Bridesmaids should stop worrying about what they’ll have to wear to the wedding. No one wants to wear something that doesn’t feel good, and no one wants to spend money on a gown they won’t wear again. But bridesmaid dress rules have changed a lot over the years, which is good. In turn, brides and their wedding parties, who used to be limited by strict rules, now have more ways than ever to enjoy planning the attendants’ outfits. So, what are the most recent rules? Well, we’re here to explain that.
Here are our top modern tips for dressing your loved ones or, as is often the case these days, letting them pick out their own clothes. These days, it’s all about being yourself. That means letting the bride pick out dresses and accessories for the bridesmaids that make sense for her, but also letting the bridesmaids have a say. What we mean will be clear from the advice we’re about to give.
Before we get too far into the rules of what modern bridesmaids should wear, we’ll give you a sneak peek of what’s to come. First, get ready to see colours and materials you may have written off before. Second, get ready to see some interesting shapes and silhouettes. Some things, like white dresses and separate bridesmaid dresses, were almost unheard of in the past. Now, though, they are perfectly fine. You’ll also notice that the groups we’ve shown aren’t as “traditional” as you might think. For example, many of the bridesmaids aren’t wearing matching outfits like you might expect. At the end of our slideshow, we’ll show that’s also perfectly fine.
Dare to Be Different
Even though Rhea says so, your friends don’t have to all have the same cut or colour. Let each bridesmaid show off her own style. You chose each girl for a reason, after all.
Let Them Glow
Who says that your group has to be small? Sequins, beads, and studs can add sparkle and texture to your ceremony without being too flashy, as long as you keep the dress shapes simple and the necklines modest. Plus: you don’t have to wear a lot of jewellery.
Go to Any Size
When hemlines come in different lengths, everyone can choose what looks best on her. Plus, it makes the group as a whole look more interesting. Change things up within the group, or have the bridesmaids wear shorter dresses and the maid of honour a longer one, or the other way around.
Embrace Lace
Lace has traditionally only been worn by the bride, but we love how it gives your girls’ dresses a romantic look. Add colour to make it more fun and less bridal: Bold colours stand out at a party outside, while softer colours are better for a formal event. These ones, which are almost blue, came from Lan Gui Yu.
Play Two-Handed
By putting together two great pieces (in this case, tops from Anthropologie and pants from Alice + Olivia), you can make an amazing outfit. Later, your attendants can really wear them again as separates—on date nights or to the office, depending on how they mix and match them.
Provide choices
Even if giving your closest friends the same dress isn’t your style, you’ll still want to limit their options. (If you let them run free, you won’t know how your ceremony will look.) Give the attendants a choice of gowns to wear. Post them on a Pinterest board, send the link to your friends via email, and have each friend claim a style by writing “mine!” in the comments. This way, there won’t be any “who wore it best” arguments.
Mix Your Fabrics
You don’t have to only care about one thing. If they’re all the same colour, different textures like flowing tulle, smooth silk, and boho chiffon work well together (s).
Make a lot of noise
Rhea, thank you so much. Now, bridesmaids can wear white and look so cool. Add your own style with brightly coloured or gold-coloured accessories.
Plan Out the Details.
If your bridesmaids are wearing different dresses, hair and makeup can tie the looks together. Give your girls the same red lips and loose waves as shown here.
Make Copies Of Them
Once upon a time, bridesmaids always wore the same colour from head to toe. Now, no longer. Play with patterns to give something a new feel. If you aren’t ready to commit to a parade of prints walking down your aisle, try one on just your TG.
Try Out Different Prints in The Palette.
Even though only some of these dresses have patterns, they all look great together because they all have the same colour scheme. Keep your line-up charming and not crazy by using no more than three colours. It’s also fun to put together patterns with the same theme.
Early Gifts for Your Girls
Make matching their outfits a chance to give them a gift, and then please ruin the surprise! Tell your group now what you’ll be giving them later, whether it’s the dresses themselves or trendy earrings like these Hart ones. So, they can make plans and set a budget for the rest of their outfit.
