1.How much should I expect my bridesmaids to be willing to spend on their dress?
Expenses for attendants can add up quickly, from travel, clothing to participation in parties and showers. People in their 20s and 30s may find themselves invited to attend or participate in several weddings in the same year, which can cause serious financial stress. Keep this in mind when you ask a friend or relative to be in your wedding. In order to avoid hearing grumbles about money, choose a bridesmaid dress that is reasonably priced ask your bridesmaids what they consider reasonable since they are the ones who will be spending the money or work together with your party to find a dress that’s both within their style and budget. Brides are not required to pay for bridesmaid dresses, but if you want your maids to wear something more expensive, consider adding it to your own budget or paying for half. Try to mitigate expenses elsewhere too if they’re buying the dresses, don’t make them buy jewellery and shoes too.
2.If I don’t want my bridesmaids to match, what are some alternatives?
Your bridesmaids’ dresses certainly don’t have to be exact matches. Many brides will offer their bridesmaids a range of styles to choose from dresses in the same fabric and color (or a range of colors) but with different cuts, or even different patterns. If you want to give your attendants even more freedom with their dresses, you could provide them with guidelines regarding dress fabric, length, color, and level of formality and let them select their own bridesmaids’ dresses. The maid or matron of honor’s dresses and flowers can also be a different color, fabric, and style than the other bridesmaids’. Bridesmaids’ shoes are generally the same type – most brides opt to put their attendants in pumps or sandals – and color, but they don’t have to be the exact same shoe. Some brides choose their attendants’ hairstyles and hair accessories. Jewellery can tie your bridesmaids’ outfits and hairstyles together if they aren’t wearing the same exact dresses and hairstyles. You can provide key pieces of jewellery to them as your bridesmaids’ gifts, or discuss it carefully with them to ensure that the pieces they choose aren’t too busy, loud, or off-color.
3. The wearing white to a wedding thread got me thinking. Is it appropriate to wear a bridesmaid’s dress to another wedding (assuming it looks completely different from that wedding’s bridesmaids dresses). I have a bridesmaids’ dress that isn’t too fancy (knee length) but is that classic bridesmaid’s dress material-satiny. I was planning on wearing it to a wedding this coming December, but don’t want to look like I’m trying to be a bridesmaid. I feel like if it’s not worn to a wedding, when the heck would I ever wear it again (as it is with every other expensive bridesmaid dress I suppose). It all depends. Does it LOOK like a bride’s maid’s dress? You know what I mean. Some dresses just scream BRIDE’S MAID! Also, is it a dress from a well-known shop? If lots of your friends have been planning weddings in the past few years, chances are, they’ve seen it and know. If this is not the case, it is entirely possible you could wear it again to a wedding. Usually though, a BM dress that has the best chance of being worn again is one that is tea-length, that can be dressed up for the wedding then dressed down for another occasion. If it’s a full-length dress, consider having it altered to a tea-length so it can be worn again with a whole new personality.
4. Is There a Bridesmaid-Gown Style That Flatters Everyone?
Most bridal parties include women with a number of body types, so it can be difficult to select a dress that will make everyone happy. Not only do A-line gowns flatter almost every figure, it is absolutely okay to choose one dress and ask your bridesmaids to wear it You are the bride, after all. Just be sensitive select a dress the maid who’s a size 16, not the one who’s a size 6, and be sure to suggest a good tailor who can help fit each dress properly. If you want to make sure everyone wears something that’s flattering to her individual figure, consider choosing a color (and length, if you wish), and allowing the bridesmaids to pick their own gowns. For additional coherency, have them choose dresses in similar fabrics, such as silk or satin. Separates are also a fantastic option and allow each girl to mix and match skirt and top styles keeping the fabric and color identical for the most flattering combination for her body type.
