Shopping for and purchasing the dresses your bridesmaid’s will wear at your wedding is stressful enough with so many other plans taking precedence. With copious amounts of decisions to be made from cakes and venues to honeymoon hotspots and caterers, the women you’ve chosen to stand next to you on your big day deserve your thought when it comes to their gowns.
The first thing to consider when planning a fall wedding, and choosing your bridesmaid dresses, is how close your date is to major holidays. Keep in mind that it might be easier to get your girls together to try on gowns in the summertime. Fall has several family oriented holidays as well as holidays where stores might be closed.
If you’re looking to stay in the vein of fall type themes and colors, start with your wedding colors first. Reds of all shades, browns, deep purples, yellows, dark greens, and oranges are all good beginnings of your autumn color palate. The best color selection I’ve found so far has to be David’s Bridal. They are located in almost every major city, and even if they aren’t close to you, you can get an idea from their selection of hues. Take a look at Cognac, Fern, Lapis, and Cabernet.
From there, weather and temperature must be considered. Depending on where you live, you may have mild fall temperatures with occasional rain, or like where I live, in Colorado, our fall weather consists of warm days followed by surprise snow. You may want to think about bridesmaid dresses that will go well with a jacket, in case the cold moves in unexpectedly. I’ve seen brides that have umbrellas customized and color matched for the wedding party to combat mother nature. Here are a few suggestions for some amazing autumn wedding attire for your bridesmaids:
- Strapless Jersey A-line in Truffle color: This strapless jersey’s long flowing material will make for gorgeous wedding party photographs, especially if you have some wind and leaves swirling about to complete the look. It will be easier for your bridesmaids to withstand a short photo shoot outdoors, if the weather is cooler, because only their arms and décolletage will be exposed. To keep them warm during the reception, check out this short satin bolero, also in the Truffle color, which will still show off the glittering necklaces you gave them as a thank you gift. (Remember to chose from the list of swatches on the right side of the page to view the other available colors for the dress)
- Satin and Chiffon One Shoulder A-line in Fern color: Your ladies will look like statuesque Greek goddesses standing to your left on your wedding day in this one shoulder dress. I don’t usually prefer one shoulder dresses, but this dress is simply beautiful. If you decide on matching accessories like some autumn leaves pinned to the waistline of your wedding gown, your bridesmaids can match with theirs pinned at the shoulder or just above the bust.
- Evanese Women’s Elegant Long Dress: I’m a firm believer that bridesmaids dresses do not have to come from a strictly bridal store. Explore your options and check out department stores and online shops. This dress from Overstock.com is different from the traditional bridesmaid dress, and that is why I like it so much. It’s flirty, relaxed, and it comes in white, which means if the dark blue or black don’t fit in with your color scheme, you can have it professionally dyed to match. The wonderful aspect of buying from a department store is that their prices are much cheaper and there will be a better chance that your bridesmaids will wear them again and again.
- The Convertible Dress: Attention ladies! If you didn’t already know, Victoria Secret has beautiful, and tasteful, women’s clothes, including dresses and they have extra-large sizes so you don’t have to have a stick figure to wear their designs. This dress is literally 10 dresses in one. The website gives instructions on how to create each design, and it comes in black, burgundy, and a delicious chocolate color, along with some summery choices. So brides, if you’re thinking about something special to wear for your wedding night, search Victoria Secret’s online catalogue for dresses as well. Your bridesmaids will love having such a versatile piece of sexy clothing, and you may even get a discount on shipping, so check your details.
- Satin Strapless Ball Gown in Lapis: One of my favourite types of dresses. They remind me of Gone with the Wind. This ruched style of dress has become more and more popular over the years. My wedding gown is actually done in a dramatic ruched fashion, and this dress would be at the top of my list for my bridesmaids to try. It would be perfectly paired with a long tassled shawl in white or lilac color. The dress gives a sense of warmth, despite the weather, and would probably be fairly warm to wear. Luckily, it’s balanced out with exposed shoulders. Also, I believe silver or gold jewelry would compliment the dress beautifully.
The most important thing to remember is to think outside the box. Keep an eye out when you’re shopping for different dress styles and you could even go for patterned dresses. If you find a dress you like, speak with the store if you need different sizes and also remember if the dress comes in white, you can eventually dye it any color you want, although I strongly suggest a professional do the job for you. Think about different jackets and shawls to have just in case, and if the dress doesn’t pop for you, consider tying wide straps with matching bracelets, adding a belt, or looking for antique pins that are unique to your bridesmaids. Finding them something beautiful to wear is one thing, finding them something beautiful to wear that they can wear again to dinner or a social gathering is even more meaningful. Have you ever asked a friend where she got her dress and her response was, “This was my best friend’s bridesmaid dress,”? Instead of frilly and horrid, dress your girls beautifully. They deserve it.
