Naturally, on your wedding day you want to be the center of attention, the stunning bride, and you should be. However, when you are checking out the different bridesmaid dresses be sure to consider your maids as well. When looking at a particular dress or gown ask yourself if it is something that you would ever consider wearing. If not, then your bridesmaids are likely to feel the same way. If they are not exactly comfortable or happy with the choice of dress, then there is the chance that your wedding will not go as smoothly as planned.
Of course, most brides will say something like, “It is my wedding and I should make these decisions based on what I want.” Yes, that is true, however sometimes these dresses are picked because the bride does not want to be outdone or over-shadowed by the formal dresses her attendants will be wearing. When in reality if she wants her wedding to be as close to perfect as possible that means everyone needs to look good, including the bridesmaids. Additionally, if you are having a flower girl, then you should have fun deciding from the many adorable flower girl dresses available.
While it may not be possible to make everyone happy it doesn’t hurt to try to come as close as possible. Try to consider your friends’ complexions and sizes when deciding on the bridesmaid dresses, as pastels are usually a fair choice as it goes with most skin tones. Unless you want lots of frowns and snickers try to stay away from overdoing the embellishments, such as bows and ruffles, especially if you are looking at plus size dresses.
You also want to take the season and weather into consideration for the bridesmaids formal dresses. Nothing is worse than having the entire wedding party look drained and wilted because the long sleeve Victorian style dresses nearly suffocates them during an outside wedding. Likewise, you don’t want short sleeve sheath styles when it is snowing outside.
So, what do you do when you have tried everything possible but you just can’t seem to find something that will take everyone’s size and preferences into consideration? You try to compromise by perhaps choosing bridesmaid dresses that are not all exactly alike. You can always see if there is at least a common color that everyone can live with and then maybe vary the style a little on each dress. There is no rule that everyone has to wear the same formal gown and a little variety may actually improve the theme and hopefully make everyone a little happier. This might just make it easier on you.
