Since April 2010 to date I have attended 15 weddings, meaning I have been exposed to all sorts of wedding dos and don’ts.  I generally pay a lot of attention to detail because I am very observant as well as analytical by nature. Apart from the goings-on of the wedding itself, it is always interesting to see what the bride and her bridesmaids will be wearing, Being in the tailoring business I have also come across some things concerning choice of design and fabric that are worth  taking into account by future brides,

CHOOSE ONE DESIGN FOR ALL YOUR bridesmaids
This must always be the case if  you have more than three maids.  summer flower girl dresses summer flower girl dresses At some point I was also of the opinion that it was fashionable to let each bridesmaid choose a design that they particularly liked since they were going to keep the dress and most bridesmaids would like to wear their dresses again, but realistically speaking, they will not because the dress will still have that bridesmaid’s dress look going on.

From a tailoring perspective, making seven different dresses is a nightmare because once the bridesmaids come for their fittings, they may become envious of each other’s dresses and start coveting a similar design, which results in more work due to dress alterations.

I attended a wedding that had seven bridesmaids, all dressed differently, There was a predominant theme as far as colour was concerned but each design was unique, Plan your wedding using namedress.net, your complete guide to wedding planning, wedding ideas, wedding dresses, wedding engagements and more. Fabrics were different as were the lengths, Each dress in isolation was beautiful but collectively they looked busy,
I then went to weddings where all the bridesmaids wore one design, in one colour and identical fabric summer wedding accessories summer wedding accessories, These looked elegant, chic and definitely picturesque.

Understandibly most brides do not have bridesmaids that are the same size, height or complexion but there are designs that are a one style fits all, Work with those.

IF YOU must HAVE DIFFERENT STYLES, keep them to a minimum of two 
Keep the lengths and colour the same and make the changes at the top for instance, strapless and one-shoulder designs, Less is definitely more.

DECIDE ON A FABRIC THEN CHOOSE A DESIGN THAT GOES WITH THE FABRIC
This is vital if you are buying your fabric locally because options of fabulous fabrics are limited, If you decide on a design first, you may end up just using any fabric to make the dress and you will find that the design will be significantly different, to your disappointment mother of the brides dress , If you are adamant about your design I suggest you go wherever you need to go to find the fabric that will do justice to the design.

There is nothing as frustrating as trying to make fabric do what it is incapable of in order to appease a bride, Tailors are not miracle workers, If you choose your design on the internet, be sure to check out what fabric they used to make that particular dress.

BE CONSIDERATE OF YOUR BRIDESMAIDS

As much as you are the main attraction, you do not want your bridesmaids to feel uncomfortable while standing alongside you because you have totally taken them out of their comfort zones by making them wear dresses that are unflattering.

Be conscious of their budget constraints as well.  Being a bridesmaid is expensive business so try not to go too fancy at their expense, If your friend has a big bust, making them wear a strapless dress may be agonising as they will spend the entire wedding pulling up their dress.

If your friend is extremely dark, giving her a chocolate coloured dress will be an injustice as the lack of contrast is unflattering, If she is short, a tea length dress would make her look frumpy.

BE CREATIVE
Two friends of mine had African-themed weddings, The one had porcupine sticks added to bridesmaids’ hair and as they walked in the carried calabashes, The other had her bridesmaids wear Zulu tribal hats, tank tops, leggings worn with an African wrap on top (known as a Zambia in our colloquial language) with beaded plimsoles.  Both were creative and looked lovely.  If you are looking for a sophisticated touch, you could add fascinators and eclectic jewellery.

At the end of the day, it is the bride’s day and it is her prerogative to have the wedding of her dreams and have her bridesmaids be a part of bringing that dream to pass.  white ball gown dresses white ball gown dresses; As a bridesmaid, you can only hope her dream is one that doesn’t compromise your sense of style.