Choosing Your Bridesmaids' Dresses

You, as the bride, should choose the wedding colors and what the bridesmaids will wear. You can pick different styles from magazines and ask the attendants which ones they like best.

When you are selecting your color scheme, ask yourself these questions:

     What are your favorite colors?

     What colors are flattering to YOU. This is your day!

     What colors work best with the complexions and hair colors of your maid of honor and bridesmaids?

     What colors are suitable to the time of day or to the degree of formality? Pastel colors or lighter colors are appropriate for daytime weddings. Evening weddings use jewel tones and contrasting colors. White and black are also appropriate. Shades of the same color such as midnight blue, periwinkle and steel blue are seen today.

     Will the flowers for the bouquets be available at the time of year you'll need them? If you have to import your flowers in the winter, they will cost more.

     Will it be difficult to match shoes, headpieces, purses to the color scheme?

If your bridesmaids are going to pay for their own dresses, you should be considerate of your attendants' tastes and budget. Hopefully, they will be able to wear their dresses in the future, not just at your wedding. Keep these things in mind:

The maid of honor can wear a color or style that is different from the bridesmaids.

The bridesmaids' dresses should be similar in line and formality of your wedding dress. They can be the same length or shorter than your dress. The hems should fall at the same place on each bridesmaid.

If the styles are different, they should be the same fabric and color. If the colors are different, then the silhouettes should be similar.

A good way to even out varying heights is to ask bridesmaids to wear different heel heights.

All attendants should wear the same headpieces, accessories, earrings and necklaces.

Junior bridesmaids, ages 9-14, may wear dresses identical to the other bridesmaids or something more age appropriate.

Flower girls, ages 4-8, may wear long or short dresses appropriate to the style of the wedding. They may wear white dresses with complimentary sashes or ribbons in your wedding colors.

If the shoes are going to be dyed, they should all be dyed at the same time and place, as dye lots vary.

Attendants should not wear watches or carry purses during the ceremony.

Whatever color scheme you choose, it should carry through to the choice of flowers, table linens, centerpieces and cake decorations. The color of the bridesmaids' dresses will also influence the mother's dress and the flowers and accessories of the male attendants.