If there is one thing every bride-to-be can relate to, it’s the plethora of gorgeous challenges that come with planning a wedding. Brainstorming the menu, selecting a style of cake, picking the perfect favours, choosing a band you can dance the night away with - the checklist is longer than a countryside mile. But off all the challenging decisions you have to pour over, one of the most important is all about finding the perfect bridesmaid dress.
But as tricky as it is, we have two bits of good news that will surely make you smile:
Spending a day or two dress shopping with your bestest friends in the whole wide world is a recipe for belly-laughing fun, and
The days of dressing your bridesmaids as long frock-wearing clones from every other wedding you’ve ever been to have well and truly floated away with the wind.
Mmm hmmm. This year’s top designs are less about traditional silhouettes and more synonymous with the kind of dresses you would find floating down the biggest runways in the fashion-world - chic, elevated, modern, fashion-forward, standout and unexpected. They are the kind of dresses your honoured bridal party won’t want to wear just once.
From shoulder-baring head-turners to sequined stunners, the bridesmaids dresses on our list will have your best girlfriends looking and feeling fifty shades of gorgeous on your big day.
1. Give Them The Cold Shoulder
Ladies and lovelies, bride and bridesmaids, while it may not be anything new, the shoulder-baring dress has come back with a mesmeric, heart-fluttering and drop-dead-gorgeous shebang. The modern twists given to this otherwise classical dress have come to epitomise elegance. But what makes them truly amazing is you can pick the style that fits in with your hopes and dreams - long slinky sleeves, romantic ruffle trims, arms that float, details that wow and fabrics that fall effortlessly. No matter what you decide on, though, an off-the-shoulder dress knows how to reveal a bit of skin in the most delicate and chic way possible, forever listening to the silhouette of each lady that’s lucky enough to wear her.
2. Never Too Soon To Separate
Romantic, ethereal, contemporary, unique, gorgeous - there are a hundred and one reasons to get excited about dressing your bridesmaids in a stylishly separate two-piece design. Not only do you get to mix and match different pieces, you get to create something totally unique and contemporary and wow. Of course, stepping into the world of mixing and matching can be more overwhelming than looking at a Michelin-starred menu where everything makes your belly rumble. So, to help you out a little, we absolutely love the combination of a floor-sweeping tulle maxi skirt paired with a delicate lace top, both pieces embracing the same shade, whether that be a soft-silver, pale blue or lovely lilac. However, it’s the freedom you have that makes the two-piece option extra special; it’s the fact you can have all of your bridesmaids co-ordinate or let them play around with the shades so that you have each one rocking a different colour. They’ll look celestial whatever you decide.
3. Forget Me Not Florals
Once upon a time, brides had to try and silence the little voices chattering away in their head and pick just one colour to dress their bridesmaids in. Luckily for you, floral dresses found a way to enter into the fold and force these shackles to fall away. Dark or light, low-cut or high-necked, bright patterns or subtle florals; painterly botanicals have become hugely popular for both spring and summer weddings. But it’s not just the fact florals offer brides more freedom that makes them a beautiful choice, they’re also a great way of adding a new dimension to your bridal party and a gorgeous way of making your white gown sparkle like a fireworks finale.
4. Tiers On Your Wedding Day
Traditional nuptials are almost always packed-full of wedding staples, and none more so than those long, straight, elegant bridesmaid dresses that have been beautifully made from the softest of fabrics. Of course, traditional nuptials aren’t everyone’s cup of Earl Grey, which is one of the reasons why tiered dresses have become ‘The Purple’ Quality Street, by which we mean the most popular option out there. They just have this way of making the most impeccable statement - subtle and sophisticated with a delicate pinch of drama, making them absolutely perfect for hitching up and dancing the night away.
5. Life Is Short. Wear Sequins.
This is your big day we’re talking about. That snapshot in your life that you’ll never forget, the one moment that will make you smile every time it flashes across your mind, that one occasion where all eyes will be on you. That’s why you need to go all out. That’s why you should ditch anything that’s even remotely dull and embrace a look of glitz and glamour which, in this instance, means dressing your beautiful bridesmaids in deep-hued sequins. Ultra-violet, silver, copper; colours that promise to brighten up an autumn or winter wedding; finishing touches that promise to sparkle in such a way they’ll complement your wedding gown without overshadowing it. The way we see it: moody sparkles always look spectacular.
6. Feed Your Vintage Soul
The last breath-snatching trend worth writing home about is the flutter sleeve. It doesn’t matter whether you opt for a simple dress or one that’s been embellished from top to bottom, a flutter sleeve will add that vintage touch and much-loved splash of fun. You might prefer a one-shoulder chiffon dress or it could be a plunging neckline and pleated bodice that steals your heart, so long as it uses tender metallics, subdued shades or soft floral patterns, you’ll have unlocked the secret to a wonderfully romantic silhouette; you’ll have found a way to leave your guests in awe the moment your bridesmaids step into your venue lead you down the aisle.
Thanks for reading!