For some brides the decision of what colour & style bridesmaid dresses to have is simple.
- Bridesmaids wear chosen dresses and all live happily ever after, right?
In theory this is a simple choice and everything will work out fine; however in reality it doesn’t necessarliy go so smooth.
With each colour hue there are multiply choices and this can make a big impact, as the bridesmaid dresses are usually the one block colour that encapsulates the jist of the whole wedding.
I have a few gowns that have 75 colour options, Yes 75!
However usually 40 options is suffice and brides usually find a couple of colours that will work. The fabric choice will also affect the colour for example a chiffon fabric might look perfect as a little swatch however scale it up on a dress with an under layer of fabric and it will appear much more dense and saturated.
The spectrum of colours for bridesmaid dresses is immense. Choosing a colour then finding this exact colour in a bridesmaid dress can be like trying to find a needle in a haystack in some instances.
There are swatch books with multiple fabrics and all give a subtle change to the colour depending on the light and if the colour isn’t 100% matched to that tiny scrap of fabric you have been carrying around for 6 weeks in a cellophane wrapper then the wedding is OFF! Well maybe not so dramatic but you get my drift.
2 colour options for bridesmaids can sometimes be a great idea if you have an idea of your wedding colours but don’t want to tip the boat and have too much of one colour. For example a dress showing 2 colours can look really good with a few bridesmaids in each option of dress.
Rounding up your heard of beautiful maids and getting them all to the same appointment can be a kin to finding the holy grail; all agreeing on the same dress is also one of the most difficult tasks.
If each bridesmaid were the same body shape and dress size your search would be easy however this isn’t usually the case and trying to please everyone can be a nightmare.
Many bridesmaid dresses are made with this in mind. There are dresses that will hide a tummy or make a modest bust look ample. Some dresses are great at giving a lovely silhouette and showing off curves. It may be a good idea to discuss with each bridesmaid what their expectations are thus narrowing down the possible styles before you get to the fitting room.
Ok so I am not going to lie this is the tricky bit ladies. It makes choosing the colour seem easy peesy.
The bridesmaid recipe - take 1 female trying to find a lovely dress that suits her body shape and emphasises all her best bits.
Multiply this by the required number of bridesmaids needed at the wedding.
Then multiply again by junior & flower girls and add a sprinkle of geographical factors and you have precisely 1 baffled bride.
Here is an example of the exact same colour option in chiffon and Satin – See the difference?
Who said all my bridesmaids should be in the same colour and style anyway?