Choosing bridesmaid dresses is one of the most fun parts of planning a wedding, but making sure the dresses look great with your dream wedding dress can take a bit of planning.
Ideally, you want to find dresses that make your bridesmaids look and feel great, and that compliment your dress in photos and during the ceremony.
If you’re wondering how to choose the perfect dresses for your bridesmaids, consider these tips from Cicinia on matching bridesmaid dresses to your wedding dress:
1. Make the Wedding Dress the Main Focus
If your goal is to take amazing wedding party photos, then making sure your dress stands out is a must. But deciding just how you want to do that is up to you!
For many women, a favorite technique is to accessorize their dress with an accent color, and then choose bridesmaid dresses in that same color.
Or, if you’ve decided on a dress that isn’t the traditional white gown, you may want bridesmaid dresses in a similar shade with a more simple style.
Regardless of the final colors you choose, make sure that they compliment one another well. A white dress with navy blue accents, for example, will look stunning beside bridesmaid dresses in a lighter blue shade.
2. Highlight Your Wedding Dress’s Silhouette
For a stand-out look, consider choosing a bridesmaid dress style that compliments and highlights your own dress’s silhouette.
For example, a strapless wedding dress will look beautiful beside bridesmaid dresses that have spaghetti straps or a halter style.
And for a floor-length princess gown, consider matching bridesmaid dresses with short flared skirts, since they’ll match your own dress without overshadowing it.
3. Match the Style of the Dress Rather Than the Color
For a unique and beautiful look, you may want to choose dresses in various colors that have a similar style element.
If your own dress features an empire waist, choosing dresses that have the same waistline can create an elegant overall look.
Similarly, matching the sweetheart neckline of your ballgown wedding dress to simple floor-length dresses with the same neckline also works well.
4. Dress For the Season
Even if your wedding is indoors, matching the wedding dress and bridesmaid dresses to the current season is an easy way to create a harmonious wedding theme.
That might mean choosing bridesmaid dresses in short, sleeveless styles in the summer, in rich orange and red colors in autumn, or in luxurious fabrics like velvet in winter.
And if you are planning an outdoor ceremony, having dresses that fit the current season will help ensure your wedding party is more comfortable, as well!
5. When In Doubt, Match White with White
If your goal is to keep things easy, don’t be afraid to choose simple white dresses to coordinate with your elaborate white wedding dress.
Not only will it make for great photos, the color scheme will be easy to match to table linens and flowers as well.
Then, to add personality, choose accessories in a favorite accent color. Hot pink or bright blue will add a fun and feminine feel, while metallic colors like silver and gold add elegance.
6. Choose Flattering Fabrics that Compliment Each Other
While color and style are more common considerations when choosing bridesmaid dresses that compliment your wedding dress, the fabric is worth considering too!
Certain fabrics look better together than others, so try to get some fabric samples that you can compare against the look of your wedding dress.
Whether you decide on silk, chiffon, lace, or a simple jersey knit, making sure the different fabrics blend well together will help make for wedding photos that you’ll love showing off.
While there are many ways of matching bridesmaid dresses to your wedding dress, in the end it’s really all up to you and the look that you want.
And with inexpensive dresses from Ombreprom or one of the many reasonable online retailers, the sky is the limit when it comes to finding the perfect bridesmaid dresses.
So grab some fabric and color samples, get creative, and find the perfect dress combination for your dream wedding!