I've seen/heard a lot of questions about mismatched bridal party members and how well it has worked for some people. Well, it worked out great for our wedding! So I figured I would share. I think part of the reason it worked well for us is that our bridesmaids communicated with each other a decent amount and asked me what the other girls had bought, things like that...so they were basically all making sure that what they picked out would look good together.
Also, we had something unusual--a groomswoman! Which I loved. But I had a lot of difficulty finding other people who have had groomswomen and what they've done in those situations. So hopefully this will help some of you out if you're looking for ideas or input.
Mismatched bridesmaids - I gave my girls general guidelines: around knee-length, some kind of straps or sleeves (not sleeveless), and color (medium gray) and let them pick out their own gray dresses and teal shoes. I purchased them all matching teal earring/necklace sets for them as a gift from Etsy (
http://www.etsy.com/listing/95487057/set-of-5-super-simple-swarovski-crystal). My sister/MOH has stretched earlobes, so I gave her different earrings...they were gauged glass spirals in teal to match the rest of the jewelry.
Mismatched groomsmen and groomswoman (ringbearer/husband's son also pictured)- All of our groomsmen purchased their own charcoal gray suits and white french-cuffed shirts. Our groomswoman purchased a charcoal gray formal dress (similar to my mismatched bridesmaids) from David's Bridal. Her dress jacket helped her fit in more as "one of the guys". She wore a wrist corsage instead of a bouquet, black heels, and wore the same matching jewelry as my bridesmaids. All our ties were bought from Dessy in the "jade" color.
