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So you’ve heard me talk previously about letting the girls choose their own dresses, but I don’t think I told you that was officially the way we are going to go. But it is! Look how great it looks for people to be able to choose their own, and to have some variety in the wedding party.
The dresses in the first image are from Australian designer Rose and Ruby.
Speaking of dresses though, one of my bridesmaids (and future sister in law) already got her dress and shoes! Way to go Katherine! She did a little shopping in Houston, stopped in the Jessica McClintock store, and found a gorgeous dress.
I can’t find a picture of the dress in grey, though I promise the one she got is grey, not blue.
What are some things to avoid when having your bridesmaids choose their own dresses? How much direction should you give them?
Wow! Your FSIL’s dress is adorable — sweet, yet sexy. What a sassy little strapless number 
I’m having the girls wear long, black dresses. I only asked for no long sleeves. I thought it might look a bit off if one had long sleeves and the other five didn’t. Maybe it would look fine, but oh well.
I just told them a) they have to be green b) they have to be short and c) I have to ok it first (my younger sister tends to pick dresses that are too revealing or casual). Nothing has materialized yet so I’m just waiting to see what happens!
I told my BMs to pick whichever dress they wanted, as long as it was the color of my choice and not floor length. We went to Alfred Angelo and they all ended up liking the same dress. Go figure, huh?
I really like the look of the different styles. That third picture with the blue dresses is great! They all look perfect together.
I asked them to choose a black dress that they felt was comfortable, they looked good in, would wear again, and didn’t cost more than $75 (even though they are paying for them). I also asked that it be bridal party appropriate, and I wanted to see them post-purchse (to make sure it was ok). As a group they decided that they wanted between knee length and just below the knee- so no floor length. I think it’s important to give some guidelines unless you’re 100% comfortable with whatever they could come up with.
I told my bridesmaids to get a short purple dress and to wear whatever they wanted for jewelry and shoes, and it worked great. As they got dresses I emailed the pictures out to the rest of the bridesmaids, and they did a good job looking coordinated but not matchy. Actually, two of the bridesmaids ended up with the same dress which nobody realized until right before the ceremony, despite the emailed pictures. The two girls had such different body types that the dress looked entirely different on them. 
I love the idea of letting the ladies choose their own dresses. I did this, with a couple of parameters. I asked the ladies to get JCrew dresses in black in a shorter length–any material. I wanted them to look different, but all to be in black. This worked out really well for us, as they were all able to find dresses on sale.
A few of those dresses look like pajamas. I would avoid that!
Thank you for this! I’m considering doing this and only giving my girls color and length guidelines - but I can’t decide on color!
That is a SUPER cute dress! I love the idea of them all wearing a different dress in the same color family
@amariem25: I think you need a certain body to pull off some of those dresses, but I think they are all really pretty
OMG those dress inspiration pics you posted are all sooo super cute. I would wear any of those dresses and LOVE them!
I love the idea of the girls wearing the dresses they choose in similar color families! Personally I think your friends are your friends bc of the uniqueness of themselves and what they bring to your life, having them be able to show their own personalities and not look like versions of the same girl (same dress, same hair, same make-up, same shoes…yes I had a friend require that of us bridesmaids) is awesome!! It lets them feel comfortable and look hot on your big day. I know for me its a day I want to share with my friends and have everyone look and feel good!!
Great inspiration pics! I love this idea and your FSIL’s dress is awesome! I’m sure your BMs would look great!
I like how coordinated these dresses are. I think the amount of direction you give should be dependent upon 1) how much of a control freak you are 2) how much you trust your girls and 3) the level of mis-match or coordination you’re going for.
eeek! I love your inspiration pics… you have the best style. I love how all the flower colors match the dresses & tie it all together!
I am thinking about letting the girls pick their own dresses (I’m still on the fence about how many I want) but I think its important to give them a color or a fabric swatch showing the color tones you want.
i did the same.
although i had 2 requests.
1. I pick the color
2. they all wear short dresses or they all wear long dresses.
they all opted for long dresses. and each dress was definitly unique. but they all looked so beautiful
I love this trend, I have never been too big on the matchy-matchy look! I actually asked all my girls to pick a black dress, just thinking that would be something they could easily wear again, and that some of them might already have one that they wanted to wear. But after seeing all the awesome pics recently (I’ve been engaged for over a year) I wish I would have picked a color instead. LOVE the blue in these inspiration pics! But we’re using fall colors, mostly orange and red, and those are hard for some people to wear so that’s why I picked black too.
I actually had no thought of what I wanted the dress to look like, and haven’t even seen most of them, but some of the girls seemed almost uncomfortable without more guidance, so I said roughly knee length. I think thats all I said about specifications.
I love this trend as well-much more modern! I wasn’t totally comfortable with giving my girls complete freedom (yes, I may be a bit of a control freak) I did get input from everyone though. Each girl is wearing a tea length black dress from the Jenny Yoo collection, but each has a different neckline, of their own choosing. I am excited about it! Each girl will choose their own hairstyle, shoes, and makeup style so I feel like was reasonable
Oh how I lusted over those Rose and Ruby dresses…until I found out how much they cost. Deys axpeeeeeensive! But still purdy. 
Love your BM’s dress!
I’m a huge fan of mixing up bridesmaids dresses. I say either stick with a similar color palette or ask them to all wear the same length. You need a little symmetry so that your bridesmaids stand out from your regular guests. I love the new looks from Ann Taylor that were recently shown during Fashion Week. Happy shopping!
http://perfectbound.blogspot.com/2009/09/ann-taylor-see-now-wear-now-for-your.html
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Mrs. Frozen Yogurt, Dallas Age and Occupation: 28, Special Projects Coordinator Fiance's Age and Occupation: 26, Equity Trader Engagement Date: March 19, 2009 Wedding Date: April 2010 Venue: Marie Gabrielle, Dallas About Me: I was born and raised in Texas, and have lived in several of the cities across the state, but I currently reside in Austin. I went to college in Boston and have a special place in my heart for the Northeast. I love reading, shopping, wine, reuniting with college friends that are scattered across the country, reality TV, trying out new recipes, and attempting all the DIY projects that come along with wedding planning. I'm a "bleeding heart, save the world type" and thankfully my job allows me to work on legislation and policy to help out those in need. I met Mr. Frozen Yogurt in a bar, though he doesn't even drink! And now we are planning a modern yet vintage wedding in Dallas while dealing with the trials and tribulations of first time homeownership.
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