Not so Traditional Bridesmaids Fashion
Today I want to talk to you about bridal party fashion and really let your personality (and theirs) shine, so to preface that I want to give you some insight into why bridesmaids exist in the first place. This is one of my favorite fun facts of all time, so enjoy.
In ancient Rome, it was believed that all happy events were in danger of attracting evil spirits. And what does an evil spirit love more than ruining the party by stealing the woman of the hour? Enter, bridesmaids. These lucky ladies were dressed in exactly the same dress and veil as the bride to confuse jealous suitors and evil spirits who might try to steal the bride from the groom. EVIL SPIRITS. I bet you were just worried about getting a pimple on your big day, not being kidnapped by a demon! So, while you probably don’t need to be protected from evil spirits or jealous suitors (hopefully), you’ve probably still asked your best gal pals to stand with you at your ceremony and help support you through wedding planning. Let’s give them the kudos they deserve and banish those old superstitions for good by letting them shine with some of these different takes on the traditional matchy-matchy bridal party tradition.
Your mom will probably tell you that your bridesmaids should all wear the same dress in the same color, with matching hair, makeup, flowers, and accessories. But we do want to make them feel great and showcase their personalities, so sorry mom, we’re going to branch out a little! One of the trends that is so popular with my brides from Orange County all the way to Las Vegas is mixing and matching bridesmaid dresses. And of course, there are a thousand ways to do that. If you’d like to go for a more uniform look but still let your girls customize their ensemble, try shopping at a store that has multiple dresses in the same color. Each of your maids can choose the style that they like best and feel great in, and the color you choose will tie them all together.
On the other hand, if you want to give your crew a little more freedom, start with a color palette and let each gal choose a color or shade for their dress. There are so many stunning shades of blush, lilac, and teal, (to name a few) that you can create an ombre affect just with dress colors. Worried about the dresses looking messy? Give your girls some guidelines like length and fabric type to keep them looking uniform while still letting them express themselves. And if you want to go even beyond that, you can try a pattern like floral or paisley and let your bridesmaids have free reign in choosing their dresses, all the while keeping the look grounded with a common theme.
Accessories are a great way to tie in even the most mix-matched bridesmaid’s dresses together (and they make great bridal party gifts too!). Matching or complimentary jewelry can really bring the look together and add a pop of color or texture. Another great way to balance your mixing and matching is with hair and makeup. If you go more uniform with dresses, consider letting your gals pick their hair and makeup style. Or, if you go a little more freestyle with the dress choices, maybe have everyone do a half up-half down style or incorporate a braid or twist. Coordinating hair combs are also a fun way to unify your bridesmaids and have a pop of your décor inspiration at the same time, from greenery to flower crowns to seashells.
As always, do you and you can’t go wrong!