Three Bridesmaid Dress Ideas Your Maids Will Love

You’ve all seen the pictures-or, depending on your age and/or group of girlfriends, been party to-the tragedy that once beset bridesmaids across the country. I know I have … been party to, that is.

I have donned bridesmaid dresses that range from 1980s-style blue taffeta (and no, I wasn’t an adult in the 80s) to a two-piece foil-gold skirt and top to a clingy, bright purple knee-length dress .

And the sad part is, I did it without a question. You see, as the good bridesmaid I always was, I never questioned the bride when she selected our dress, told us which pantyhose to buy and ordered us to paint our nails in like-toned hues. It was part of the job.

Today’s brides , though are taking it easy on their gal pals and are offering color, style and fabric options I never had as a college-aged maid. And these options rock.

Here are three bridesmaid dress ideas your maids will love.

1. The Black Dress Idea
I’m in a wedding next month where the bride has chosen a beige and black color combination and asked the maids to simply choose any knee-length (ish) black dress of our choice. We could choose the sleeve style, fabric and fit. Since her maids range in height from 6’0 to 5’2 (that would be me!) I thought this was a kind choice and no one will feel frumpy or modest, since we chose the dress.

To infuse some color into her wedding, she asked each of us to choose a different brightly colored heel and accessories. She’s wearing red heels, the other maids are wearing yellow and purple and I’m wearing bright pink.

I think the end result will be elegant and classy, with a hint of youthful fun.


2. The Colors Idea
This idea is similar to the black dress idea but allows the bride more control over the dress. The idea here is for the bride to choose two or three colors she’d like for the bridesmaids to wear and then let them decide amongst themselves on the style of the dress.

My November wedding utilized the colors of the season and I knew I wanted deep, rich fall colors for the girls. That being said, I was open to which colors that would be. Since we started searching for their dresses more than a year in advance, we had the luxury of choosing their dress colors first, then letting the invites, stationary, linens and flowers fall into place.

I also knew I didn’t want them in matching dresses, but wanted their dresses to coordinate. In the end, three of my bridesmaids wore a matching chocolate dress with an eggplant accent and the other two wore eggplant dresses with chocolate accents. It was stunning.


3. The Color and Style Idea
This option takes the color idea one step further and lets the bride control the style and color of the dress the bridesmaids wear, but still allows room for the bridesmaid’s individuality.

Most dress designers now offer optional accents or colors for many of their dresses. As in the example below, the bride chose a knee-length dress and color and let the maids choose the sleeve style and cut.


Have you and your maids chosen dresses yet? What did you decide on?

A Lovely Family Wedding

I went to a wedding last weekend and it was really lovely. Aside from the fact that I got to see family members and had a nice time catching up with them, I was also impressed with both the elegance and simplicity of the wedding itself. It was a true KISS wedding.

The church portion of the wedding was Greek Orthodox and fairly cut and dried, as this is a church that does not allow for too many variations to its basic services. However, before the service began, there were a couple of really nice touches.

Since the bride’s father had passed away, her mother walked her down the aisle. The groom was raised in a single-parent home and when the bride and her mother arrived at the altar, the groom’s mother took her son by the hand and gave it to the bride. Then it was a straightforward ceremony after that.

When we got to the wedding reception at the large banquet hall, there were place cards with table numbers alphabetically listed on an entry way table. Next to this table, there was a guest book and poster of the bride and groom to sign.

While the wedding photographer was snapping all the formal wedding pictures, one of the groom’s nephews was taking candid pictures of all the guests as they entered and having them write a short note to the wedding couple. He was then going to be putting these photos into a special wedding photo book to give to the wedding couple when they return home from their honeymoon.

The bride chose three colors – black, white, and red – and carried these out throughout the wedding and reception. An excellent touch was that she had selected the color red for her bridesmaids’ dresses. However, instead of these bridesmaids' dresses being done in cookie cutter fashion - regardless of whether they look good on a particular body – she had each bridesmaid choose her own dress style in the exact color red she had selected. This meant that one bridesmaid wore a strapless dress that was flattering to her slim figure while another bridesmaid, who was full figured, wore ¾-length sleeves with a fuller skirt. Another bridesmaid wore – well, you get the picture.

Each place setting was elegantly appointed with place card holders, white china, and shiny tableware. Although it was a buffet style, there were servers assigned to ensure that the guests were kept supplied with salads, desserts and beverages. Bridal shower favors attached to tulle-wrapped Jordan almonds were at each place setting and candles shone on each table. When the dancing started, the overhead lights were dimmed and the candlelight lent the room an elegant feel.

What also impressed me was that although there were eight weddings and parties at this banquet hall (Michaud's for those in the Cleveland area) that evening (you should have seen the parking lot) there was never any sense that my cousin’s wedding was not the most important event happening there. The professionalism of the crew made this a wedding to remember.

This wedding was an excellent example of keeping it simple and stunning!

Relaxed Summertime Wedding

Since we have just reached the halfway point in summer, let's talk about weddings that make the most of this season. You can create the kind of wedding that will be enjoyed and remembered pleasantly by all your guests as a beautiful summer day.

Think of this type of wedding as the best that summer has to offer - multi-blooming flowers, sunlit fabrics for linens and bridesmaids' dresses, and garden-like settings (even indoors) will encourage your guests to relax and enjoy the atmosphere of the day.

Your wedding invitations should be focused on a summer theme - not for the heavy winter white and formal embossed printing, but a more summery flowered invitation. This will convey your relaxed summer day.

For your wedding gown think light and airy. Even though other seasons are gaining in popularity, summer remains the biggest season for weddings. There are many different styles and types of summer wedding dresses on the market so I suggest that you find one that is in keeping with your relaxed summer theme. Over 75% of dresses that you'll find are sleeveless and/or strapless, making them perfect for the season. Look for light fabrics such as organdy, linen, chiffon, crepe, georgette, or light-weight silk, so as to not add too much bulk.

Bridesmaids' dresses should be light as well - perhaps tulle or organza or dotted swiss - to bring out the theme of relaxed summer style. Most importantly, don’t try to fight your hair in the summer: straight hair will get straighter and limper, and wavy hair will get wavier and frizzier. Hair swept up by a professional who will design a long-lasting style are one of your best bets; or just allow the bridesmaids to go with their natural styles and don't worry about it. Relax, it's summer!

You can't go wrong decorating your wedding venue with an abundance of flowers. There are so many varieties in season you may have a tough time narrowing your choices down! An airy summer look is achieved with mostly white and light colored flowers such as roses, stephanotis, white phlox, elegant white calla lilies, huge and fragrant casa blanca lilies, hydrangea, and Shasta daisies.

Provide pastel flower vases with a rose or other flower at each place setting as both evocative of summer and as a take-home wedding favor.

To carry out the summer abundance idea, attach your placecards to a pear or a peach - whichever reflects your color scheme best. This again evokes summer and provides a stable holder for the placecard - especially if your reception is outdoors!

A relaxed summer wedding can be elegant and fun - and without all the fuss you find in more formal affairs.

Don't Make The Bridesmaids Hate You!

I've been a bridesmaid a lot and every single time the bride assures me that I will be able to "wear the dress again!"

Sure. And pigs will fly and the sun will shine at night!

One of my bridesmaid nightmares was a lemon yellow A-line long dress with a white lace yoke. Since my complexion is light olive, I looked greenish throughout the wedding. My aunt actually asked me if I was sick. Of course the bridesmaid who advised the bride on the dresses looked wonderful with her rosy cheeks and blue eyes, while the rest of us looked like we were going to puke!

And then there was the crinoline in polka dots that kept flopping up over my head, every time I sat down! It was very tiring to have to keep standing so my underwear wasn't on display!

But my all-time "favorite" bridesmaid dress was a pink ball gown dress. It had a full, round, layered chiffon over-skirt with a brown underskirt and poof sleeves. We also wore them with lime green floppy hats. I looked like a sick Hostess Sno-ball under a leaf.

Would you believe that they were made especially for us?

Ugly bridesmaid dresses recently inspired a movie - 27 Dresses!

Just once, I'd like to see a bridesmaid's dress that can be worn again!

Want to keep your bridesmaids as friends after the honeymoon? Don't make them hate you! Find a place in your vision to make sure that they like the dresses and shoes you are making them pay so much money to buy and wear. And for Pete's sake, pick out a dress they can wear more than once!

Plan a girls' night out and invite the bridesmaids to go shopping for the dresses with you. Make an appointment at a bridal salon. Inform them that you are seeking bridesmaids' dresses and that you want to have a selection ready in a certain price range. With bridesmaids in tow, have them look at the dresses.

Remember what looks good on a tall willowy blond won't necessarily flatter a short freckled redhead. Consider letting them choose their own gowns, maybe in different hues of the same color that go with their complexions or with a universally flattering hemline but different dress styles to suit their bodies - some women like sleeveless, others hate their upper arms and want them covered. Take their concerns into account and find the dresses that will stand the test of time - and your friendship.

Do not make your final selection at this time. Take digital photos of each woman in each style dress. Record style number, designer or company and other pertinent information. Go home and sleep on the choices.

After the dress excursion, go out to dinner and talk about everything that made you friends in the first place. Have a good time - and don't talk about the dresses! After a couple of days, call each of your bridesmaids and ask her for choice of dress. If you have bridesmaids from out town, send them copies of the pictures and get their input into the dress style. Once you have all the data, tally the votes.

Then you can make your decision. If all the women are happy, then they will joyfully walk down the aisle before you and make your day even better !