Let's take a minute to talk bridesmaid dresses....
Brides ask me all the time what's "normal" for bridesmaids. The answer is - these days anything goes! The tradition of bridesmaids was started so that a brides closest friends or relatives would stand at the alter and actually wear the same dress as the bride. This was to throw off the evil spirits (spooky, right?). For today's standards - it's a group of your closest gal pals (sometimes even guys are included too!) that you want to spend your wedding morning with and know that you have their ultimate support your big day!
That brings us to the dresses. The days of hideous bridesmaid dresses are behind us (or so we hope). Whether you want everyone to match (like I did for my wedding) or have your maid of honor in a different style so she stands out or just have everyone pick their own dress style, anything really goes! Right now there is a huge trend in the bride picking a designer and color and the girls get to pick their own style (even different colors). This I LOVE! Not every bridesmaid is made the same! Some are busty, some are curvy, some are tall and thin, some are short and thin. The reality is that what looks good on one girl may look terrible on another.
Here's my recent experience being a bridesmaid in my cousins wedding:
I had a baby 3 month prior so I knew I could not do something strapless (new moms know what I'm talking about!). My sister who was also in the wedding, was pregnant, so she needed something that was going to accommodate her growing belly. Each of us got to pick a dress that we loved in the color that the bride loved.
Whatever direction you decide to go, make sure you leave plenty of time (a lesson I learned the hard way). Bridesmaid dresses can take up to 4 months to get to us in store, and you want to be sure to leave time for alterations! I recommend shopping about 6 months in advance (if not earlier).
Dresses: Sorella Vita
Photographer: Geoff Bernstein - Bernstein Studios
