wear a peach monstrosity with a butt-widening bow on the back. Will you be a part of our wedding party?” or “I will never ask you to wear an ugly dress, as long as you’re my bridesmaid!”
4. Send Her a Book Wrap a bridesmaid guidebook in pretty paper, and put a note on top saying “This is something I thought you’d be needing soon.” Be sure to tuck a personal note inside the book before you wrap it. She’ll have the surprise and laughs when she first opens the gift, but still be able to read your touching words.
5. Picture Yourself  in a Celebrity Wedding Search for pictures of 

Elegant full length satin dress,(left one covered with chiffon) ,strapless and can be with strap in light wine

iconic celebrity weddings like Liza Minnelli’s, Britney Spears, or even Charles and Camilla. Cut out one of the bridesmaids’ faces and put your friend’s picture there instead. On the inside of the card, write something cute like “I know our wedding can never compete with your pal Liza’s bash, but at least you won’t have to wear such an ugly dress, or put up with the paparazzi. Will you be my bridesmaid?”
6. Sweetly Sentimental Make a small photo album of pictures of the two of you. On the last page, write your wedding date, leaving room for a photo of the two of you. As she’s looking through the book, and gets to that page, say “I can’t wait to put a picture of the two of us from my wedding day on that page. Would you be my bridesmaid?”

In many bridal shops, there is often a small section devoted to dresses and gowns for the mothers of the bride and groom. This is a good place to start looking, but do not limit the search to this selection. Search other formal wear stores, department stores and online for different dress ideas.
Find Figure-Flattering Styles – Mother of Bride Dresses
Look for styles that flatter, in colors that complement skin tone and complexion. Try on gowns, but also consider tea-length dresses and pant suits. Plus-size options are almost always available and remember that a tailor will be able to make most alterations.
Consult the bride when choosing the color of the dress. While the mother of the bride and mother of the groom should not choose the same color as the bridesmaids’ dresses, they should look for a dress in a complimentary hue. Of course, the chosen hue must also suit the taste of the mother, and her complexion. If there is no strict color scheme, the mothers will have much more leeway.
Dresses and Gowns that Match the Wedding Style
Dresses for moms need not be matronly, but the style or design must not outshine the bride on her wedding day. The mothers should look chic and stylish, but also a little understated.
It is almost never appropriate to wear a short cocktail dress or mini skirt. If a dress feels too revealing, look for a shawl or sequined jacket to be worn over the dress. The shawl or jacket can be worn through the whole wedding day, or just the wedding ceremony.
Mother of the Bride Accessories
Accessories are a great way for the mother of the bride or mother of the groom to express her personal style. Here are some accessories to consider:
• Hats – A hat or fascinator may be a great accessory for a formal wedding, or a sun protection at an outdoor wedding.
• Jewelery – Depending on taste, the mother may choose anything from classic, simple pearl jewelery, to bright, sparkling earrings, bracelets and necklace sets. As it is a special occasion, this is also an excellent opportunity to wear special family heirloom jewelery.
• Shoes – Whether wearing sandals or pumps, look for shoes that will be comfortable enough to wear all day and into the evening.
• Purses – A great purse or clutch will help to bring the look together.
Traditional Wedding Etiquette for Mother of the Bride Fashion
Traditionally, the mother of the bride would choose her dress first, followed by the mother of the groom. Both mothers wait to chose a dress until after the bride has selected her dress and the dresses for the bridesmaids. This is to ensure that the whole wedding party is coordinated in terms of style and colors.
After the dresses are selected, remember to plan for wedding makeup and hairstyles for the mother of the bride and the mother of the groom.

So what kinds of bridesmaid gowns are brides choosing for their girls for 2010 and 2011? Thanks to the economic downturn, one trends that’s definitely not in style are gowns that cost hundreds of dollars. Brides and bridesmaids are looking for inexpensive alternatives to designer gowns.
Here are some bridesmaid dress trends for 2010 and 2011.
Bridesmaid Dress RentalsFor years men have been renting their own tuxes, and yet somehow bridesmaids have been expected to buy their own. Finally, though, a bridesmaid dress rental industry is really growing. In addition to saving money, bridesmaid gown rentals are a great way to be able to wear something once that’s way more fabulous than a typical bridesmaid can afford to own.
The Black Bridesmaid Dress Trend
When it comes to a dress that has to look good on a number of different women, black has its advantages. It’s slimming and generally favors most complexions. Black dresses also are advantageous because they tend to look for expensive than they really are, so a great way to make a gown seem more elegant is simply to buy it in black. It’s also pretty easy to mix-and-match black dresses, so bridesmaids might even be able to wear nice black dresses they already own and save quite a bit of money.
Black too bland? For those who want just a little more color, brown, gray, and various other monotone shades are in style as well.
The Cocktail Style Bridesmaid Gown Trend
Whatever bridesmaid gown color a bride chooses, chances are a shorter, cocktail style version of a gown will be much cheaper than the longer version. What’s more, in terms of finding a dress that bridesmaids might actually wear again, a shorter version probably will get more reuse opportunities. Popular cocktail dress silhouettes for 2010and 2011 include the trapeze dress, which is a forgiving style that tends to look great on lots of figures (unless it’s really, really short). Other popular trends include spaghetti straps and single-shoulder dresses.
The Purple Bridesmaid Dress Trend
For brides who want a little vibrant color in their weddings this year, one of the hottest choices throughout the fashion industry is dark, violet shades of purple. Happily, this is a color that looks surprisingly well with most complexions, and unless the dress is designed quite poorly, dark purple tends to be fairly slimming the same way black is. Lavender gowns can work too, but this color is less forgiving, and a bad lavender gown can scream “80s prom gown.”
Bare Shawls
A trend that was hot last year and has returned is the bare shawl accompanying a gown, especially one with minimal or no sleeves. Shawls can be simple, or they can jazz up a black or gray dress with some beads, sequins, or other sparkly details.
Bridesmaid Dress Trends in an Economic Downturn
This year, less is more when it comes to bridesmaids gowns, at least usually. Versatile black dresses and cocktail dresses often are cheaper, but look elegant and can be reused for another occasion. Briadesmaid dress rentals are in style as well. Clearly, it’s perfectly reasonable to shop for bridesmaid dresses with a budgetin mind and still locate beautiful, stylish dresses.

Knee length strapless dress with an umbrella cut skirt spread plates. The ivory belt holding the bodice elegantly contrasts the black of the model.

Bridesmaid dresses are the most notorious part of a wedding — other than the honeymoon, of course. Many a bridesmaid dress hangs in the back of closets or in the local thrift store because it is so hideous that a woman can?t conceive to wear it again. An ugly bridesmaid dress can even upstage a wedding dress. There is some hope, however, that you can choose the right evening dresses that fit each bridesmaid and that don’t distract from your special day.
Finding Bridesmaid Dresses:
Do your research. The bridal industry is enormous, and there are many resources to pick and choose from. Ask around for references from people you know who have gotten married. Cut out pictures from magazines and keep them in a scrapbook full of ideas.

Book it to the salon. Bring your scrapbook shopping so that the sales people will have some idea of what you?re looking for as a color scheme and overall theme. Traditionally, if the bride is wearing a full-length wedding dress, the bridesmaids should be wearing that same length as well. However, the length of the dresses doesn’t matter as much today as the choice of fabric. The style of the wedding, whether elegant or more casual, should determine the fabric and the length of the bridesmaid dresses.

Choose a color and dress that suits all body types. Unless your bridesmaids are all models, each woman will have a different body type to fit. Stick to evening dresses that fall below the knees for the most flattering fit. You may want to avoid strapless or spaghetti strap dresses, as these do not flatter all body types and are very tricky to style. The wedding gown will not be complemented if the bridesmaids look unflattering in their dresses. With that in mind, pick a style that your bridesmaids will be able to wear again. This will make them happier and more willing to shell out money for the bridesmaid gown.

Select the right fabric. Consider the season in which the wedding will take place, the stretch of the fabric and its comfort. Try to avoid satin or velvet in summer and light satin and chiffon in winter. Also, if you are planning an outdoor wedding or reception, choose bridal fabric that will breathe and will be appropriate for both warmer and cooler weather. Cheap bridesmaid dresses made of cotton or linen can look elegant with quality accessories and shoes.

Pick the color. Remember, you want the bride to stand out, not the bridesmaids. Black is the safest color as it is always fashionable, but currently, metallic colors like silver and platinum are in style. Color depends on the theme of the wedding, and it needs to work with everything, including the flower arrangements and the wedding gown.

Don’t break the bank. Your bridesmaids generally must pay for their own dresses, so keep a budget in mind. Do not go for something overly expensive. You might also consider having someone in the wedding party sew the bridesmaid gowns if it will cut costs. Sewing the dresses can also ensure that each bridesmaid gets a perfect fit and that the dresses look great with the wedding dress. Cheap bridesmaid dresses can look just as fancy as more expensive styles and be more personal to the bridal party.

a knee length chiffon dress in Light carmine pink, strapless piece with leveled neckline

Among the many members of the wedding party, you will often rely on the support of the female side to handle the glitches and concerns of wedding planning. Yes, you can always tap on the male side’s resources but that side is often clueless on wedding niceties and subtleties. So, what is a girl to do when asked these trick questions about bridesmaid dresses but look for female inspiration?

Who Pays for Them?

For bridesmaid dresses, you can boil it down to “Your bridesmaids pay, you have the final say” With the right approach, you can meet halfway! For example, you can present your initial choices to your bridesmaids so that you can confer on styles, colors and other design details before giving your final decision.

After all, they will be wearing those dresses and they have to look beautiful and feel comfortable in them. And when they do, you will have one group of kick-ass hot bridesmaids!

Do They Have to Look Alike?

Fortunately, your bridesmaid dresses do not have to match when it comes to design style! You are very lucky you live in a world where evil spirits and jealous exes pose little danger, which allows you to do away with the old superstition of bridesmaids dressing all alike to foil them off.

However, you have to put your foot down on the color choices if you want a coordinated wedding. You can bend on issues of draping and cut to concede to the differences in body type.

Do They Have to Match Your Wedding Dress?

Not necessary, for this case; again, the old superstition does not apply, fortunately. However, your bridesmaid dresses must match the formality, or the lack thereof, of your wedding dress!

Design details like sleeves, necklines and embroidery need not match down to the last stitch. You should strive for coordinated looks with your wedding dress just so your bridesmaids look like they belong to your wedding. Your emphasis is on complementation and coordination rather than matching. You only need to ensure that they are comfortable in their finery, look great with the dresses and they don’t blend into the background.

Can They Be of Different Colors?

If your wedding theme is the rainbow, then you can opt for differently-colored bridesmaid dresses. You do have the final say on the dresses your bridesmaids will wear to your wedding!

However, a word of caution is in order. A rainbow of colors for your bridesmaids can be cute today but you have to assess if they will still look cute five years down the road. Fashions do change and you want a wedding that will transcend time instead of make you cringe with time!

In relation to color, you also have to confer with your groom about the best man and the groomsmen tuxedos and suits. Remember that you want color coordination and complementation, not a color clash. Cringe, again, is the operative word.

Ultimately, your choice of bridesmaid dresses boils down to making compromises with your bridesmaids, enlisting their assistance in selecting which ones suit the wedding’s theme best, and allowing them to shine during your wedding. When you do, you can be their matron of honor/bridesmaid when they get married and they can return the favor to you.

A translucent flowing off shouldered strapless chiffon dress which put the accent on the bust in the hues of passion to add glamour with the plates which are falling down neatly