Dressing Your Bridesmaids

For a bride, shopping for bridesmaid dresses can be one of the most difficult aspects of wedding planning. How can the bride find a gown for her maids that will display her own taste, look great on every girl and will fit into the financial picture?

There are so many colors and styles of dresses to choose from. The bridesmaids themselves may vary greatly in size and they want a flatteringly gown that makes them feel good. The bride and her bridesmaids may be in their mid-20's or older and want a more sophisticated look in the bridesmaids gown. The bride also has the task of choosing a dress that will look good with each girl's skin tone, hair color and figure.

Choosing the right gown can be a challenge, but it's not impossible. The bride should start the decision process early. It's ideal to actually place the order for the gowns about four months before the wedding. This will allow time for alterations, shopping for shoes and other accessories and leave time to dye the shoes to match the gown. The bride will find it most helpful to shop with the one bridesmaid whose fashion sense she shares. The ultimate decision about the perfect bridesmaid gown will be the bride's.

The first step to choosing a bridesmaid gown is to determine the formality, style and fabric of the wedding gown. The bridesmaid dresses shouldn't overpower or clash with the wedding gown. For today's more simple bridal styles, nice detailing in the maids gowns creates a good look for the group. Back accents like straps, halter tops and simple beading are important for ceremony photography. A quality gown of good fabric and construction is necessary for the active bridesmaids who will be walking, dancing or running errands. Who needs to worry about seams splitting apart or buttons falling off during the wedding?

The next step for most brides is choosing the gown color. This can be done by looking at bridesmaid swatches in the bridal shop. Most manufacturers make bridesmaids dresses in anywhere from a few colors to as many as fifty. Choosing the actual color will narrow the choice of gowns to a more manageable number.

The bride must then consider the size ranges and figure types of her maids. Most bridal parties have an average of two full-figured members. If this is the case, many times it's best to begin choosing a gown style with the larger maids in mind. Some larger girls feel comfortable in spaghetti straps or even strapless gowns, but many would rather have at least a short sleeve or perhaps a shawl. The smaller girls can usually wear any style. A-line styles look good on most everyone. A two-piece style with a longer top covering the hip bone is another good style. Almost 50% of wedding parties will include a pregnant bridesmaid. Extra fabric can be ordered to create a maternity side panel. A few designers are now creating maternity bridesmaids.

A new marketing trend for bridesmaids is the idea of separates. Most manufactures now feature at least some of their styles in separate tops and skirts. Separates offer some flexibility for the maids as they are able to choose different sizes for the top and skirt and can accommodate many different figures types. The bride can also choose the color and manufacturer of the separates while letting the maids have the freedom to create a style they will be comfortable in.

In these sensitive economic times, many gown manufacturers are adjusting their prices to meet everyone's financial needs. Many designers have lowered their prices with no reduction in the quality of the garments. This year's selection of gowns should meet the approval of everyone in the wedding party.

The bride may save time by doing her preliminary shopping online. She can narrow her choices and email styles she likes to her maids. Shopping on the internet may be the most logical choice for some brides when her maids live in different parts of the country. Online ordering entails the maids obtaining their own measurements and alterations which must be done correctly for the best fit. Be sure to order very early to allow extra time for shipping the gowns.

The bridesmaid look is not complete without shoes and accessories. Shoes are available in many styles in fabrics which can be custom dyed to match the gown. Also popular are the clear vinyl shoes in strappy sandals some with changeable colored ribbon straps. One shoe company is now producing 100% silk shoes with leather soles in colorfast fabrics available in 9 styles in 15 colors that can be special ordered for delivery in about one week. Matching wrist or elbow gloves offers a sophisticated look. A simple rhinestone or pearl necklace and earring set will enhance the look of your maids.

With all the choices in bridesmaid gowns available today, every member of the wedding party should be happy with the final results and will spend the wedding day celebrating with the bride and her groom.

About the author: Roanna Rose has owned a full service bridal shop for more than 20 years. In 1997, the business was extended to the internet when the web site http://www.tjformal.com was created showcasing prom dresses, wedding gowns, bridesmaid dresses, tuxedos, and formal accessories. For free tips on shopping and planning for your prom or wedding visit: http://www.tjformal.com

tidy up service Bannockburn ..

In The News:

Researchers exploited WhatsApp's API vulnerability to scrape 3.5 billion phone numbers. Learn how this massive data breach happened and protect yourself.

Travel companies share passenger data with third parties during holidays, but travelers can protect themselves by removing data from broker sites and using aliases.

Xpeng's humanoid robot moves so realistically that crowds believed it was fake, marking a major advancement in robotics technology ahead of 2026 commercial launch.

Researchers discover phishing scam using invisible characters to evade email security, with protection tips including password managers and two-factor authentication.

iPhone and Android users can reduce battery drain and data usage by restricting Background App Refresh to Wi-Fi connections instead of mobile networks.

Scammers nearly stole an Apple account by exploiting the support system with authentic-looking tickets and phone calls, users can protect themselves with safety steps.

FoloToy restored sales of its AI teddy bear Kumma after a weeklong suspension following safety group findings of risky and inappropriate responses to children.

Threat intelligence firm Synthient uncovers one of the largest password exposures ever, prompting immediate security recommendations.

Viral video shared by Elon Musk shows Tesla's Optimus humanoid robots performing tasks from cooking to construction, garnering over 58.5 million views on social media.

Chinese hackers used Anthropic's Claude AI to launch autonomous cyberattacks on 30 organizations worldwide, marking a major shift in cybersecurity threats.

Apple's new Sleep Score feature gives you a rating for your nightly rest quality. Learn how to set it up on your Apple Watch and iPhone today.

Essential phone settings to enable before losing your device, including Find My network, location services and security features for iPhone and Android.

The Fox News AI Newsletter gives readers the latest AI technology advancements, covering the challenges and opportunities AI presents.

Cybersecurity research shows weak passwords remain a major threat, with simple patterns and number sequences putting millions of accounts at risk.

New Android malware BankBot YNRK silences phones, steals banking data and drains crypto wallets automatically. Learn how this advanced threat works.

FDA approves first human trial for Paradromics' brain-computer interface that could restore speech for paralyzed patients through neural technology.

New phishing platform QRR targets Microsoft 365 users across 1,000 domains in 90 countries. Learn how to spot fake login pages and protect your accounts.

OpenTable now uses AI to track your dining habits and share insights with restaurants. Learn what data they collect and how to protect your privacy.

Google's discontinued Nest thermostats still secretly upload home data to company servers despite losing smart features, raising serious privacy concerns.

New Android malware NGate steals NFC payment codes in real-time, allowing criminals to withdraw cash from ATMs without your card. Learn protection tips.

DoorDash confirms data breach exposing customer names, emails, addresses after social engineering attack. Learn how to protect yourself from scams.

Concerned about Google's AI scanning your Gmail? Learn how to disable Gemini features that access your emails, Drive files and Chat messages for privacy.

Google warns Android users about dangerous fake VPN apps hiding malware that steals passwords, banking details and personal data from phones and tablets.

Apple's digital passport feature lets iPhone users breeze through TSA checkpoints this holiday season using Digital ID technology at 250+ airports.

A new phishing scam targets family photos with fake "Cloud Storage Full" alerts. Criminals steal credit card information through fake sites. Learn protection tips.

Dressing Your Bridesmaids

Marriage & Wedding