Dos and Don’ts for the Maid of Honor
Do: Offer to help the bride. Planning a wedding is a huge job, and no one should have to do it all alone. Be a good maid of honor by offering to help your bride with jobs large and small. See if she needs someone to pick up her grandmother at the airport for her bridal shower or offer to help her address and stamp the wedding invitations. Talk to florists with her, go with her to shop for wedding jewelry and her bridal gown, and help her tie ribbons on favor boxes. It’s all part of the job of being a best friend or sister, let alone a maid of honor too.
Don’t: Push your opinions on her. If there is one piece of wedding advice all maids of honor need, it is not to overwhelm the bride with opinions. Sure, she values your input, but it is still her wedding, not yours. A good maid of honor will listen and help the bride plan her idea of the perfect wedding, not what the maid of honor thinks is perfect. If people start calling you a “maidzilla”, you know it is time to back off!
Do: Give suggestions for the bridesmaid dresses and jewelry. Picking a bridesmaid dress can be a very stressful job for a bride. She has a vision in mind, she wants your dresses to match her dresses, she wants you all to like it, and so forth. Finding one dress that meets all these requirements and is also flattering and affordable is a monumental task. Ask the bride what she is generally interested in seeing the bridesmaids wear, and then help her out by finding some samples for her to check out.
Don’t: Act like the final choice about the bridesmaid dresses is yours. Being made of honor does not give you the final say about what the bridesmaid dresses will be. That decision can only be made by the bride. Give her your input, but understand that in the end, being maid of honor means wearing whatever dress your friend the bride chooses. Being a great maid of honor means telling the bride you love the dress she chose, no matter what you privately may think of it!
Filed under Bridesmaid Jewelry, Wedding Planning | Tags: bridesmaid dresses, Bridesmaid Jewelry, maid of honor, wedding advice | Comment (0)Be a Bridesmaid for Less!
The bridesmaid dress is always an issue. They are generally very expensive, and rarely does the bride choose a dress you would actually ever wear again. There are a few ways to improve the situation. If the bride has expensive taste, you can look into renting designer dresses for the wedding. There are a few websites that offer this service, and it can be a fantastic option for weddings, since you pay a small fraction of the original price of the dress. This can be a great alternative to purchasing a dress that will be banished to the back of your closest for all eternity. Add some gorgeous bridesmaid jewelry, and you will be good to go!
If a designer gown rental service does not work for your group, propose to the bride that you shop for bridesmaid dresses at stores that have special occasion collections, rather than traditional bridal salons. When you can buy from a major chain, you will have a good range of size options (many stores offer the same dress in petites, misses, and womens’ sizes), which means fewer expensive alterations. Better yet, if you time it well, you might be able to take advantage of sales and promotions to get deep discounts on the dresses. Best of all, a classic cocktail dress is a style you will be more likely to wear again than a traditional bridesmaid dress.
It is often travel and accommodations that push the cost of being a bridesmaid so high. With a little effort, you may be able to keep these expenses under control. Explore different ways of getting to the wedding, such as flying at off hours or driving with a friend to split the cost of fuel. Ask the bride if she has a friend who would be able to host you for the weekend of the wedding, rather than paying for a hotel room. If you will be traveling to attend her bridal shower, these same tips apply.
Finally, get creative when it comes to buying the wedding gift. Instead of buying a crystal vase from the registry, shop around for a unique and beautiful one from a vintage or thrift store. By the time you have saved on your bridesmaid dress and accessories, travel, and gifts, you might find that being a bridesmaid does not have to cost an arm and a leg after all!
Filed under Bridesmaid Jewelry, Uncategorized | Tags: bridesmaid dresses, Bridesmaid Jewelry, bridesmaids | Comment (0)Where to Find Bridesmaid Dresses on Any Budget
There is a huge range in the price of bridesmaid dresses. At some stores, style start at $100 or less, while designer dresses can top out well over $500. Depending on the style of your wedding and what your attendants can afford, there are different places you may want to shop for bridesmaid dresses. These are some ideas on where you can find beautiful bridesmaid dresses for your wedding at any budget.
If you know that your friends do not have a lot of spare cash, take care to shop only at stores which carry low-cost options. Big chains like David’s Bridal (or your locally owned equivalent) are often good places to find a wide selection of bridesmaid dresses for about $100 or less. If your bridal party is small, you might also have great luck finding a couple of deeply discounted dresses at the end of the season at a department store or a chain like Ann Taylor. You can dress up simpler dresses with beautiful crystal bridesmaid jewelry.
When you seek moderately priced bridesmaid dresses, say in about the $200 range, your options will open up considerably. Many chains like J Crew, Ann Taylor, and Talbots have party styles (as well as styles which are designated for bridal parties) which are appropriate for bridesmaids. Knee length or tea length dresses tend to be less costly than full length styles. A bridal salon is another option for this price range. They will usually have a number of options in the moderate price range, especially if you are not looking for a costly fabric like pure silk satin. Some bridal salons also offer discounts on bridesmaid dresses with a wedding gown purchase.
If you are looking for a bridesmaid dress style made from silk or one with a lot of options for customization, you will find a huge number of options in the $300 and up range. High end bridal salons will be a good place to look for special order dresses for attendants. Allow yourself plenty of time to order, as they will probably not carry dresses that you can take home off the rack. Companies like Siri and Thread have great websites from which a bridal party can order directly. The wonderful thing about made to order bridesmaid dresses is that it is often possible to get pattern changes, like extra length for a tall bridesmaid or straps on a strapless style. In the end, there are definitely great options for dresses for your attendants at every price point.
Filed under Bridesmaid Jewelry, Wedding Planning | Tags: bridesmaid dresses, Bridesmaid Jewelry, budget bridesmaid dresses | Comment (0)Lace Bridesmaid Dresses
Lace is a beautiful and romantic fabric for a wedding, and it is not just for brides. Pretty lace can be a wonderful choice for the bridesmaid dresses as well. Here is a look at the many options for beautiful lace bridesmaid dresses that your attendants are sure to love.
White lace can be marvelous for summer bridesmaid dresses. A substantial cotton lace or Venise lace is ideal. Layer it over a lining in your favorite summery color like sunny yellow, pretty pink, or baby blue. This is an adorable look for a knee length strapless bridesmaid dress. A sash around the waist made from the same color as the lining will complete the dress perfectly. Classic pearl bridesmaid jewelry and strappy sandals are beautiful finishing touches for this lovely style. Check out the spring collections from designers like Lilly Pulitzer to find the dresses.
Another beautiful design for bridesmaids is a solid dress with lace accents. This is often done in a fairly high contrast way, such as a heavy white lace layered over the bodice of a solid black dress. Another lovely style is a shift dress in a dark color like navy with white lace trim around the hem or the neckline. Shaped lace can also be used to create a beautiful neckline for your bridesmaids, such as a romantic scalloped border framing out a halter neckline. These are marvelous options for brides who prefer to have bridesmaid dresses which are not entirely made of lace.
Remember that lace can be found in colors other than white. A brown chantilly lace would be stunning for an autumn wedding. Black lace over a neutral colored lining is very elegant, and much softer than a solid black bridesmaid dress. For a formal wedding, consider breathtaking metallic gold or silver lace. A very soft lace in a metallic will flow and drape beautifully. Your bridesmaids will look like movie stars in such gorgeous dresses! Strappy evening sandals will complete their ensembles. Not only are lace dresses beautiful, they are so different than the standard bridesmaid dresses that your attendants may actually be able to wear them again. That is something which is sure to bring a smile to the faces of all of your bridesmaids!
Filed under Bridesmaid Jewelry, Uncategorized | Tags: bridesmaid dresses, Bridesmaid Jewelry, lace bridesmaid dresses | Comment (0)Gorgeous Winter Bridesmaid Dresses
Rich fabrics like satin are ideal for the winter months. Satin has a wonderful weight, is luxurious, and is very festive – what more could one hope for in a winter bridesmaid dress? Deep colors such as aubergine (eggplant purple) are fabulous for the colder months, and purple happens to be a very popular bridesmaid dress color in general right now. A simple column dress in eggplant satin would be quite elegant for a formal winter wedding. Forgo the matching shoes and opt for neutral black or silver satin shoes to coordinate. Crystal bridesmaid jewelry with accents in deep purple will be the perfect finishing detail.
A sophisticated pewter color is a fantastic choice for a winter wedding in the afternoon or the evening. For a daytime wedding, opt for a knee length bridesmaid dress in a pewter silk charmeuse with a slight bubble hem. Crystal stiletto earrings would be a great choice for bridesmaid jewelry with this dress style. Add a black velvet ribbon at the waistline of the gown and black velvet flats for shoes. If the wedding is in the evening or is a more formal afternoon ceremony, full length pewter silk satin bridesmaid dresses in a chic one shoulder style would be amazing. Deep red flowers in the bridesmaid bouquets will contrast marvelously with the lighter pewter color of the dresses.
For a very formal winter wedding around the holidays, consider dressing bridesmaids in classic silk taffeta ball skirts. The full skirts will look incredible as your attendants process down the aisle, while the lightness and movement of the taffeta will make the ball skirts easy to move in and comfortable to wear – not at all cumbersome. On the top, black velvet strapless or fitted spaghetti strap bodices would be gorgeous. It is important to have very fitted tops when the skirts are full to ensure that the overall look remains figure flattering to your bridesmaids. Bouquets of showy holiday blossoms like red amaryllis tied up with velvet ribbons would be stunning.
Dramatic trumpet style wedding gowns are very popular for brides these days. If your bridal gown follows that line, look for a modified trumpet style bridesmaid dress. Keep the figures of your bridesmaids in mind when looking at dresses with a slimmer cut. Details like ruching can help to hide figure flaws, as can a slightly more generous cut than the true fitted mermaid skirt. Matte fabrics such as taffeta tend to be more forgiving than very shiny materials like satin, and of course, deep hues such as navy or espresso are also more slimming. With such a glamorous style bridesmaid dress, equally fabulous accessories like crystal chandelier earrings are perfect for the bridesmaid jewelry.
Filed under Bridesmaid Jewelry, Wedding Planning | Tags: bridesmaid dresses, Bridesmaid Jewelry, winter bridesmaid dresses | Comment (0)How to Dress Bridesmaids With Different Figures
Hopefully, every bride picks her bridal party based on friendship, not appearance. Of course, what this can mean is that you end up with a group of bridesmaids who encompass every imaginable shape and size. When it comes time to pick out bridesmaid dresses, it can be a major challenge to find one style that is flattering to all of your attendants. These are some suggestions on how to dress bridesmaids with different figures to make sure that everyone looks and feels beautiful in the end.
For the bride who strongly prefers a well coordinated bridal party, separates are going to be her best bet. The major bridal chains offer styles which come in a huge range of sizes, so all you have to do is pick a color and a skirt length, and let each woman choose the top and bottom which best suit her unique shape. While you will not have a perfectly matched set of bridesmaids, you will have a group of women in outfits in the same color, which will give them a very cohesive feeling as they walk down the aisle.
Custom dresses can be a fantastic option if you want each bridesmaid to wear the same general style. Select a fabric and a pattern, and have each attendant work with a dressmaker to get a perfect fit. This can be the perfect solution when one of the bridesmaids is not able to find her dress size in the standard offerings. It also works well for pregnant bridesmaids, petite ones, tall ones; pretty much anyone, in other words. The beauty of this concept is that you don’t end up with the one hard-to-fit attendant feeling badly because she cannot wear the same dress as the rest of the girls. The drawback is that custom made dresses can get expensive. The bride may wish to ease the burden on her attendants by purchasing the fabric and gifting them their shoes and bridesmaid jewelry sets.
A less labor intensive way to work with a variety of bridesmaid shapes and sizes is to ask each woman to select her own dress. The bride will usually give them a few parameters (navy blue and knee length, for instance), and then trust each bridesmaid to pick out an appropriate selection. After all, even the ladies who are not standard sizes manage to dress themselves on a daily basis. No one will no better than them which brands and styles look best on them. You can tie the look of the bridal party together with coordinated sets of bridesmaid jewelry.
Filed under Bridesmaid Jewelry, Wedding Planning | Tags: bridesmaid dresses, bridesmaid jewelry sets | Comment (0)Sticky Wedding Attire Situations
These are some of the most common sticky wedding attire situations, along with suggestions about how to resolve them.
Problem No. One: Your wedding colors are pale pink and lilac and your bridesmaids are demanding black cocktail dresses. While it is always lovely when the bride is considerate of what her attendants would like to wear, the reality is that they need to fit with her vision of the wedding. The best you can do is choose a color that your bridesmaids can stand (perhaps a neutral like champagne). Perhaps the bride could also mollify her bridesmaids by giving them a lot of say in the style of the dress, if not the color. Ultimately, though, being a bridesmaid means wearing the dress of the bride’s choosing, so the bridesmaids need to grit their teeth and politely wear what the bride wants!
Problem No. Two: Your flamboyant mother-in-law always has to be the center of attention, even on your wedding day. She never got the memo that the mothers of the bride and groom should look pretty without upstaging the bride, and has decided to wear a fire engine red dress with a neckline cut down to her navel. The bride really cannot tell her mother-in-law what to wear, so the groom needs to be involved in this. If the groom cannot or will not get his mom to wear something less flashy, there is nothing much to be done about it. Yes, it will drive you crazy that she sticks out like a sore thumb in the group wedding photos, but in the end, it will do nothing to detract from the joy of your wedding or marriage.
Problem No. Three: The bride and her mother cannot agree on a wedding gown…and mom is paying for it. This problem is incredibly common, and also incredibly frustrating. Sometimes another person, like a sister or aunt, can help to convince mom that the bridal gown which she thinks is all wrong is really perfect. The bride can also show a willingness to compromise by offering to let her mom pick out her veil and wedding jewelry. If none of that works, you either have to go back to the drawing board and look for a new gown or buy the one you really want with your own money.
People tend to feel very strongly about their clothing, even more so when it comes to formal attire. This is why so many sticky situations can crop up when planning a wedding. Hopefully, you now have the tools to manage any wedding attire dilemmas that come your way!
Filed under Uncategorized, Wedding Jewelry | Tags: bridesmaid dresses, wedding attire, Wedding Jewelry | Comment (0)