Weddingbee Blog

I am so torn about bridesmaids’ dresses. I am having a fairly large bridal party because no one told me about the 50:1 (guests: bridesmaid) rule. Under this rule, I should only have one, possibly two bridesmaids. I have SIX! That being said, I have no idea how to dress them for the big day. I kind of miss the days of mandatory matching bridesmaids’ dresses! There are SOOO many options.

1. The traditional matching dresses (I LOVE THESE!)

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2. The same style in different colors

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3. The same color but with a choices of two or three styles

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4. The same color family, no prints, but generally bridesmaid’s choice

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5. Color scheme but complete bridesmaid’s choice

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6. Matching prints

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7. Mismatched prints

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I am not sure what dresses to pick, but I do have a few criteria:

• Costs less than $100
• Short and lightweight, since it is a daytime beach wedding
• Light colored (in the pink, champagne, or blush family)
• Preferably not strapless

I really love the look of matching dresses, but I love the idea of letting my bridesmaids pick their own dresses. I feel like if they pick their own dresses they are more likely to wear them again. Also, my bridesmaids are all such different shapes and sizes that I wouldn’t know how to pick a dress that would look good on all of them. (I definitely want everyone to look A-MAZING on my big day; I am not one of those brides! Hehe.) On the other hand, because my bridesmaids look so different I kind of like the idea of having dresses that make them look more unified. I feel like that makes them more special.

Additionally, three of my bridesmaids have already said they hate pink and will need a lot of help finding a dress. They made it clear that they are more than happy to wear a pink dress for me—they just don’t know how to pick a good pink dress. My sister basically laughed at me when I asked her if she would prefer to pick her own dress because she hasn’t worn a dress in years and claims to have never worn pink!

It seems like my best bet would be to pick two or three styles in the same color (family?) and let the bridesmaids choose the ones they like best. I feel like this really addresses the majority of my concerns and my bridesmaids’ concerns. The only problem is, where can I find two or three dresses in the same color that cost less than $100? I am under the impression, based on a very preliminary search, that I won’t be able to find dresses under $100 at a bridal/bridesmaids’ dress store…i.e., David’s Bridal, Dessy, or J. Crew. Am I wrong?