The bride is the most important person on the day, but bridesmaids also command a lot of attention, so it is important that you choose the right bridesmaid dresses. Ideally you want the dresses to complement your own dress and fit in with the overall theme of the wedding, but how do you decide which bridesmaid dresses make the final cut?

Avoid Bridal Horror Stories

Everyone has a story of a wedding they attended where the bridesmaids were dressed in hideous frocks and everyone sniggered. Sounds an unlikely scenario, but really this is not as uncommon as you might think.

Some brides are a bit insecure and would rather dress down their bridesmaids than be upstaged by a more attractive friend; others have zero fashion sense and don’t recognise that coral bridesmaid dresses look great, but only if the flowers are not red and yellow. So be careful what style of dress you choose if you want to have some friends left after the big day is over.

Beware of the Budget

Not all bridesmaids can afford to splash out on an expensive designer dress, so keep this in mind when planning your budget and if you are working on a “money is no object” principle, offer to pay for the dresses or at least cover some of the cost so they are not too much out of pocket; or worse still, unable to be a bridesmaid at all.

Mix and Match Bridesmaid Dresses

In days gone by, bridesmaids typically wore the same outfit, no matter what shape or size they were. This means that some bridesmaids looked fabulous, but others ended up in a deeply unflattering garment that did nothing for their body shape.

To avoid this from happening to your bridesmaids, go for a mix and match approach. Rather than forcing everyone to wear the same dress design, let your bridesmaids choose a dress they like. It doesn’t matter if the dresses don’t look the same as long as they have at least one thing in common, for example colour.

Include the Bridesmaids in the Decision Making Process

As the bride, your decision is final, but you should still take on board your bridesmaids’ opinions. Ask their advice about dresses and find out if there are any styles they truly detest. That way you won’t end up falling out with anyone.

Buy Dresses that Can Be Worn Again

Bridesmaid dresses are often an expensive purchase, so if this expensive dress ends up hanging in a closet, never to see the light of day again, it is a bit of a waste. Look for dresses that are not too over the top. Shorter dresses in attractive colours can be worn again; the same applies to dark dresses. So buy dresses that could do double service as a party frock or formal gown. It is a lot less wasteful.

If you can’t decide on suitable dresses, or everyone is falling out over the final design, delegate the task of choosing dresses to someone else you trust – it will be less stressful.