BMs in black at a casual wedding?

LoveWins88

Would it be weird if my bridesmaids wore black dresses to a casual, spring wedding?  Together with men in black suits, would it be too somber or formal?

The problem is, one BM HATES dresses. I told her she didn't have to wear a dress if she didn't want to, but she said she didn't want to stick out. But she isn't going to wear any spring colored dress at any other time, so it seems like that would be a waste of her money. At least, if she has a black dress, she could wear it to some other obligatory, dressy function.

I'm thinking sort of a red/turquoise color scheme with a few black accents, but is it too dark, with the bridal party wearing all that black?

duckie1905

black is pretty much appropriate all the time.  It is pretty classic and timeless.

BecW2be

I had black dresses at my casual wedding, and it looked fine. Can you add a red or turquoise sash that she can remove later and rewear the all black dress?

aerinpegadrak

Is this one BM the only reason you'd want black dresses?  There are lots of other formalwear options for women, she wouldn't necessarily be sticking out.  And most bridesmaids don't wear the dress again anyway, whether they like wearing dresses or not.  If she hates dresses, she won't wear it again no matter the color...

Check this out: http://www.weddingpantsuitsadvice.com/wedding-pant-suits-for-bridesmaids/ Perhaps she'd be more comfortable in a pantsuit in the same springy color as the bridesmaids.  (A lot of BM dress designers make MOB stuff in the same colors, which usually includes at least one option with pants.)  There's nothing wrong with black dresses in spring (my girls are wearing black in April), but if that's not the look you want, there are other ways to mesh your vision with your friend's comfort.

Shaki

my BM's are all wearing black and im having them wear colored shoes.

sand&candles

Not inappropriate at all! My bridesmaids are all wearing a different style of black satin dress to suit their personalities/body types. They'll be brightened by their flowers & jewelry. Monochromatic works for the bride & groomsmen, why not your supporting ladies?  And... your girls will probably thank you for choosing a dress they really can wear again.

I <3 Seabass

I think as long as the design and material of the dress are casual then black dresses should be fine for your wedding.

TurtlesAllTheWayDown

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/wedding-boards_reception-ideas_bms-black-casual-wedding?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Wedding%20BoardsForum:5Discussion:db0fdc66-89a3-41ec-96ad-ed68f8794495Post:b6260208-5b0d-4608-b3e6-9aca2f8ea169">Re: BMs in black at a casual wedding?</a>:
[QUOTE]I think as long as the design and material of the dress are casual then black dresses should be fine for your wedding.
Posted by I <3 Seabass[/QUOTE]

Agred. I'd probably do tea-length or cocktail length. And a fabric like chiffon or jersey knit.

MrsDel

I agree with most in this post being that black is timeless and appropriate regardless... Its your day do what you want!

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EMF9903

My brides maids are wearing black coctail length dresses from Davids Bridal.... very affordable and shocking rewearable, my sister picked this particular one because she said she liked it to wear again and the other we looked at she didnt like enough to wear again.... who knows if it will happen but a black coctail dress will go anywhere.  We are having a fairly casual relaxed wedding. 

And as far as the men wearing black suits along with the dresses I dont find it somber I think its pretty classic... our guys are in tuxes, black tie, black vest (FI wanted tuxes I didnt care, I kinda wanted black suits but its his choice) and our moms are also wearing black and white along with any sibblings that arent part of the wedding party.... I cant wait to see how it looks in pictures with bright colored flowers....

asermersheim2

my bms are wearing black dresses and i'm having them carry a colorful bouquet that will pop against the dresses. like someone else had said add a sash

SweetAdeline

I'm a bridesmaid in a casual wedding and we'll be wearing black. As long as the length is appropriate, I don't see why not. As for your non-dress wearing bridesmaid, she agreed to be in your wedding knowing she would have to make some concessions, so if you want pastel, she should understand if she's a good friend.

Regardless, I think the black will look great, especially with colorful flowers. Red and turqouise is such a fun color combo too! http://snippetandink.blogspot.com/2007/09/board-9-viva-las-vegas.html - so sassy!

anne.azano

I like becw2be's idea of adding a removable sash or adding color through flowers and/or brightly colored shoes and jewelry.  I think black dresses with turquoise jewelry and maybe red flowers would be gorgeous.   

ninjasgirl

I like the idea of the sash... I would do white to brighten the dress and then pop it with colorful flowers.  Plus, you could not have the groomsmen wear the jacket of the tux or suit to cut down on some of the black and to make it fit better with your casual feel.

cukimerrydoll

Black would be perfectly nice - it can go with pretty much everything.  You could do a turquoise sash with red flowers, or a red sash with turquoise flowers.  White might seem harsh against the black, but red is fairly common.

Offer some suggestions for helping with the BM who hates dresses, but still wants to wear one.  Short leggings or bike shorts always work for me - even if no one can see them, they still make me feel more comfortable.

AndyNJenn

I'm still contemplating my BM's in black.. however I just saw pictures of a casual wedding party in black, and the dresses were too dressy for the casual wedding and it didn't look good at all! so i think as long as the material is casual, then it should be fine! J Crew, Charlotte Russe, Express, all of those have little cotton black dresses that that fit my style for my wedding!

mainemommy

We're also doing black dresses & we're adding a blue sash to match my dress & the men's tuxes.

brit21489

My bridesmaids are wearing black dresses with white at the top. The shoes and bouquet will be purple (ranging from light to dark) so they pop. I think it is fine. If you are worried then the sash, like most suggested, would help lighten it up.

jefrox10

How about charcoal gray? It's not as formal as black and it's still wearable after the wedding. Having the men in charcoal would also work. Satin would be too formal of a material for a casual wedding. Chiffon would work and if it's in charcoal it wouldn't seem overly formal either.  Flowers would still pop against the dress as well. Maybe even consider a pattern of black and white like you see from White House Black Market, if it works for your color scheme.

Separates or trendy skirt suits are another great option, especially if the wedding is casual. She could re-wear the top but not the skirt or vice versa depending her preference. Similar to you, I want my maids to be as comfortable as possible. I believe it will show through in the photos and impact how much fun they have that day.

kuddles220

Yeah I sort of agree for spring I would probably do a shorter cocktail dress instead of a gown. My wedding colors are black and ivory but its in the fall and in the evening as well. But also true its totally your choice

CourtAndDoug

I'm getting married this July and my ladies are choosing their own little black dresses. I love my own so much! It litterlly went from FI's grandfather's funeral to MOH's rehersal dinner and it looked great at both. I wanted something that they could re-wear if they already owned it or re-use if they didn't already own it. Same with FI and his GM, they are purchasing their own black suits instead of renting a tux. Our colors are blue and white with a kick of black because both FI and I are part Scottish (my faimly check is the typical black and white and FI's is mostly blue) and my birthstone is a diamond (white) and FI's is a sapphire (blue).

MaidWindy

try something like this in black...

http://www.davidsbridal.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/ProductDisplayView?storeId=10052&catalogId=10051&categoryId=-49998958&currentIdx=38&subCategory=-49998976%7c-49998959%7c-49998958&catentryId=6124694&sort=

from david's bridal.

Zim345

I LOVE  this style from Davids Bridal for casual weddings and i have see nit in the stores very wearable again. It is a cotton material which makes it less formal for sure but is still cute. Plus I like the idea of using shoes to add color. Maybe the shoes and the flowers can be in the same color family? Just a thought...

Zim345

Wow that picture turned out huge sorry about that...guess that is what i get for going quick and cutting corners! The style # is 83312 I believe on that one if you want to look it up... Sorry again ladies for the amazon bridesmaid above!!!!!!

EMF9903

Zim.... thats the dress I am using in Black, my bridesmaids Love it and it is apparently super comfortable!