How synchronised should bride and bridesmaids be?

Do you opt for bridesmaids dresses that coordinate and are in harmony with your own dress, or do you choose a contrast?

You’ve picked your dress for the big day. It’s gorgeous, it’s stylish and it’s totally you and you simply can’t wait to put it on and walk down the aisle. Now you’re left with the task of dressing the bridesmaids. Do you opt for bridesmaids dresses that coordinate and are in harmony with your own dress, or do you choose a contrast?

Whilst many brides opt for some coordination between what they wear and the bridal party, others choose a complete contrast. Both have their advantages and the choice is of course completely up to you.

Giving your bridesmaids more freedom

Some brides, although not many we suspect, like the idea of giving their bridesmaids the freedom of shopping for their own dresses. Whilst being let loose in a shopping mall to choose their own bridesmaid dress can be great fun, you should be aware that this level of freedom could easily backfire – just think of the wedding photos with the bride and her bridesmaids donning numerous different colours, styles and fabrics!

Think of the photos

Which brings us on to the photos. When deciding whether to harmonise or contrast bridal and bridesmaids’ gowns think ahead to the photos. For example, if you’re wearing a pink wedding dress and you want the bridesmaids to wear red, the clashing tones might look a tad out of place, not only on the photos but at the wedding itself! Different coloured dresses might be a modern wedding fashion trend but ensure that if you do opt for contrasting colours, the shades work well together.

Short, long, or a bit of both?

Many brides like the thought of having the length of their bridesmaids’ dresses different from their own. For example, if you are planning on wearing a long, flowing wedding dress, dressing the bridesmaids in knee-length or even shorter dresses can make a visually-stunning contrast.

Diverging styles but with a similar feature

Contrasting the style of the bridesmaids’ dresses with your own is a popular way to create some disparity in the overall look but opting for entirely different aspects, including the fabric, style, shape, length and colour can craft a ‘messy’ and ‘erratic’ look and feel.

If you want to ‘mix and match’ think about keeping certain elements the same between the bride’s gown and the bridesmaids’ dresses, such the fabric, the neckline, the colour or the general shape of the dresses.

Use accessories wisely

One creative way to create either unity or diversity is through bridal accessories. For example, if you opt to harmonise your wedding dress with your bridesmaids’, opting for contrasting accessories such as jewellery or hairpieces can be a great way to add a bit of intrigue and diversity to the bridal party. By the same token, if you decide to wear contrasting wedding attire, wearing similar accessories can be an equally effective way to bring some unity and cohesion to the bride and bridesmaids’ look.

Image: https://katiekav.com – Bridesmaids dresses from our shop

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