Choosing bridesmaids dresses is often an exercise in frustration: one friend wants straps, one wants a halter, another hates empire waists and no one can agree on length. You always can go the traditional route and ask everyone to wear the exact same dress; this works well if you have a small (and agreeable!) wedding party and similarly shaped friends. Nowadays though, itâs becoming more common for a bride to let her friends to wear what they want, as long as it works with the color palette. When Jodi Levine, the editorial director of our Kids content, got married she did just that, and her bridesmaids looked amazing.
Jodiâs palette included shades of red, orange, and fuchsia.
If you want to go this route, consider choosing a designer, a fabric and color, and let your bridesmaids choose the length and style they like best. One store that offers plenty of options for coordinated dresses is Thread, which has locations across the U.S. and in Canada, plus a well-organized web site.
Don't miss the Today show tomorrow morning, where we'll be presenting gorgeous dresses for the bridal party. We'll also give Jessica and Cody tips for choosing their first dance as husband and wife courtesy of Pierre Dulaine, owner of Pierre Dulaine Dance. He'll also be on the radio with me at noon tomorrow.
From: Amanda | 9/11/07 at 11:42 am
Dear Darcy,
I have an invitation etiquette question for you that I am hoping against hope (!) you will answer. When sending out save-the-dates and invitations, who do I send them to? There are many invitees who are in college and/or still living under their parents roof. What are the rules? Should I be sending invitations directly to college students? What if a person is over 18 but living at home?
Thank you kindly,
Amanda (bride to be)
From: Never teh Bride | 9/11/07 at 3:18 pm
I went this route, thinking I was doing my maids a favor, and ended up with a host of problems. I chose a company, a fabric, and a color, and asked them to choose almost any of the thirty or do designs. The best part? There were local shops AND you could order online. My maids, instead of being pleased, were angry at my lack of decisiveness and waited too long to order. End of the story -- the gals wore dresses unlike any I would have chosen, but they were at least comfortable.
From: Kathryn | 9/11/07 at 5:26 pm
I am planning an engagement party for November and was hoping to get some ideas on color choices from the Fall issue of the magazine. Will it be available in October?
From: n | 9/12/07 at 3:32 am
Dear Darcy and all of you magic makers,
I cannot find out when your Fall issue of Weddings will be unveiled. Please for all of those neurotic brides obsessed and schooled in every inch of your site, tell us when, so I can stop stalking the people at Borders (casually, of course on the way to a coffee).
Thank you for all that you do,
Nicole
From: Kelly Mahoney | 9/12/07 at 5:26 pm
I'm hoping my friend who is engaged chooses to go this route. Her sister is skinny and tall, another bridesmaid is pear shaped and another one is pregnant. Finding a happy medium may be a struggle.
From: Lynn | 9/12/07 at 6:24 pm
I am really torn on this subject. On the one hand, I love each girl having a dress that suits her body type, but on the flip side, if you don't specify certain details you'll end up with some of them looking out of place in the pictures. For example, in the picture above there are at least 2 women who look more like guests than bridesmaids.
From: josie | 11/6/07 at 7:22 pm
I did this for my wedding, and the color palette was stunning. However, one of my bridesmaids was unfamiliar with bridesmaid dress-style and chose a very prom-like youthful gown. She felt really uncomfortable when she saw how her dress differed from the others and from the tone of the wedding. Be sure to be frank and blunt about style when you go this route!
From: josie | 11/6/07 at 7:23 pm
I did this for my wedding, and the color palette was stunning. However, one of my bridesmaids was unfamiliar with bridesmaid dress-style and chose a very prom-like youthful gown. She felt really uncomfortable when she saw how her dress differed from the others and from the tone of the wedding. Be sure to be frank and blunt about style when you go this route!