Attention Bridesmaids

We’ve all worn them at one time or another. Some of those dresses we’d like to forget, but we’ve come along way from those puffy sleeved, teal, taffeta dresses. The bridal industry today is booming with beautiful, stylish, and affordable bridesmaids’ dresses. So rest assured fellow brides, you are going to have a really fun time picking out those bridesmaid’s dresses.

On a recent trip to local bridal shop, Tiffany’s by Maya, I interviewed owner Maya Warburton about the different trends in bridal fashion with both bridesmaid’s dresses and wedding dresses. Maya has a fascinating background and expertise when it comes to fashion in the bridal world. She has worked with top designers such as Versace’ and Vera Wang, so needless to say, I was all ears when she told me the basics about picking out the perfect bridesmaid’s dress for my perfect day.

The first thing to remember before starting your search is that you have to try things on. Don’t be afraid! Things on hangers look much different that they do on the body. So if you can, bring your maid of honor, your best friend, or whoever you can grab and take them shopping and have them try on a couple of different styles that you wouldn’t necessarily think would work for your bridal party. You’ll be surprised at what you might end up with. So that is what I did. I grabbed my sister who is my Matron of Honor and took her along to model the different style dresses. We had a blast! It’s so much more fun when you can play dress up with someone else and not have to try the dresses on yourself. Trust me, after trying on wedding dresses you are ready for it to be someone else’s turn. But you still have the final say in what dress everyone is going to wear. So it can feel like a big responsibility but a fun one.

A hot, new style right now is called the separates line. This is a great option if you have a number of different size ranges in your bridal party. It’s a style that flatters all types of figures. And it also makes everyone happy. It’s really easy too. The bride picks the skirt and the color and then the bridesmaid’s can choose anywhere between 6-12 styles of tops depending on what they like or feel most comfortable in. Also, you can order the top and the bottom in two different sizes if needed which cuts down on the cost of alterations. It’s not as uniform as having everyone in the same dress but it compliments one another and all the dresses are the same color. There are, however, definitely some brides that want to stick with something a little bit more traditional and are really set on having everyone in the same dress or two pieces, but still have the concern of what will work well on everyone. This is a great bridesmaid dress that would work well on everybody.

These days pretty much anything goes. Bright colors such as Fuchsia and tangerine are being mixed with colors you wouldn’t normally dream of, but end up looking fabulous. And I have to be honest after seeing this next dress in Fuchsia and chocolate I almost changed my colors. They are already pink and chocolate but not as bright pink like the color used in this dress. But ladies, I have to tell you there are some really cool color combinations out there. If you aren’t decided on your colors yet I encourage you to go take a look at the bridesmaid’s dresses that are up and coming. You could plan your entire event around the colors you choose for your bridesmaid’s dresses.

This next dress, Maya stated, represents how fashion forward the bridal industry has come. One thing you are going to see in the next coming season is tiers, lots and lots of layers both in bridesmaids and in bridal dresses. And what is great about the dress shown here is that your bridesmaid will wear this dress again. It also comes in a longer version so you can really have fun and put you’re your bridesmaids in one length and your maid of honor in anther. It just makes the dress look a little more versatile and a little more fun.

Well I know I’ve learned a lot from Maya about choosing my bridesmaid’s dresses and I hope you have too. But let’s just review real quick with some basic rules. You want to make sure that all your bridesmaids get professionally measured and that when you are ready to order the dresses that you do go through one particular store. To make sure it’s the same fabric, same color and the same designer. Dye-lots do vary and also it’s going to be less stress for you knowing that all the dresses are coming to one place rather than to stores all over the country. And never fear, the bridal store can and will ship the dresses to any of your out of town girls. Most stores will give you a bridesmaid’s measurement form and your bridesmaids can either call in their measurements with their deposit or mail in or fax it in. So with technology today, no matter where they are, you can pick the place that is comfortable for you as the bride and then go from there and your bridesmaids will be taken care of.

*All tips come from Tiffany and Maya Warburton of Tiffany’s by Maya in Norfolk, Virginia. For more information, go to www.tiffanysbymaya.com.