Bridesmaid dresses? Who should choose?

Ok, I stil haven't decided on colors yet. But when the time comes to get bridesmaids dresses, how do I go about making everyone feel comfortable in what they are wearing? Should I tell them, 'these are the colors, choose a dress' or should I give them a few different styles in the color I want or should I let them choose the dress and let them decide what color to wear.


Matching the wedding of course! Like my matron of honor wear one color and the bridesmaids alternate in color, cause I know I am going with at least 2 colors. It could go like this: light blue, lilac, light blue, lilac? One of my bridesmaid is a little on the heavy side and I don't want her to be uncomfortable in what everyone else will be wearing. Any advice is welcome! Thanks!!

Bridesmaid dresses? Who should choose?
For my wedding, since my bridal party was all different sizes, I gave them the color swatch and went with them to pick out their dresses. I let them choose the dress of their liking to their body types and it looked great.





A good friend of mine did the same thing with her bridal party since they girls were all different ages (12 - 40) and each girl/woman chose a dress appropriate to their age and body type.





If you feel that you want them to be comfortable with a dress choice, good for you! I completely encourage it.
Reply:I trusted my bridesmaid enough to choose the dress they thought would best match our styles.


I didnt even see the dress's until they were paid for. Dresse's were fantastic but needed to take them for minor alterations.


Your bridesmaids are your bridesmaids for a special reason! Report It

Reply:I am going to let my bridesmaids pick out their dresses in the color or colors that I chose for my wedding. I do have a wide range of sizes in the bridesmaids that I have chosen and like you do not want them to feel uncomfortable. Make sure to give them specifications, like it must me floor length, etc.





To answer you question as the "full figured" girl that I am, I would like to tell you that YES definately do the pick your own dress thing because I am currently battling with having to wear a little skimpy bridesmaid dress on June 16th and honestly I am absolutely mortified. The dress is very revealing, the back comes down to about 2 inces above my bottom end. It would look great if I weighed 115 pounds like the bride, but I don't anymore. So if it is just for your "heavy" friend, let them choose. Good luck!!!
Reply:I didn't want to make any of my BMs feel uncomfortable, but I had a certain look in mind for the wedding, so I wasn't comfortable sending them out with a color and telling them to get their own dress. I don't think they would have felt comfortable with that either - that's a lot of pressure to put on someone, especially one who is uncomfortable with shopping. Naturally, the girls are going to want to at least coordinate so one doesn't show up in a cotton sundress and another one show up in a ballgown.





A good compromise for me was letting them pick their own mix and match separates from Davids in a color I specified. They got to pick what flattered them, and the dresses looked similar enough that the bridal party looked like it belonged together. I'm not a big fan of BMs dressed in random dresses - to me it looks even more awkward than BMs dressed in cookie cutter dresses.





The girls like the guidelines - they all ended up picking the same skirt and between the four of them, three different tops (the maid and matron of honor picked the same top without knowing it). The heavier girls were pleased that they weren't wearing a dress designed for a skinny girl, and my petite flatchested cousin didn't feel awkward trying to fit into a dress more appropriate for a bustier woman.
Reply:I think it's best just for all of you to go window shopping just to get some ideas. Another idea is to choose a colour and have them choose the style which suits them best.
Reply:pick your color or colors and then go with them to pick the dresses they like and fit there body type..
Reply:my sister picked out a skirt for eveyone and we got to pick out what style top we wanted, but they were all the same color
Reply:Separates are always a good idea. Pick a nice a-line skirt and then let them pick their own top. You get to pick the color.
Reply:Go to Davids Bridals website. You can "dress your wedding party" there and see how the colors will look together, etc. There are also gowns with several different style tops/skirts in the same color line. Maybe you could choose the color and let the bridesmaids choose the style gown that suits their body best. Good luck and congratulations!
Reply:I was just MOH for my cousin and she considered all the options you mentioned because 2 of us were heavier, 2 were skinny, then 2 were teens, while the others were older...I'm also very top-heavy and couldn't wear anything strapless or halter...ultimately, she picked a dress she liked, and the colors (of course), then we all went to try it on and overruled her and got a dress everyone could wear and feel good in! You have to do what works for you, but remember, these women are in your bridal party because you love them and want them to feel proud of themselves, too!
Reply:I definitely think letting them choose their own dress style is a wise idea, that is what I am letting mine do because they range in size from 2-20. If you want to use two different colors, either assign them a color, or let them draw out of a hat so you don't have bickering over who gets to wear what color. I think it's great that you are thoughtful enough to consider their comfort.
Reply:I am letting my bridesmaids pick their own dresses, but i am picking the colors. This way they get something that they love, and it will remind them of my wedding date. I am getting them matching accessories and a small bouquet that are exactly a like. so these things will tie my wedding party together.
Reply:I told my bridesmaid's the color of their dresses and let them decide between different dresses. You don't want any of them feeling uncomfortable in what they are wearing. I have a sister that is very well endowed and another one that doesn't have much going on up top but she has a big butt (which she loves) and I want them to feel good in what they are wearing down the isle.
Reply:i am going to do the same thing as Scarlett. i will give them all the color swatch, and they can pick for themselves.
Reply:The bride chooses the colors to go with the wedding's color scheme. A lot of brides have certain styles in mind and want complete control over everything, but if you prefer you can let them know what color(s) you have in mind and let them choose the styles. Thats what i did, and everyone chose dresses they were comfortable in and happy with.
Reply:You should pick a few designs you like in the colors you like and then have them look at the same sites and pick a few designs they like in the colors you choose and then compare. I like the idea of different colored gowns. My colors are lilac and yellow and I'm only have my sis as MOH and niece as a bridesmaid so one will wear lilac and the other yellow. And I found the most beautiful flower girl dress that is exactly the color I wanted.This is an excellent site with hundreds of designs and colors at very affordable prices. Hope it helps and congrats. http://www.justthebeginnings.com
Reply:The easy answer? It's your big day. They are your friends/family. They will get over what ever you pick. You need to be happy on your wedding and not stressed out that nobody wants the same kind of dress.
Reply:I guess this would partially depend on who is paying for the dresses. For my wedding I had varying sizes of gals but I wanted them all to wear matching gowns, so I picked a style that flattered all of them and I rented the dresses and I paid, since I knew some of them did not have the money to buy dresses they would never wear again. In that case I felt I had the right to choose the dresses as long as no one looked bad. If they are paying though I think you would have to let them have at least some say in choosing something that will look good on them.
Reply:I like weddings where you can tell the bridesmaid got to pick out the design that she was most comfortable in. I think that is what I will do with my wedding. Because everyone is built differently, everyone will look different (either good or bad) in the bridesmaid dress. So, since the girls will be paying for their dresses (as is traditional) why not let them pick it out? Unless you are paying for them, which you get to decide:O)
Reply:You should take your bridesmaids shopping with you and let them pick out dresses they like. Then you can agree on a style that everyone likes.
Reply:he best thing for you to do is to meet with all of the bridesmaids and describe your ideas to them and ask them how they feel. If they have any ideas themselves take note of them and come to a compromise. Another idea would be to take them to the shop where you may buy these dresses and get them to try on a variety of dresses and to see which makes them feel most comfortable. You could always just pick a colour scheme and tell them to pick which dress they are most comfortable in - they don't all have to wear the same style dress. The important thing is to make sure that everybody is happy with the final decision, yourself included.





Best of luck for the wedding.
Reply:Well I would pick out the color since its my wedding but as for the style of the dresses let them choose there own style because not every body looks good in the same style. ya dig. that's what I'm doing at my wedding.
Reply:I have all different sizes in my wedding party too.


size 2, size 8 and size 20.


I told them what color I wanted and told them to choose dresses in that color. Would you know the first time we went they all chose the same dress! I lucked out.



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