Bridal Party Dresses
From LoveToKnow Weddings
Is there a peaceful solution to the bridal party dresses dilemma?
Every woman knows what an honor it is to be chosen as a bridesmaid. It means the bride herself considers you a special person in her life and has entrusted you with some of the wedding planning activities and responsibilities. Most bridesmaid are thrilled…until they catch a glimpse of the bridal party dresses!
A Bad Rap
Bridal party dresses have gotten a bad rap throughout the years. With full skirts and shoulder pads high enough to protect the largest football player, is it any wonder bridesmaids of the past refuse to take out their photo albums? Even though the bride may be a close friend or relative, it’s apparent during situations such as this that they don’t share the same taste and style. It’s even been rumored that brides choose tacky wedding dresses on purpose, to make sure they’re not overshadowed by members of the wedding party.
What’s a bridesmaid to do?
Call a Meeting
You can’t please everyone, isn’t that what they say? While the bride may have the best of intentions, chances are someone in her wedding party is not going to like her tastes in bridal party dresses. If the wedding party is made up of more than a few women, it’s a given tastes are going to clash. There’s only one thing to do. Call a meeting.
Gather all of the bridesmaid to discuss styles, colors and price ranges. Since the bridesmaids pay for their own dresses, shouldn’t they have a say in choosing what they will be wearing? Of course the final decision is up to the bride, but it doesn’t hurt to have some input from those who will actually be wearing the clothes.
Study the Styles
The bride or some of the bridesmaids should bring some wedding magazines and formal wear catalogs to the meeting so the ladies can discuss their favorite styles and colors. Once styles are chosen that all the bridesmaids, or at least the majority, agree upon, a vote should be taken to see which dresses the ladies like best. Affordability should also be taken into considerations. The dress should be one each bridesmaid can afford without going into debt.
Placing the Order
Hopefully the style number of the dress is listed on the advertisement. If not, a bridal or formal wear shop will have that information. A bridesmaid dress will have to be ordered for each member of the bridal party. If the ladies won’t be going to the bridal shop themselves, it’s important to make sure each one writes down her measurements. A deposit will also have to be put down for each dress before the attendant will place an order. It’s important that all of the dresses are ordered at the same time. If they don’t come from the same dye lot, there’s a chance some of the shades may be a little off.
If all of the bridesmaids will be available to shop together, why not make an afternoon of it? The ladies can try on dresses and, and afterwards everyone can have an enjoyable bridal party luncheon. This will help everyone in the bridal party to bond, especially those ladies who might not know everyone.
The Bridal Party Dresses Have Arrived!
Most bridal party dresses arrive in six to eight weeks. When they finally do come in, they’ll most likely be too big. This is normal. Sizes generally run large on purpose. It’s easier to take a dress in then to let one out.
This also means the dress will have to undergo alteration. Most bridal or formal wear shops will do this, but in many cases, they charge more than the average tailor or alterations expert. To save money, bridesmaids might want to get an estimate from a neighborhood tailor.
Accessories
With all the excitement, it’s easy to see how the ladies might forget about accessorizing their wedding ensembles. If the bride hasn’t already stated her preference, this will have to be discussed with this. She’ll probably want everyone in the wedding party to match. This means matching shoes, hairpieces and jewelry.
When the big day arrives, the bridal party will look stunning! When they take the time to sit down with the bride and choose their dresses, they’ll be more comfortable and positive in their clothes and this will show through the smiles on their faces as they walk down the aisle.
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Comments
Paula - Ideally, the bride should return those deposits, but she may not be able to get them back from the bridal shop if the deadlines have passed. This can be a tricky situation because it's a delicate emotional matter, and it may be best to just consider the money unavailable.
-- Contributed by: Melissa MayntzCan you tell me the etiquette for a wedding that has been cancelled? Are the bridemaids eligible to receive the deposit for the purchase of the dress from the bride? I know of a potential bridemaid that is out $70 for the deposit and she really does need the money back.
-- Contributed by: PaulaThis page has been accessed 20,158 times. This page was last modified 00:31, 14 April 2006.
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