How to Shop for Bridesmaid Dresses

You have dreamt about it your whole life and now the big day is almost here.  All the wedding plans are falling into place and excitement is certainly building.  Every important person in your life has set aside the date to be with you on your special day and you could not be more excited.  Now, the time has come for you to decide how best to dress all the members of the wedding party, but there are so many options from which to choose that you are not sure where to begin.  Take a deep breath and review these tips on how to shop for a bridesmaid dress.

Color Selection

One of the first things every bride must choose before any wedding plan can be made is the color palette for her wedding.  This decision will go a long way toward selecting the bridesmaid dresses so it is imperative it is done before any dress shopping takes place.  No bride can ever have too much time on her hands so not a moment can be wasted by falling in love with any particular dress only to later find out it is not available in the desired color.

Body Type

Your bridesmaids are the most important thing to keep in mind when shopping for a bridesmaid dress.  Most likely, your bridesmaids are not cookie cutter copies of each other; they come in all sizes and shapes.  Their body shapes must be taken into account when making your selection or you run the risk of awkward pictures and unhappy friends.

This is your wedding so your friends will probably go along with what you want without complaint. However, the goal of your wedding day is not to torture those people who are closest to you. For example, you may have already decided you want your bridesmaids in strapless dresses since your bridal gown is strapless.  If any of your bridesmaids are top-heavy, then a strapless dress could pose a problem. Be as flexible as possible when selecting bridesmaid dresses because you are choosing styles for possibly several different body types.

Dress Styles

It is imperative to decide early on whether you want all your bridesmaids in matching dresses or in coordinating styles. The majority of brides select matching dresses for the bridal party because they appreciate the sense of unity it brings to the look of their wedding.  Other brides go with the matching option because of tradition.  Either way, several dress styles will look great on most body types.  If you want to follow tradition then you will be able to find a look that flatters all of your bridesmaids.

On the other hand, you may wish to let the dresses reflect the individual personality of each bridesmaid.  Non-matching bridesmaid dresses are growing in popularity.  Simply select the color, or colors, for your bridal party and then let them wear the style of dress that suits their needs.  This option is especially popular if you have a variety of ages and body shapes in your bridal party.  In addition, you can rest easy knowing that most dress shops or bridal websites are prepared to help you select dress styles that coordinate well with one another.

The Bridesmaids

Planning a shopping trip with the ladies in your bridal party is necessary for any bride; however, you should think carefully about what stage you intend to bring them into the planning.  Everyone is different so that means each bridesmaid will have different ideas about what the perfect dress looks like.  While there are advantages to having their input early on, there is also a downside.

For example, let’s say you bring the bridesmaids into the process before you have decided on the exact shade you want for their dresses.  Since not every dress is available in every color, you may unwittingly let them get their heart set on a dress that will be ruled out by your color choices.  As the bride, you are already under enough stress without the headache of bridesmaid disagreements about the dress.

On the flipside, bringing your maid (or matron) of honor into the planning at the early stages can save you a lot of legwork.  If both of you put your heads together about what you like before visiting a bridal shop then you can save plenty of time.  You can even let her do some of the running around for you by visiting shops on her own and taking pictures of the dresses she likes.  This also gives you an ally who likes the final dress selections when you bring the other bridesmaids into the selection process.

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