Bridesmaid Dresses: Love 'Em or Leave 'Em?

Have you ever seen the movie 27 Dresses? It's probably one of my favorite chick flicks, right up there with Sixteen Candles and How To Lose A Guy In 10 Days. Then again, maybe I just have a thing for movies with numbers in the title.

I desperately need to clean out my closet and I got to thinking about my bridesmaid dresses. There's one that I actually shortened and wore again, but the others are unmistakably bridesmaid dresses and I'd feel silly wearing them anywhere now. Granted, my situation is far from this madness...




I especially love the moments at 1:59 (Gone with the Wind), 2:52 ("Men wore dresses, women wore suits"), and 3:15 (LA wedding). But at 3:51 in this clip, when Katherine Heigl's character Jane talks about how each dress bring back memories of great times she had with her friends, I have to agree. I know I'll still have the memories regardless of whether or not the dress is taking up space in my closet. But for me, it's somewhat difficult to let go.

What about you, do you still have your old bridesmaid dresses? Did you ever have to wear anything crazy as a bridesmaid, like that cowgirl outfit for instance? And most importantly - have you ever been to a Gone with the Wind wedding? Let us know in the comments!

It's in the Details: A Valentine's Day Wedding

A discussion on our theme of the month: a Valentine's Day wedding. This seems obvious considering it's February, but we want to help style your V-Day wedding without going overboard. So, here's a little inspiration!

Invitations - We found these on trulymadlydeeply.com. Very romantic!

Attire - Check out the bridesmaid dresses we found from designer Lynn Lugo. The bold hues will liven things up, and you could even have your bridesmaids select their own style. As for your wedding dress - the more whimsical, the better.

Food & Beverages - A champagne toast is a classy way to start or end the night, and as party favors you could give your guests customized chocolate bars. (Who doesn't love chocolate on Valentine's Day?) For the cake, consider something simple and let your theme come through in the details, like a sprinkling of pink and red roses.

The Event - You could go all out with pink everywhere, or you could have a more muted color palette and bring out your theme with finishing touches like centerpieces, napkins, and place cards. As long as you don't hang a cardboard flying Cupid from the ceiling, you're set!

How to Avoid Creating Bridesmaid-zillas

Your bridesmaids are the friends that have always been there for you, helping you through everything. One thing you want to avoid while planning your wedding is making your bridesmaids feel unappreciated. So, here are a few ways to let your bridesmaids know you love them.

-Compromise on their dresses. You may want your bridesmaids to match, but don't forget that each woman has a unique body. One popular idea is to select a color and fabric from a store or designer, then let your bridesmaids select the cut that looks best on her. J.Crew, the Dessy Group, and David's Bridal are just a few places that offer this option.

-Don't make them spend an arm and a leg. As many of you know, there are a lot of expenses to being a bridesmaid. Try to help out where you can, like telling your maids that they don't have to get you an expensive wedding gift. Or, use websites like kayak.com to help them save money on travel expenses.

-Give personal bridesmaid gifts. Do you have one bridesmaid loves spa treatments while another won't go anywhere without a book in her purse? Giving each bridesmaid a small gift that suits her personality (a gift certificate to a spa, or the latest bestseller by her fave author) will let her know how much you appreciate her.

Your wedding is certainly a time where you'll need your friends more than ever. Don't forget to let each bridesmaid know that first and foremost, she's your friend.

Etsy Bridesmaid Dresses

I am getting more and more comfortable with the idea of purchasing custom clothing from the craftspeople on Etsy. I mean, I buy things without trying them on ALL THE TIME from online shops. With Etsy, I can even get something custom-made for my measurements - what's not to love about that??

After reading this post from Something Old, Something New on Sarah Seven bridesmaid dresses, I am convinced that every bride in search of the perfect bridesmaid attire should scour Etsy for the perfect dress. Here's what you might find:

Sarah Seven

{Tulip Dress + A Peaceful Afternoon Dress}

Ouma Clothing

{Striped Carnival Party Dress}

Desira Pesta

{Wine Circus Dress}

Amanda Archer Collection

{Pleated Collar Dress}

Thread Bridesmaid Dresses

Now here's a line of bridesmaid dresses that begs to be worn again and again!

Thread's bridesmaid collections showcase the most adorable, chic, mix-and-match dresses. Also, you can get practically any dress design in full-, knee- and mini-length. What's not to love about that?

They are a bit pricey (in the $300-400 range), but the silhouettes are classic and your bridesmaids will get a lot of wear out of these dresses. Why not go halfsies on them (you pay half, bridesmaids pay half)??

My favorite collections are (in no particular order):

• Luxe
• Party
• Cotton Seersucker

Let's break this down a little further... Here are my favorite designs in each collection:

Luxe

A blend of chiffon & satin - adorable for springtime & summer! Wispy, billowy, dreamy...

{Stella - full length, Callie - knee length, Elliot - knee length}

Party

These dresses have a bit more structure than the Luxe & Cotton Seersucker, which makes them great picks for evening & more upscale weddings. I know, I know - you're not "supposed" to wear short dresses for evening weddings... but who cares what you're "supposed" to do?? These dresses are perfect for breaking the rules. ;)

{Gabrielle - mini length, Tyler - knee length}

Cotton Seersucker

I especially love this collection because summer is upon us and cotton seersucker is the all-time best summertime dress fabric (in my opinion)! So clean & crisp & breathable... Lovely dresses for a beach or outdoor wedding (but don't let my opinion stop you from wearing them indoors - these are fabulous indoors or out!).

{Selma - knee length, Selma - full length}

Will You Be My Bridesmaid?

I must admit, I didn't go through any special fanfare when asking my bridesmaids to be a part of my wedding. I was clueless and had no idea that it was a growing trend to make a big deal about it! I just thought I should 1) ask them in person and 2) be sincere about it. And that's all I did! No custom cards, no special party thrown... and I wish I could do it all over again! I wish I would have thrown them a little get-together, given them a little gift, and told them all how much they mean to me as my best friends in the world.

[Check out what Miss Champagne did for her 'maids over on Weddingbee...]

Now, you don't have to do anything more than what I did originally. It's fine to just ask them! But, if you're looking for something to make the asking a bit more sentimental, you could give your friends one of these cards from Oh Joy! Studio:





{Blooms & Birds; Cheerful Blossoms}

Oh Joy! Studios actually created these cards for The Dessy Group and can be purchased here.

Anna Elyse Bridesmaid Dresses

Another bridesmaid dress post! Here are a few things I love about Anna Elyse's bridesmaid dresses:

• Neckline variety - and not just your basic strapless/halter/v-neck options!
• Silk Dupioni - I adore the natural texture of this silk.
• Availability - Carrie Karibo Bridesmaids in Cincinnati... I swear that's a coincidence! I didn't mean to post TWICE about dresses available in Cinci's bridal district, but these were too pretty to not share with you!

And here are the collections (all collections can be seen here):

{From top to bottom: Grace, Simplicity, Audrey, Clarissa, Short Jackie O}


I am a HUGE fan of brides who give their bridesmaids options, especially if the bridesmaids are purchasing their own dresses. As a former bride, I really wanted to find a dress that my bridesmaids would want to wear again.


The best way to do this, in my opinion, is to pick a designer and let your 'maids choose a dress that suits their body type and that they are comfortable in. You could go a step further and choose the length (long or short) and even a color... OR you could choose a color family and let your 'maids choose a color in that color family (how beautiful are the colors in Anna Elyse's collections above?!).


Either way, your best friends in the entire world get to have a choice, which I think is important during a time when all of the spotlight is on someone else (i.e. YOU).

Simple Silhouettes

Oh, am I in love with Simple Silhouettes' 2009 Spring collection for bridesmaids!!!!!

For local Indy brides, the closest retailer is Carrie Karibou Bridesmaids in Cincinnati, Ohio (in the "bridal district"), and she is super-easy to work with! My maid of honor's (sister's) dress was a Simple Silhouettes' style. My sister & I traveled to her store once to try on dresses and handled all other transactions over the phone or by fax. One of my bridesmaids lives in Cincy, so she was able to pick her dress up in the store, but everyone else had their dresses shipped to them. [FYI... Carrie also carries Lynn Lugo dresses, which were the other 4 dresses my bridesmaids wore.]

Here are some pictures to fall in lust with (and I'll just go ahead and say this up-front: I totally dig the tights & high-heel combo!)...

ORCHID

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SWEETPEA

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ANGELICA

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IRIS

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Anthropologie Cocktail Dresses

Every now and then I pop on over to Anthropologie's website to view their selection of dresses. I love that I can count on Anthropologie to carry dresses that aren't normally available in department stores ~ I feel like I'm wearing a one-of-a-kind dress! Obviously, that's not the case, but I don't have the fear that I'll show up at a party and see another woman wearing my dress. Anthropologie is like a hidden gem!

It's true, Anthropologie dresses are a little pricey (if you are someone with my budget). However. These dresses might be worth it if you are purchasing them for a specific special occasion... like your wedding! Either as bridesmaid frocks or the "second dress" you wear at your reception, Anthropologie dresses are show-stoppingly (not sure if that's a word) gorgeous!

I created this collection over on Polyvore...


{Picture source: Anthropologie Cocktail Dresses}

Jessica McClintock Prom Dresses

As promised, I went searching for prom dresses that could pass as wedding gowns, and I was successful! When I was in high school and needed to buy a dress for homecoming or prom, I always had a lot of luck with Jessica McClintock dresses. I loved her designs, so I started today's wedding gown search on her website.

I hit the jackpot! Whether you are looking for a white dress, champagne-colored dress, a white dress with a splash of color or a brightly colored wedding gown, Jessica McClintock has something for you...

Just look at this white PROM dress! It could easily pass as a wedding gown and is exquisite, to boot! If only I would have been so savvy when I was picking out my gown... I totally would have bought this one.

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I am totally enamored with these white & black dresses. How cute is the one with the ruffle tiers at the bottom? You could make an entire wedding's theme around black & white polka dots... How adorable is the one with the empire waist & flowy layers?? Your bridesmaids would love you if you told them to find a little black dress of their choosing to wear as their dresses (maybe they'll actually wear it more than once!).



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Here are two of my favorite Jessica McClintock colored dresses... The bright pink dress seems so festive and reminds me of an Indian sari. Just gorgeous. The ice blue dress looks so delicate - almost like a nightgown!



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Prom Dresses as Wedding Gowns?

I was just browsing over on the Offbeat Bride blog and read this post about wearing a prom dress as your wedding gown (see picture below). Offbeat Bride has some awesome ideas for those brides who don't want the traditional wedding with all of the traditions that go with it ~ their tagline is "taffeta-free alternatives for independent brides" ~ and I've been inspired by many posts on this site.

Now back to the prom dress idea... This kind of goes along with a bride wearing a white/ivory bridesmaid dress or any other dress that isn't labeled "bridal" (can save you beacoup bucks!). And the dress really doesn't need to be any variation of white, for that matter. More and more brides are wearing dresses with color.

I am now on a mission to find wedding gowns that are "masquerading" as prom or bridesmaid dresses... stay tuned to see what I find!

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Winter Wedding Idea

I just created this little collection over on Polyvore, and I'm loving it more and more!


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Clockwise from top-left:
Diamond Necklace in Platinum by Lussori; Tabitha t-strap heels by J. Crew; taffeta trumpet wedding gown by David's Bridal; Louisa bridesmaid dress by J. Crew; diamond bracelet by Ice; diamond stud earrings by Lussori; Satin Fleur Clutch by J. Crew

What I Wish I Would Have Known #2

Alterations can be a pain!

This post doesn't pertain to wedding gown alterations ~ the bridal salon that sold me my dress did all of my alterations, and my dress fit perfectly. Rather, this post pertains to bridesmaid dresses.

My bridesmaid dresses were purchased in Cincinnati (from Carrie Karibou Bridesmaids in the "bridal district" of the city). I found the perfect dresses online and the closest store that sold both of the dress lines (yes, I had to be difficult and choose two different lines), was in Cinci. My maid of honor (my sister) wore a Simple Silouhettes coral double-v neck tea-length dress in silk shantung. The rest of my girls wore Lynn Lugo tea-length silk shantung dresses in various styles.

Simple Silouhettes A-line V-neck dress (below) Various Lynn Lugo dresses (below)


Since 4 out of my 5 bridesmaids live in Indianapolis, we had to search for a place to do the alterations on their dresses. I really wanted everyone to get their alterations done at the same place so we could have little "alteration outings" where everyone met at the tailor's shop and I could see everyone in their dresses. One of my bridesmaids suggested that we should all get our alterations done at the bridal salon where I bought my wedding dress. I called the salon, and they could accommodate everyone's alterations. Yay! A bridal salon's seamstress should be an expert on alterations, right? Right??

Now for the not-so-fun part of the story: All the girls and I met twice for 2 sets of dress fittings (normal). Alterations cost each of them about $75 total, which they paid for out of their own pockets (my family paid for half of their dress amount, so they didn't have to pay for everything). Because I didn't shop around to see what other tailors would have charged, I thought this was a reasonable price. Until... my best friend called to say there was something seriously wrong with her dress. She said it didn't fit her right at all and the altered areas seemed a little sub-par in terms of craftsmanship. I told her to go to my family's tailor to see what he could do. The tailor pointed out numerous areas where the seamstress had left hanging threads and gaps in the seams (holes!). He charged my friend only $12 to fix all of the alterations. TWELVE DOLLARS!

Bottom line: This is another scenario where I didn't shop around for prices. If I would have known that my family's trusty tailor would have charged less than 20 bucks for alterations AND have better results than the bridal salon, I would have had the girls go there instead. This could have saved them at least $50.

All in all, my bridesmaids looked amazing on the day of the wedding. Just take a look (photo courtesy of Lemongrass Photography):