Bridesmaids assemble! All your burning bridesmaid dress questions answered
- ThePlus Audio
- ThePlus Audio
Please click here to listen to this article
Katie Bletcher answers all your burning bridesmaid dress questions with the help of the experts.
‘9798’ and ‘9689’, both Sorella Vita.
Being asked to be a bridesmaid has to be the ultimate validation of friendship.
Nothing quite says besties like those five little words; “Will you be my bridesmaid?”
I’ve been a bridesmaid three times and have the clutch of dresses to prove it.
Each experience has been really special, standing by my girls’ sides as they say ‘I do’ and zhuzhing veils.
Getting to that stage however can be as difficult as finally getting the girls’ trip out of the group chat, particularly when you’ve a collection of ‘maids with different shapes, personalities and expectations.
Luckily, I’ve been picking the brains of the experts for all the tips you need to help you find your ‘maids’ outfits, including the time it takes to get you all together in the first place!
“We would recommend starting the process around nine months before the big day,” says Naydene of Sophia Grace Couture.
“Designers need three to five months for delivery and a seamstress needs six to eight weeks for alterations.
“We advise allowing a couple of months on top of this to give yourself the time to get the girls together (not an easy task!) and to find the perfect dress for everyone.”
Megan of Kudos Bridal Dunfermline also urges allowing extra time.
“Lead times always depend upon designers but for our Sorella Vita gowns they usually fall around four months from point of order,” she says.
“To take away the stress of shipping delays and alteration times I always recommend giving yourself a full six months.”
And Pamela of Pamela Jayne’s Bridal says allowing nine months gives you time to try different places and styles and avoid having to pay rush costs.
Do your homework
Before you so much as make an appointment it’s important to establish a realistic budget.
In recent years Pamela has seen people thinking they can get a quality gown for only £50, echoing high street prices.
However, she can only offer such low prices on discontinued sample dresses, and on those occasions there will only be one dress per style.
Therefore, sample dresses can be best suited to weddings where there is only one bridesmaid or you’re mixing styles.
Instead, be prepared to spend around £250 per dress.
Pamela’s bridesmaid dresses range from £200 to £350 with the mid-range coming in at £240 to £270.
“You are getting premium dresses,” she explains. A premium bridesmaid dress comes with extra lining and support.
At Sophia Grace Couture bridesmaid gowns range from £199 to £299 with the average cost being £240 to £260, while at Kudos the average cost falls around £260, although dresses start at £199 and range in price up to £350.
However, Megan always reminds brides to factor in alteration costs.
“It is incredibly rare that a gown will fit perfectly without being tweaked,” she says.
Once you’ve established how much to budget it’s time to consider the look.
“If you have a colour palette in mind for your wedding, then perhaps keep this in mind when choosing colours of dresses,” advises Naydene.
“Some brides like bridesmaid dresses to match their own too. It might be neckline, style, colour or fabric.”
According to Megan, another starting point is what the groom is wearing.
Or if he’s wearing a kilt, what colours would work with that tartan?
Of if you have already sent out your Save the Dates what colour were they?
“Having these in mind will help you build a colour palette that can then be tweaked or guided by what your bridesmaids suit,” she says.
When it comes to the silhouette take on board that everyone is a different shape and size. Pamela suggests finding styles your girls will feel comfortable in.
For example, in a lower slung dress those with bigger boobs may not feel confident.
“Be realistic about what’s going to support and fit,” she says.
Narrowing it down
According to Megan it’s important to discuss with your bridesmaids what your expectations are and make sure everyone is on board with your vision.
“Be prepared to be a little flexible but always stick to what you want for the day. For example, dreamed of blush pink but your bridesmaids feel washed out? Compromise and choose a shade slightly deeper that will still complement, but don’t feel like you need to abandon it entirely.”
Naydene advises her brides to decide upon three or four style choices ahead of the appointment.
“All of our gowns are on our website,” she says. “Sending these to bridesmaids ahead of the appointment is a good idea too.”
Mix and match
The last decade or so has seen the rise of the mix and match bridesmaid dresses where your girls may choose the same style in different colours or one colour in different styles.
“Gone are the days where a party would come in and the bride wanted everyone in the exact same colour and style,” says Megan.
“It’s definitely become a lot more relaxed and individual! Mix and match is an increasingly popular approach.
“Not all of your bridesmaids are going to be the same shape or size so giving them the freedom to choose a style in a shape they feel comfortable in makes the entire process a lot easier.
“Our Sorella Vita collection is perfect for this.
“All of our gowns are available in the same shades to mix and match as long as you are sticking to the same fabrics which creates a cohesive look regardless of style.”
Naydene agrees that giving bridesmaids several styles to choose from can ensure they are all comfortable on the day.
“At Sophia Grace Couture we promote body confidence. We work with the bride to ensure that all her bridesmaids feel incredible.
“This could be mix and match styles or suggesting customisation for a specific style.”
However, Pamela says that often when the women start trying the dresses on they actually end up going for a unified look.
“The main thing is to have them all there for bridesmaid shopping,” she says. “It’s good to get everyone in the same room so different personalities can look at different things.”
Expectations for those expecting
Ah, the age-old issue of dressing pregnant bridesmaids!
By my last outing as a ‘maid our poor bride had the complication of finding a gown that would suit me, who was 11 weeks postpartum and breastfeeding, one girl who was eight months pregnant and another who was a size six.
This was never going to be easy, and we settled on an empire-line dress with plenty of space in the skirt.
The important thing is to put yourselves in the hands of the experts.
“We’ve been doing this 14 years now so this is nothing new,” says Pamela.
“With the pregnant bridesmaids we take into consideration what period of their pregnancy they are at.”
Naydene says they usually select gowns they know are able to be adapted to a bump or can be easily altered to fit if needed.
Megan adds that, where possible, she recommends being measured before you truly start showing.
“We know this isn’t always possible so for those situations we would focus on measuring your bust correctly and judging your waistline based on previous sizing.
“I would always suggest sizing up as dresses can always be taken in but letting them out can be an issue!”
“The Sorella Vita collection also has a limited number of maternity styles to choose from.”
Did you know?
The Kudos team has let its expectant mum customers try a fake bump on with gowns to give them a more realistic idea of how it will look!
