Bridesmaids and groomsmen attire

Hi there!

Today, we shall talk about shopping for bridesmaids and groomsmen attire.

The first thing you should make clear with your crowd is whether you will be paying for the dresses and suits or whether they are expected to buy their own. If you are not paying, you will want to make sure to work within each person’s budget and not impose too much. This can be a delicate manner.

I myself was not able to pay for my girls’ dresses, so I made sure to check with the three girls individually in order not to go over what they felt was a reasonable price to pay. Then, I took them all shopping together so we could find dresses in the shades I wanted, but in cuts they liked and felt comfortable in. It was not an easy task! As I said, I had three bridesmaids. My sister, the maid of honor, is very tall and thin. My husband’s best friend is small and petite like me, and my best friend is medium height but has a much bigger bust than the two other girls. So finding a dress that suited every girl was quite a challenge!

It took us a few stores and an open mind, but we found something nice. I had originally wanted them to wear charcoal gray dresses, but we didn’t find many. They ended up buying nice off-white dresses with black and grey accents and flower designs (see photo below) which suited all three nicely. They all felt comfortable, cute, and since we didn’t buy bridesmaid dresses from a bridal store, they are dresses that can be worn again in a different context. Here is a picture of me, my husband (in the middle) and our three bridesmaids and one groomsman.

Photo by JP Lessard: http://www.jpl-photography.com

As for our groomsman, we just asked that he wear a suit, and we let him choose his style and colours. If you have many guys, you may want to coordinate the looks. I love how matchy some wedding attendants are, like when guys all have the same ties and corsages, which match the bridesmaids’ dresses.

If you shop online for bridesmaid dresses, here are two websites which offer lots of options for designs and colours.

One is David’s Bridal: http://www.davidsbridal.com/Browse_Bridal-Party
I find they have so many styles and colours that you can be really creative and perhaps mix and match dress cuts while still being coordinated by colour. For example:

The other is Alfred Angelo: http://www.alfredangelobridal.ca/
I very much like the shapes of the dresses and they seem to be of good quality. Here is a photo:

And finally, remember not to become a bridezilla during this process. In the end, you want to keep your friends and it's okay if they don't all have matching shoes or jewellery. Have fun with them and remember, they could put you in a big pouffy snot-coloured dress when they get married if they hold a grudge. 

Next week, we talk fooooood! 

xoxox