where did you get your bridesmaids dresses and why?

[yssie]

I wanted them in short brown. Didn't care what shade, or how short - just tea-length or less. They have very different tastes and pricepoints, so I figured it'd be easier on everyone if they chose their own. One found hers at Target for $15 I believe? Another picked a designer gown she apparently loved and planned to wear many more times.

The photos look fantastic, I think, with everyone not matching. I just wish we hadn't specified the groomsmen's outfits!

 

[packrat]

I've been in 3 weddings, picked out the dress in one, two the dress was picked out by the bride and one of those times was just..oh my heavens I shudder to think of it. The other one picked out by the bride was perfect. For my wedding, I didn't know dresses took a while to come in. We had problems getting dates figured out (can get the church this day, but not the reception place, that type of thing) so by the time we could get everything on one day, when we went to order they looked at me like I had 2 heads. The lady circled the dresses that could come in the 6 week time period and in the color I wanted and my 2 girls picked the dress they liked. Back then, it just wasn't done to have different dresses, and turned out they both liked the same one anyway.

For my brother's wedding, I told him and his fiance several times not to wait on deciding who to have in the bridal party and what they were to wear b/c of what happened at my wedding, and because we're out in the boonies in a way, there aren't many places to try dresses on. So, of course, 4 months later, 6 weeks before the wedding, I'm told "Oh hey, go find a dress" Luckily I found a store sample dress that can be taken in and it just so happened to be in the exact color she wanted.

 

[jstarfireb]

I personally prefer having all the bridesmaid dresses in the same shade. It looks uncoordinated to me when they're not. I don't mean to offend anyone who did it this way; just my opinion which was reinforced by looking at the pics posted on this thread. But again I want to reiterate that I love it when bridesmaids have all different shapes/styles of dresses, so they can wear what looks good on them and makes them feel comfortable!

Here's a pic from the wedding I was in where we chose our dresses from a list the bride sent out. The MOH was in "opposite" colors, with most of the dress brown and the accents blue, and the rest of us were in blue dresses with brown accents. Two of us ended up with long dresses and two with short ones...two with lace and two without. It worked out very nicely! (ETA: I am the bridesmaid standing next to the MOH. I absolutely loved the dress I picked, a simple Jim Hjelm number with a dropped waist and A-line skirt.)



ETA: Oh, forgot to mention the shoes! In this wedding as well as my own, the girls chose their own shoes. For the wedding pictured, we all got our own chocolate brown shoes. For mine, I asked my girls to wear silver shoes of any style (but I cautioned against stiletto heels because it was an outdoor wedding in the spring).

 

[sillyberry]

jstarfireb, it's funny, because I find the look of bridesmaids in different shades charming when done well (although I'll admit I don't always think it is done well, usually because the dresses don't have the same feel) but don't like the look of different length dresses because to me it looks uncoordinated!

Seems like no matter what, someone loves it or hates it. The moral of the story - do what you love!

 

[Clairitek]

i just found this picture of different bridesmaid dresses...love it!

I'll go dig up my picture, but my wedding party looked similar to this, but IMO, more cohesive. I guess shades of blue just look more cohesive to me than shades of green. Also, I dictated more strict rules in hemline- knee length, seems like the pic above has variable hemlines.

Off to go find my pic and edit!

 

[Clairitek]

Here are a couple of my pics. Sort of the same thing, I suppose. Of course I'm biased, but I really liked the range of blues and the way they naturally grouped themselves. Probably helps that the 3 girls on the left were all my sorority sisters and the two in aqua were my MOHs. Anyway, happy luck that the greenish and aqua shades were on one side and the more blue/purpley shades were on the other.

 

[Clairitek]

violet those are great pics!

here is another one I found

I love how all of the dresses in this pic have a similar hemline and then interesting necklines. Looks like some of the materials are similar to each other (kind of jersey-ish) and all of them are drapey, nothing woven or stiff. They also all have shoes that are similar in style- strappy gold sandals. If I could have fine tuned my own bridal party I would have worked more towards those similarities.

I should add that we planned our wedding in 3 months. I had my dress and had invited my BMs to be part of my day, but beyond that nothing was planned. That was part of the motivation behind my "blue and knee length!" instructions. That and the fact that everyone was pretty spread out and from different parts of my life, not to mention my own distance from them. Just thought I should add some of how this decision was made.

 

[wannaBMrsH]

I had two bridesmaids and one MOH. I bought the MOH dress at Nordstrom Rack (Anne Klein) and I bought the two bridesmaids dresses at the Gap on sale for under $50/each.

It didn't matter though, because my sister forgot her dress back home and ended up borrowing someone else's dress for the wedding.

I am in my early 30s and have been a bridesmaid numerous times, I think I've bought one BM dress. All others were paid for by the bride and groom. We paid for the dresses, groomsmen clothes and travel to the wedding for all of our bridal party including our parents, flower girl and ring bearer.

 

[jstarfireb]

jstarfireb, it's funny, because I find the look of bridesmaids in different shades charming when done well (although I'll admit I don't always think it is done well, usually because the dresses don't have the same feel) but don't like the look of different length dresses because to me it looks uncoordinated!

Seems like no matter what, someone loves it or hates it. The moral of the story - do what you love!

Yup, exactly! Just showing a pic of the different lengths to give people another idea of how to mix things up, including what my friend did with the MOH being in opposite colors. My personal choice was actually to keep them the same length and the same fabric because I also think it looks more coordinated. Here are my girls in their dresses:



ETA: I realize this is hard to see, but they all have different necklines...one has regular spaghetti straps, one is a tank, one has spaghetti straps that cross over in the back, and one is strapless. Also, the one on the far left is a two-piece. The girl on the far left and the MOH have both been able to wear their dresses again, which makes me so happy!

 

[Novel]

I just gave my bridesmaids directions on their dresses (we're doing shades of blue or gray, solids) and the discussion of mismatched dresses here has been really helpful to understanding cohesiveness. I'm glad I told them they had to get my approval first!

I once spent $250 on the least rewearable bridesmaid's dress I've seen in a long time - it had both a train and sparkles. It was otherwise a very budget conscious wedding, so that surprised me.

 

[tammy77]

Mine bought hers from Talbots! I only had one, and she found a dress that worked w/our colors and she loved. It looked great and she can wear it many more times. She paid for it herself and I think it was around $150.00.

 

[yssie]

In all the (6) weddings I've been to all the bridesmaids wore the same gown. And I noticed that it looked like they were all wearing different gowns anyway, and in the pictures as well, because the dresses always fit them so differently! The same design is just not going to look the same on a shorter or taller woman w/ larger or smaller build, the same colour is going to look different on pale and dark women... so it doesn't look perfectly matched anyway. Well-coordinated, sure, but never perfectly matched.

Then there's also the fact that if we're completely, totally honest, there are some dresses that just objectively suit my 5'5" 115 frame better than my 5'10" size000 model-esque best friend - and others that just look better on her. And the pale olive green that brings out every nuance in her eyes makes me look like an overripe avocado. Unless you put us both in sacks, there's nothing we'll both feel equally comfortable and beautiful in, nothing at all! And we'd most probably look it in photos..

 

[Niel]

ETA I DONT KNOW WHY THIS WAS SHOWING AT THE TOP OF THE FEED I DIDNT REALIZE IT WAS OLD :/



My three regular BMs are wearing the same dress. My sister is wearing something completely different.
We picked my dress first of course. Then we picked my sisters. Here's looks absolutely nothing like mine of course. Here's is long sleeve one shoulder we got from BCBG. its so cool. I felt like I let her down for her wedding so I wanted to make it up by getting her the coolest dress she could find for herself.
Then I was in the dilemma if trying to find a dress that had both elements of my dress and my sisters to some how meld them all together and look cohesive. I came across a dress at nordstrums that I loved but it was at the end of its run their. I knew I needed it so I bought them all of eBay. They were  Adrianna Papell. They all came at different prices of course as I had to search a lot on eBay. But they averaged out to be $95. My sister is sexy as all get out so she can pull off the red dress. And the blue dress is flattering on all my girls. And they range from size 4 to 12. So that's nice.