Advice for bridesmaids dresses

LoriAH11

So here is the dress I am more thank likely getting -1&src=res&keep=-1">http://www.theknot.com/wedding-dress/justin-alexander/8465?ctx=-1:-1-1&src=res&keep=-1.

I want black bridesmaid dresses and my accent colors throughout the wedding are cobalt blue and granny smith green.

I have found three dresses that I really love for bridesmaids dresses. I have 8 bridesmaids. These two Cynthia Rowley dresses I really love. I am thinking about saying my BM's can choose which ever of the dresses they want to wear and can choose what color the ribbon is between the colors palomino, sapphire and apple slice.  Here are the links to both of them http://www.dessy.com/dresses/bridesmaid/8007/ http://www.dessy.com/dresses/bridesmaid/8008/

The other dress that I found is this one, I would have everyone wear it in black and get green shoes. http://www.dessy.com/dresses/bridesmaid/d440/

I have bridesmaids of all different sizes. Soem that are super skinny, one that will be 6 months after having her second child and another who will have been about 8 months out of chemotherapy that has caused her to gain 40 pounds so she isn't sure how fast she is going to be able to get rid of that weight and one that I have a sneak feeling will probably be far into a pregnancy.

I appreciate any in put you gals have!

nhelene

I think the last dress you posted works the best with your dress.

However, that's not going to be a good look on a pregnant woman or some of the larger women depending on where they carry their weight.  I think any combination of black dresses will look fine together. 

I say let them get their own black dresses from wherever they want, showing them the ones you like as examples.   And definitely let them pick their own shoes, even if you're picking the color.

waltzingmatilda13

I like all the dresses, but based on the information that you have given us I would say to let all the girls choose their own dress and just give them color and length guidelines. You've basically said that half your girls will be difficult to fit properly, so I think it would make them really happy to know that you want them to be comfortable on your wedding day. And I don't reccomend green shoes either. I know I would never wear green shoes so it would be a waste of money. Maybe let them get black or silver shoes?

dizzinea

i think all these dress choices are awesome, definitly let them pic between the three, the last one has the most potential to be flattering on the fuller figured girls.

aerinpegadrak

I had girls size 2-22 for the wedding.  I just told them to wear black.  There was no way any one dress was going to look good on all of them.

dwest2201

I'm doing the same colors! 

These are the two that I like (I've got 6 bridemaids that range from 5' 160lbs  to 5'9" 130lbs and everything in between and I'm not doing strapless because of them have HUGE boobs!)

http://www.dessy.com/dresses/bridesmaid/d418/?color=sapphire&colorid=77

http://www.dessy.com/dresses/bridesmaid/6552/?color=apple%20slice&colorid=1001

LoriAH11

Yeah, I've thought about just letting them pick out a black dress. But I am really OCD about certain things. It isn't that I"m a "bridezilla" b/c I really do want my girls to look nice and be comfortable in what they are wearing (and those two things go hand in hand). It is just that there are certain necklines and silhouettes that I just don't like together and I don't want to back track when I say "pick out what you want" and then totaly micro-managing what they are picking out. I feel like that would be more ill-received than me picking out a dress maybe they aren't the biggest fan of.

In regards to the brighter shoes, all of my girls are pretty quirky and would actually wear apple green shoes again.  There is only one that might not, and she made me wear a pale orange dress, orange shoes with orange lipstick in her wedding, so I have no mercy when it comes to her, haha.

dwest2201

If you wanted to do something like let them pick you could always tell them you have to order from this store in this/these colors and if must be... knee length for example and in this material, satin, chiffon, etc.  Similar to the wear black but you still get your colors and they can pick what they want and how much they spend.

waltzingmatilda13

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/wedding-boards_attire-accessories_advice-bridesmaids-dresses?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Wedding%20BoardsForum:15Discussion:65874f7b-5a9b-40de-bc7b-220d2b9936eePost:237b8c11-52f1-4714-8bd2-894811539b0c">Re: Advice for bridesmaids dresses</a>:
[QUOTE]Yeah, I've thought about just letting them pick out a black dress. But I am really OCD about certain things. It isn't that I"m a "bridezilla" b/c I really do want my girls to look nice and be comfortable in what they are wearing (and those two things go hand in hand).<strong> It is just that there are certain necklines and silhouettes that I just don't like together and I don't want to back track when I say "pick out what you want" and then totaly micro-managing what they are picking out</strong>. I feel like that would be more ill-received than me picking out a dress maybe they aren't the biggest fan of. In regards to the brighter shoes, all of my girls are pretty quirky and would actually wear apple green shoes again. <strong> There is only one that might not, and she made me wear a pale orange dress, orange shoes with orange lipstick in her wedding, so I have no mercy when it comes to her, haha.</strong>
Posted by LoriAH11[/QUOTE]

But that's really my whole point, different people look better in different necklines and would feel more comfortable in them and would look better in them.

You should be the bigger person here. I would ask all the girls (separately) if they would be okay with getting green shoes. If one says no, including the orange lipstick girl, I wouldn't make them do it.

aerinpegadrak

Please see my signature re: OCD.

dwest2201

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/wedding-boards_attire-accessories_advice-bridesmaids-dresses?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Wedding%20BoardsForum:15Discussion:65874f7b-5a9b-40de-bc7b-220d2b9936eePost:237b8c11-52f1-4714-8bd2-894811539b0c">Re: Advice for bridesmaids dresses</a>:
[QUOTE]Yeah, I've thought about just letting them pick out a black dress. But I am really OCD about certain things. It isn't that I"m a "bridezilla" b/c I really do want my girls to look nice and be comfortable in what they are wearing (and those two things go hand in hand). It is just that there are certain necklines and silhouettes that I just don't like together and I don't want to back track when I say "pick out what you want" and then totaly micro-managing what they are picking out. I feel like that would be more ill-received than me picking out a dress maybe they aren't the biggest fan of. In regards to the brighter shoes, all of my girls are pretty quirky and would actually wear apple green shoes again.  <strong>There is only one that might not, and she made me wear a pale orange dress, orange shoes with orange lipstick in her wedding, so I have no mercy when it comes to her, haha.</strong>
Posted by LoriAH11[/QUOTE]

I just cracked up at this... the dress and shoes are bad enough but the lipstick... WOW!  If she has a good sense of humor I would pick up some green lipstick for her! :)

LoriAH11

How do you know I don't have a mild form of OCD and certain shapes put together are one of my "things"? Along with going back and checking light switches and plugs multiple times before I leave the house and having to touch them to convince myself that they are in fact unplugged. I am by no means belitting an actual illness.

dwest: Now granted the lipstick was this brownish orange, but still it was a bit excessive. Considering she bought one tube of it and we all had to share the same tube. I put some lip gloss over mine b/c I don't like matte lipstick. Her mom went nuts on me told me I had to take it off and reapply because I was going to "stick out".

desert*bride

I like the last one you posted! But it's hard to pick out a dress for all of your girls online. have them try it on so you can see what it looks like on each of them!

LoriAH11

Thanks! That one was my original pick, because it is so simple that it can be worn again on a date night, with a cardian and cute tights in the fall/winter.  I just started realing like the first ones I posted too b/c the ribbon design on them is really unique and isn't something I've really seen in anyone else's wedding I was for sure going to have some of them try on the different ones. I'm not sure I can get everyone together, but some I can. I am just more or less curious on an outside opinion of the over all  look and idea of the dresses. I've looked at them several times and so it is making it harder for me to decide on them. 

dawsonm

I'm a little biased because I'm using this dress:

http://www.dessy.com/dresses/bridesmaid/2780/

which is basically the same cut as your last dress, just different material and the flower detail added.

My girls seem to really like the dress. They're all relatively smaller figured girls, but the bust and hips vary widely among the six of them, and it's working for all of them! 

And I understand about wanting people to match and things to go together. I know a lot of brides on here stand by wanting to make the BMs happy and letting them choose everything, but I guess I'm a traditionalist in that to me, it's your wedding day. I don't think you can humiliate anyone or ask them to do something really uncomfortable or even force anyone to do something, but when someone agrees to be a bridesmaid, all they have to do is show up and wear what you ask them to wear. If they want to do that for you, awesome! If they don't, that's okay. Your friends will understand if you'd like them to wear something particular. It's your call. 

LoriAH11

Thanks for the insight, dawnson! That is basically the same dress, I'm glad to know it is working for different body busts, hips, etc. I've shown the one similar to that to several of my bridesmaids and they all seem to really like it, and I have some pretty opinionated ones that would say "ugh, not a fan" or that I'd at least be able to read like a book if they were just saying it to be nice, haha.

It really is a sticky situation trying to find the right dress. Some people get super lucky letting people pick out their own dresses and it all ends up looking great. I will have age 43-14 in my wedding, just that generation gap alone could cause a "matching" disaster. I just feel like I would come off more bossy laying out my guidelines.

Thanks for the kind words!