Bridesmaids: How To Pick Actual Nice Dresses That They'll Love

Initially I wasn't going to have bridesmaids. But I cracked a little and now I've got a Best Lady and one bridesmaid.

Then, relaxed anti-bride I'm pretending to be, I decided to let them wear whatever they want.

But they both felt they wanted to look like actual recognisable members of the wedding party, so we're back to yet another decision I didn't expect to have to make - choosing bridesmaids dresses.

My two are fairly different, in colouring, height and shape, and I'm loathed to go for a one-size-and-shade-fits-all type bridesmaid dress.

So I turned to stylist Raishma for some help.

She reassured me: "Aactually, it’s not as much of a problem as you think and it could even work to create a much more effective, unique and beautiful vision than matching dresses could ever have done."

Here are her the top six tips she's given me to get through this:

1) One colour, lots of styles

If your bridesmaids have different body shapes, I recommend picking different dress styles for each of them, but sticking to one colour for all the dresses. This will ensure that you have dresses that flatter each bridesmaids individual figure, whilst having one colour will help to keep the dresses looking ‘as one’ and help to avoid a ‘mix-and-match’ look. Pick a colour that you love, works with your colour scheme and which suits their complexions too.

2) Pick an A-line dress.
Alternatively, you could try finding a dress that suits both body shapes. However, this can be trickier and time consuming so, since you’ll already have a lot on your mind when planning your wedding, I would suggest going for option one. Or you could think of a column dress or a soft a-line style.

3) Picking colours
Pick the Bride’s dress FIRST - It’s vital to check the colour and tone of the Bride’s dress before choosing the colour of the bridesmaids. You want the colours to complement eachother and bring out the best in the tones.

Then think about picking a colour to flatter the Bridesmaids’ complexions and the Bride's - This is vital as you’ll spend most of the day together, as well as in the wedding photos, which last a lifetime so you want the overall visual to be flattering and complementary.

Find a colour that suits most complexions. Deep jewel colours like ruby, emerald green and royal blue often suit most skin tones, and always look classic and elegant.

If you or your bridesmaids have pale skin tones, I would avoid light pastel shades as they can look too pale on fairer skin tones, making them look washed out. If you do want to use them though, I recommend using a skin bronzer to warm the complexion and give the skin a glow. This will help to bring out the colour, making it ‘pop!’

4) Picking necklines for different Bust Sizes
Go for a soft neckline like a sweetheart neckline or a deep round neckline, as it’s the most flattering and most suitable on different bust sizes and body shapes.

5) Selecting dresses for body shapes
Pear shaped - If your bridesmaids are pear shaped, I recommend selecting an A-line dress, or one with a more column shape. This will help to achieve a better proportioned body, reducing the hip ratio and emphasising the waist. Avoid selecting any dresses with fishtail cuts as this will emphasise the hips.

Hourglass and slim, narrow hips - Fishtail cuts work well on hourglass figures and women with narrow hips, rectangular shape women as, for hourglasses, they will fit to the woman’s body shape, accentuate their curves and avoid a frumpy look. For slim women with narrow hips, the fishtail will add shape to their figure, giving the illusion of curves.

Emphasise the waist – Whatever shapes your bridesmaids are, make sure that the waistline is always accentuated. This will flatter every body shape.

Tip: Selecting a dress with a fitted bodice/corset will always help to accentuate the waist and create a flattering silhouette.

6) Make sure that the bridesmaids feel comfortable in the dresses
It’s important that the bridesmaids feel comfortable and confident in their outfits. Some women aren’t confident bearing their arms or, if the weather changes, you don’t want them to be cold, so a great compromise is to pick a dress with small cap sleeves, or a strapless dress with a bolero.

This will enable you to still pick whichever style dress you like, whilst giving the bridesmaids the option to cover their arms in the church if you get married in one.

Check out some of Raishma's dresses at www.Raishma.co.uk  or find her on Twitter @RaishmaCouture.

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