When you hear the phrase "bridesmaids dresses" you may think of some cute little numbers chain stores like David's Bridal and Dessy Group have come out with in the last few years or you may think of Katherine Heigl's overstuffed closet of monstrosities from "27 Dresses" with plenty of tulle, satin, and pastels to boot. When I hear the phrase "bridesmaids dresses" I think of endless opportunities!
At my wedding, my bridesmaids all wore different styles of the same color dress from David's Bridal-- the color coordinated with a sash on my dress and each woman had fun picking out a dress that fit her shape and style! Emily, on the far right, was in a wedding several months earlier with similar colors to mine so she chopped off the bottom of her dress and made it in to a shawl! There are several good reasons for going with this tactic, especially if you have a long engagement planned:
1) Your bridesmaids will thank you for letting them wear something flattering
2) Your unique wedding will be even moreso
3) You will get to showcase not only yourself, but the amazing women who have undoubtedly done their fair share of work for your big day
4) Your bridesmaids may be able to find something more within their budget range
5) Your friends will have a dress they are more likely to wear again in the future, which makes laying down $100+ on a dress a little less painful!
So what started this all in my head? Why this post? Because of this dress:
This is the
Limerick Lass Dress from
Modcloth and I'm dying to own it. This dress just screams Spring wedding, not to mention it looks comfortable and has a small amount of customization to it. (the bow around the waist is a removable sash) It made me think-- what would I have done if I wanted everyone to wear the same dress? What have I advised some of my clients who are looking for alternative options to do? Just what I'm doing tonight-- browsing stores online! From Nordstrom's to Bluefly, to more independent online shops like Modcloth, there are endless options for the frugal, fashionable, and unique wedding party!
I love everything vintage, so it's extremely hard for me to narrow down my choices, but here are a few categories to help break up the visuals...
Spring Weddings
In addition to the Limerick Lass dress above, I love the
City of Emeralds Dress with its flowing layers just begging to be worn to an evening wedding in March or April. The
Kennebunkport Dress, seen below, is the epitome of (duh) a beach or bay wedding with classic lines.
The
Bubbling Over dress is another classic dress with a flirty skirt and top that's made for an afternoon wedding!
Romantic Weddings
Well of course weddings are romantic, but I mean in the Walt Whitman kind of way-- a touch of florals, wispy fabrics, and light colors kind of romantic. If this is your game, I would be remiss if I didn't send you to the
Blossoming Clouds dress...
Vintage Chic
I'm trying not to wear you out, but I would be completely remiss if I didn't send you to look at the next three dresses! Vintage weddings are huge right now, and with plenty good reason-- the styles are classic, the lines flattering, and nobody's cooler than a dame who knows what she wants. What do I want? These babies:
Just imagine sending these dresses down the aisle before you show up in a beautiful silk and lace sheath with a fascinator pinned to your updo-- talk about a wow factor!
I'll end it on that bombshell, but see below for a few more dresses I'd love to see walking down the aisle as an introduction!
