Kind and Camera-ready Bridesmaid Dresses

One of the first orders of business when planning your wedding is appointing your bridesmaids. Your wedding party is made up of your and your fiancé’s VIPs – best friends, siblings and soon-to-be-family-members that you can’t wait to get to know better (we’re looking on the bright side, here…!) You will be honoring your bridesmaids with not only a special role in your wedding, but also with the time they will inevitably get to spend with you during the process of putting the whole shebang together.

 

But as you undoubtedly already know, the infamous bridesmaid dress is the butt of countless jokes and the bane of many a bridesmaid’s existence. Not only can they be very expensive, but they are also known for their overdone frippery and frequent unwearability. They also have a tendency to almost instantly date your wedding photos, since, unlike classic tuxes and wedding gowns, they are often unwitting victims to fashion.

 

Accordingly, we’ve compiled a few tips on selecting bridesmaid dresses that are both kind to your bridesmaids’ figures and wallets, and likely to weather the years gracefully. Given all of the time, money and effort that go into creating beautiful wedding photography, you don’t want to find yourself mortified by your favorite photos ten years down the line, after all.

 

Some things to consider:

 

Gorgeous wedding tableaux and photos require planning for the big picture; you want your bridesmaids to flatter both you and your surroundings. So, first think about what colors are appropriate for the season: red, black, forest green and jewel tones are beautiful for winter weddings, while lighter colors are great for spring and summer.

 

Also think about the setting: blue is lovely by the sea, while fuchsia and orange work well in tropical locales. Indoor weddings with more dramatic artificial lighting support bolder colors, while black can sometimes appear harsh for an outdoor wedding. Same goes for time of day: think bolder shades for evening weddings and lighter colors for day.

 

– both of your dresses and of your bridesmaids. If you’re wearing a short, less-formal gown, then floor-length formal numbers on your bridesmaids could look discordant. But also consider the probably varied body types of your bridesmaids and try to treat them kindly. Your ladies with larger builds might not appreciate being required to don a skin-tight strapless mini dress and parade down the aisle in front of 200 people.

 

Fortunately, many purveyors of bridesmaid attire will now allow you to select the color and fabric of your dresses, and then let the bridesmaids select the styles of their individual dresses. That way, everyone matches more or less, but is comfortable in her dress. Having everyone in the same color and fabric, but with different dress styles also lends a touch of iconoclastic style to your wedding party and photos.

 

If your bridesmaids are paying for their own get-ups, then do them a favor and don’t require them to take out a loan to pay for their dresses and shoes. And if you want to hire a stylist to do everyone’s hair and makeup, then you really should foot the bill.

 

One way to go easy on your bridesmaids is to give them a set of guidelines for selecting their own dresses. For instance, ask them to find dresses in autumnal colors for fall, or blues for summer seaside ceremonies. It is generally best to ask them to avoid patterns, however, since solid colors will provide more visual unity.

 

We recently attended a winter wedding where bridesmaids wore matching floor-length red satin skirts, and black tops of their own choice. The skirts cost less than gowns would, and the variety of black tops lent a unique visual texture to the group.

The most timeless bridesmaid dresses are generally designed in basic shapes with clean lines. We’re all in favor. But if you want to give a little extra style to your wedding party and your pictures, consider the addition of unique accessories: think about tonal or complementary-colored shoes instead of dyed-to-match, and interesting jewelry or hairpieces with flair. Just don’t go overboard or too funky, or you might regret your decision later.

 

Think about the bridesmaid dresses you’ve seen in 80s movies, and act accordingly. You don’t want to end up cringing at your pictures, so choose basic dress shapes in classic colors. Fluorescent shades and shoulder pads might be enjoying a brief comeback, but please resist temptation.

 

If you begin by closing your eyes and thinking about the overall picture you’d like to create with your wedding party and in your photography, chances are good that your bridesmaids will look beautiful, be happy, and stand the test of time.

 

…but in case you do end up making less-than-judicious choices, be sure to secure the rights to your digital photos so that you can Photoshop them later on, as necessary!