I am getting married this October and am on the hunt for six unique bridesmaids dresses. (On a budget of course.) My inspiration is Molly Sims' wedding and bridesmaids. Would you be able to help? —Olivia M.
I'll offer my two cents and then open this conversation up to my readers who I'm sure will have some great advice! Love your inspiration, by the way.My first suggestion: Use Pinterest. When I was planning my wedding last fall, Pinterest was just kinda starting to go mainstream. My sister and maid-of-honor was already an avid Pinterest user, then I made the other members of my bridal party sign up so we could easily share ideas. This was especially helpful because we live in different parts of the country.
My second suggestion: Let each bridesmaid pick her own dress. I didn't have a traditional wedding party, but rather asked a few close friends and family to wear certain colors to fit my "theme". Yes it was confusing at times, but it all worked out well in the end! I gave each person some guidelines - floor length, silver-gray or blush, for example, and then let them find their own dress within those parameters and within their price range. Miraculously, everyone indulged me (it's great to have such thoughtful friends!) and everyone found a dress they loved.
For example, my sister bought her dress at Bloomingdales.com. She sent me the link for "approval" prior to purchasing. She has amazing taste and I instantly loved the dress she had chosen.
My sister-in-law emailed me a couple options that she was considering from Nordstrom, David's Bridal and LightInTheBox.com then we discussed over the phone, and she finally settled on a dress we both loved by Adrianna Pappell. My mother-in-law also ended up with a fabulous dress by this designer; they make great eveningwear that's flattering and relatively affordable.
My mom went shopping in person, then texted me photos from the dressing room. I loved what she picked; it fit the mood of the wedding and the color was just right, too.
So that's what I did: I worked one on one with everyone in my bridal party. Just share your vision as clearly as possible (photos work best, that's why Pinterest is so great), then let your bridesmaids find their own dress.
If you are paying for the dresses and prefer to choose them yourself, you could do that too. I'd pick two to three options per friend, then let her decide which dress she'd prefer.
As far as where to shop, here are some great places to find affordable bridal party dresses:
What advice would you share with Olivia? Let her know in the comments!
For example, my sister bought her dress at Bloomingdales.com. She sent me the link for "approval" prior to purchasing. She has amazing taste and I instantly loved the dress she had chosen.
My sister-in-law emailed me a couple options that she was considering from Nordstrom, David's Bridal and LightInTheBox.com then we discussed over the phone, and she finally settled on a dress we both loved by Adrianna Pappell. My mother-in-law also ended up with a fabulous dress by this designer; they make great eveningwear that's flattering and relatively affordable.
My mom went shopping in person, then texted me photos from the dressing room. I loved what she picked; it fit the mood of the wedding and the color was just right, too.
So that's what I did: I worked one on one with everyone in my bridal party. Just share your vision as clearly as possible (photos work best, that's why Pinterest is so great), then let your bridesmaids find their own dress.
If you are paying for the dresses and prefer to choose them yourself, you could do that too. I'd pick two to three options per friend, then let her decide which dress she'd prefer.
As far as where to shop, here are some great places to find affordable bridal party dresses:
What advice would you share with Olivia? Let her know in the comments!
http://www.stylemepretty.com/2012/05/03/aptos-wedding-at-pacific-oaks-vineyard-estate-by-stephen-pappas/
http://www.target.com/c/women-women-s-ways-to-shop-bridesmaid-collection-dresses/-/N-5c7ep