Weddingbee Blog

So I think it’s time we revisit this whole bridesmaid situation. Clothing, that is. Remember ohsolongago I debated between light, bright, or black & white? That feels like freakin’ forever ago. Yowza.

Anyhoo, in case you forgot (i almost did!) bright was the winner, and we decided that our ladies would wear a combo of plain/patterned dresses and suits in bright colors with a vintage feel. I ain’t gonna lie or pretend- we did NOT say they could wear anything they wanted. We didn’t give them our blessing and send ‘em out carte blanche into the world. Nope. We like to torture ourselves. So we went shopping.

Yes. One Saturday a few weeks ago we all piled into Lil’ Stripes Volvo and headed to the mall. I think I should tell you guys now, that while I shop for a living, (and truly enjoy it) going to the mall with my girlfriends is NOT a part of my reality. Sure it looks lovely on SATC, but we usually skip the shopping and head straight for the drinks, if ya know what I mean.

So we’re at the mall for about 36 seconds before I realize that:

1. I hate almost everything in the stores right now. Remember- I pretty much live in the mall.
2. Not all bridesmaids appreciate this whole youallweardifferentdresses trend. It’s confusing. But whaaat color? Vintage/French/Modern/Carnival? What does that meeeeean?
3. Shopping with each girl individually would have been a better idea.
4. Um. We’re really at the mall now. Oh shit.

We needed drinks. And stat.

After eating in a generic butohsodisgustingly delicious restaurant we put our heads down and got to work. We sorted through the ugly, the shiny, and the fantastically expensive (and ugly) and eventually we actually ended up with a few dresses.

Clockwise from top left: Luckily Bridesmaid J shares my love for irony. Isn’t that the most fantastically ginormous bow you’ve ever seen? J is preggo (yay! congrats!) and that little avocado will probably be a pineapple come September, so we didn’t buy the dress. Not to worry- we’re having it made in a magenta raw silk a little closer to the wedding. Bridesmaid Sister L (all the way in Hawaii) still has to decide between these Modcloth dresses. Hear that L? On the off chance you’re reading: Make up your mind already! Lil’ Stripe picked this beauty out on her own (and somehow snuck a new color into our palette!) but doesn’t she just look gorgeous? And finally, all the way from Japan, Bridesmaid N chose this fantastically flowered number (also Modcloth).

So yes. They’re fantastic. And our ladies are going to look stunning. And you couldn’t drag me and a herd of bridesmaids back into a mall EVER again no matter how much you paid me. And no matter how much I love our ‘maids. So it’s a good thing that this whole wedding business only happens once (knock on wood).

Not. Even. Kidding.

If you’re gonna go this route I highly recommend:

1. Be less of a control freak than I am. Give the girls your blessing and send ‘em out into the world
2. If you can’t (and oh how I understand your pain) and you still wanna shop, than do it one girl at a time. Individual attention and avoiding the toomanycooksinthekitchen phenomenon is key. Trust me—I’m handing out valuable trade secrets here.
3. Modcloth. It’s vintagey, cheap, and easy. Post shopping trip, we browsed, emailed our remaining (naked) girls with pics of the dresses we liked, and told ‘em that if one struck their fancy to buy it and tell us which one they chose. Easy peasy awesome-sauce.

Dressing our eight ‘maids (Team Awesome?) is a trip. It’s the perfect storm of different styles, body types, personalities, and budgets. And we still have four more to go. *Deep breath. Next up, we tackle a couple more dresses, as well as vests/bow ties/skinny jeans. Maybe. Jury’s still out on skinny jeans, but I’m loving the idea for a wedding!

Did you let your attendants pick their own attire? And did you have any ladies in pants? Oh! And be honest. Mixing it up—more or less stressful than sending ‘em over to David’s with a swatch of something shiny?