Picking the Right Bridesmaid Dress

On the day of your wedding, it becomes pretty clear that the red carpet accolades will go to the bride. Essentially, you are the star of your own production, and everyone else around you is part of the supporting cast. This could not be truer in relation to your bridesmaids. They are there to help you get things in order, assist you in getting dressed and accessorized, and just be the supportive, wonderful friends they have always been to you. While every bridge wants to be the belle of her own ball, a smart bridge will ensure the color and style of her bridesmaids' dresses are complimentary to her friends because their beauty will only magnify her own. Let us not forget that when everyone is looking their best, the wedding pictures will be amazing.

The world of bridesmaids dresses has changed with a greater offering of colors and styles that are beautiful, and bridesmaids will actually be thrilled to wear, so it will not be an impossible task to select the right bridesmaids dress style. Fairly gone are the days of awkward colors and eccentric detailing that put fear in the eyes of most bridesmaids, especially back in the 80s. When you have decided on your color scheme, give some thought as to dress styles and fabrics. No doubt you will already have an idea of how you want your bridesmaids to look, whether in maintaining uniformity in the dresses or allowing mix-and-match styling that remains consistent with the elegance of your theme. However, it is always appreciated when the bride shows consideration of her bridesmaids' style preferences, budgets, and what looks best on their varying body shapes. Save yourself a few headaches down the line and involve your bridesmaids at the beginning of the selection process. Start by speaking to them as a group or on an individual basis to learn what styles they prefer and what they know looks good on their bodies, and take a least two or three of your bridesmaids with you to the salon to look at samples. Get their input and narrow down the selection to a few dresses on which everyone can then give their vote. And, since you are the bride, you will get to make the final decision.

When it comes to picking the right bridesmaid dress, decide on whether or not you want traditional or contemporary. Do you like to follow the trends or follow your own heart's desire? Popular styles you may want to take a good look at include:

• A-lines
• Column
• Two-tone, two-piece floor-length
• Sleeveless
• Halter
• Criss-cross back straps

The fabric quality of bridesmaids' dresses continues to improve in quality. Today's designers are more frequently using silk chiffon, stain, dupioni silk, and even velvet in their creations. Despite the variations of fabrics available, it still makes sense to select dresses in fabrics appropriate to the season of your wedding.

Once the dress has been selected, and all the bridesmaids appear to be happy with the choice, it is wise to order them at the same time from the same manufacturer. This is important because any dying of fabric will occur at the same time assuring you they will be uniform in their final color. Finally, order the dresses one to two months before your wedding to allow time for fabric dying and corrections, alterations, and final fittings. Oh, and do not forget about the shoes! Whatever styles are chosen get them ordered and dyed at the same time as the dresses, again to offer consistency in color matching and timeliness of delivery.