“And you’ll definitely be able to wear it again, isn’t it great?!”
This is one of the most common phrases every bridesmaid hears regarding the dresses selected for the bridal party. Is it true? Well, it’s not often true, but it’s been known to happen. In my six (to date) turns as a bridesmaid, I’ve worn one dress again. It was when I was a bridesmaid in another wedding, but it still counts!
Some words of wisdom and things to keep in mind when choosing your bridesmaid dresses:
- Choose wisely – you could be in one of their weddings and in the bridesmaid hot seat next
- Stay away from fabrics that are very shiny and very clingy – dresses like that are really only meant for .01% of the population
Step away from the gold lamé and no one gets hurt
- Decide how important it is that your bridesmaids all wear the exact same dress – consider letting your ladies choose their neckline style, shades of the same color, etc.
Same color family, similar lengths, different dresses. Courtesy InStyle.com
Same color dresses, different necklines. Courtesy InStyle.com
- Take all or some of your bridesmaid to the store so they can model the options for you – more often than not, brides end up going with a different style after seeing their initial choices on their friends
- Is a dress the best choice? Consider two-piece mix ‘n match combinations that many stores are now offering. David’s Bridal has a great tool where you can match up different separates with accessories to see which look you like best.
- Try to choose a store that has a wide selection – David’s Bridal is one great option. They have a huge selection of bridesmaid dresses in a wide range of sizes and colors. Other popular chain stores include Alfred Angelo and J. Crew (they always have a decent selection of dresses on sale). Another up and coming brand I’ve heard a lot about is Melissa Sweet – her dresses are lovely, but they’re not the most affordable option
- Unless you’re planning to purchase the gowns for your bridesmaids, make sure to pick a dress that everyone can afford
- Like when you purchase a wedding dress, leave enough time to place the order and make any alterations if necessary
I’ve worn four black dresses, one baby blue and one deep lilac dress. The blue one was donated to a charity, two of the black ones are collecting dust in my closet, I wore one of the black ones twice (in my friend’s wedding and then in my sister’s wedding) and the purple one needs to be dry-cleaned before it joins the other black dresses in my closet.
Questions for both the bridesmaids and brides out there – how did you choose dresses? Did you ever wear them again? What did you do with them afterwards?
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