You wedding ensemble was chosen amidst great deliberation, and the wedding day is the bride’s time dazzle. But although the spotlight is on you, you’ll have more fun if you share the attention and include others in your fun! Let your trusty bridesmaids shine in their dresses too. Choosing unique gowns that incorporate your chosen colors and compliment your own dress can be lots of fun, and will add style and flair to your celebration… not to mention your photos!
Here are 10 ways to choose bridesmaids dresses that are pretty, stylish, and definitely not typical! (All photos compliments of the knot!)
1. Pick a Pattern!
This bride chose cheery red-and-white-striped frocks from Anthropologie (who doesn’t love Anthropologie?) and red satin wedges for a look that’s chic and quite different!
2. Follow the Rainbow!
Instead of dressing all the bridesmaids in the same color, create a rainbow with maids in varying shades! These cocktail-length wrap dresses from Calypso look good enough to eat (they remind me of sorbet)! The bride even bought one for herself!
3. Don’t blend in!
Red is always a popular color, but this eye-catching shade is quite uncommon. The persimmon red of these gowns is inspired by the bride’s favorite flower, the bird-of-paradise.
4. Mix ‘n’ Match it!
This funky bride put her maid of honor and three bridesmaids in tangerine silk tricotine dresses from J.Crew. Her nieces, who served as honorary bridesmaids, wore coordinating patterned dresses in tangerine, aqua, and chocolate brown.
5. Add Interesting Accessories!
These custom-designed, emerald green, satin gowns (by Raul McGinnis) are accessorized with green hair jewelry and flower boas made of ivy garland and off-white hydrangeas. Unusual and very glamorous!
6. Complimentary Colors
Mixing two complimentary colors makes a bold statement. These maids wore two-piece Alfred Angelo A-line dresses in pink, with green sashes.
7. Cool Cover-ups
Add matching wraps in case of cool weather. This bride was lucky enough to have her mother’s friend knit all these lightweight ponchos to go with the dresses. In addition to being practical, they are quite pretty and feminine.
8. Go with the Theme:
If your wedding has a theme, like this 60’s-styled celebration, get your bridesmaids to dress the part! These four bridesmaids (including the bride’s mother, the matron of honor) add to the fun by wearing short white dresses with pretty scarves and white go-go boots.
9. Take a cue from the Bride!
Don’t be afraid to dress your attendants in white, especially if yours is a summer wedding. The purple ribbon on these dresses differentiates between the bride and the maids… as if that extraordinary, glowing aura is not enough to announce “here comes the bride!”
10. Dare to Re-wear!
Now here’s an idea for the truly daring bride: How about letting your bridesmaids wear a dress that they actually will wear again?! This considerate bride had two criteria for her bridesmaids’ dresses: simple and comfortable. These brown Mark Shale dresses are classic, flattering, and most definitely re-wearable.
For more photos and ideas, visit the knot!
Thank heavens my friend will have her bride’s maids dress in whatever they want to dress in.
they are class, my sister is getting married next year and we want something very different!!!
I love the dresses in the 4th picture. Can you tell me where the multi coloured dresses are from? i would love to buy one!
Caryl– the picture is from the KNOT, and according to their caption, the dresses were from J. Crew. Probably don’t carry them anymore. Good luck finding something similar!