How to Choose Bridesmaid Dresses your girls will love

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“Always a Bridesmaid…Never a Bride.” I’ve been in my fair share of weddings as a bridesmaid, and now its my turn to be a bride! You always hear horror stories of dresses the brides pick out for her bridesmaids, and I have experienced one myself.  Sometimes brides don’t necessarily think of their bridesmaids wants when picking their dresses, but now, some brides are much better at allowing their Bridesmaids to choose their dresses or at least give some input.  I always wanted to be the bride who let her girls pick a dress they would love and feel beautiful in…and most importantly comfortable.  So, when Amsale reached out to work with us, I was over the moon, because I fell in love with their styles, and I could see a perfect dress for each girl.

So here are some ways to be sure your girls will love their dresses.

Have a Try on Party

The minute I flipped through Amsale’s site, I knew I wanted my girls in some of their beautiful dresses.  We found a salon who carried a large selection of Amsale Bridesmaid dresses, and booked an appointment for my bridesmaids to try them on.  We headed to Mon Amie Bridal Salon in Costa Mesa, and had a try on party!

Let them in the decisions

Obviously, if you’re a bride who has a super specific idea of what you want your bridesmaids to wear, some of these may not apply to you.  But, you can always try to see what they would like to wear as well.  I personally would rather my girls feel beautiful than have them stuck in something even I wouldn’t want to wear.  Be considerate of their opinions.

I never had a certain style or type of dress that I HAD to make my girls wear. The most important thing to me was that they liked the dress they were wearing and they felt beautiful in them. Amsale has such a huge line of different dresses, that I was sure each girl would find one she loved.

My Maid of Honor is my youngest sister, so I made sure to ask her preference on dresses first. To my delight, she picked the one I would have wanted her in.

Our consultant who was working with us, dropped the dresses off in a huge room, and I had my girls go in and put on whatever dress was their favorite.

They all came out in dresses that were the same line, but different styles, and worked so perfectly together!  I had them try on their second favorites as well, and then we just started trying on lots of dresses.  But the one they walked out in first, ended up being the ones we picked.

Listen to Your Girls

If you’re going to let them have some input, you’re going to have to listen to them.  If one girl tells you she would rather not wear a super clingy dress, it’s not quite fair for you to put her in that in the end.  If you want your girls to be happy with their dresses, be sure to listen to what they would want, and what they definitely wouldn’t feel comfortable in. One other thing I love about the Amsale Bridesmaid Line, is that they have maternity dresses that go well with the others as well.  So, in case any of my girls happened to be pregnant, we would have an option for her as well.

Think of Each Girl

If you are wanting all of your bridesmaids to wear the exact same dress, you will have to think of each girl individually.  I’m a redhead, so wearing an orange, pink or red can be a bit tricky.  I might look washed out or the coloring won’t look good on me, even though it could for the other girls.  Take sizes into consideration too.  You don’t want your shorter petite bridesmaid being swallowed up in a huge gown, and you won’t want all your bridesmaids having to wear spanx and “suck it in” all night.  (I was one of these bridesmaids years ago, and I was a size 2! A super cling dress is probably not the best idea!)  Amsale offers dresses in all types and sizes.  Long and short, flowy and clingy…there’s bound to be a perfect dress for each girl.

Be Flexible

You might have a dress that you love, but when the girls try them on, it’s possible they won’t look as good as you imagined, or they might not be comfortable in them. (i.e. Sequins in the armpits).  Be ready to allow some wiggle room for change if that happens.

Originally, I thought my bridesmaids would choose dresses that were different than each other, so thats what I had in mind.  Since I allowed them to pick their favorites, and they all came out in the same type of dress, they were more alike than I had anticipated.  But, since the girls loved them so much, and of course they looked great, I was totally fine with letting them be a little more uniform than I first thought.  Luckily, Amsale had enough different dresses in the same line, that all 6 of my bridesmaids have a unique dress to them!

Budget 

This is where things can get a little tricky, and unfortunately, we’ve seen lots of friendships take a hit when it comes to bridesmaids vs brides opinions.  Everyones situation is different, but make sure you settle who is paying for the dresses.  If you are wanting your bridesmaids to pay for their dresses, you probably should give in a little more to what they want.  It’s not quite fair if you require your bridesmaids to pay $500 for a dress they hate and will definitely never wear again.  Also, think about what other expenses you are asking your bridesmaids to be responsible for.  Are you going to require them to get their hair and makeup professionally done on top of buying their dress? Then you will probably want to stick towards the more budget friendly end.

If you fall in love with a higher end designer dress, maybe let your girls wear whatever shoes or jewelry they already own, so you’re not adding matching shoes and jewelry to their budget, etc.

Your Wedding day is all about you and your husband to be…but remember that your girls are there as a support to you, and you can thank them by not making them wear some ugly, uncomfortable, or outdated dress.  You picked these girls for a reason, and hopefully that reason is because you love them!

We had such a blast trying all the Amsale dresses, you can check out their whole line of bridesmaid dresses here!

Thanks so much to Amsale and Mon Amie Bridal for sponsoring this post and helping with our fittings!!

Sara, a seasoned expert in wedding planning and date ideas, brings a wealth of experience to our couples blog. With a background in the television industry and hands-on involvement in a dozen weddings, including working as a wedding assistant on "My Fair Wedding with David Tutera," Sara has an innate understanding of the magic that makes weddings truly special. Growing up with four sisters has given her unique insights into the dating world, making her a go-to source for practical and heartfelt dating advice. Her knowledge and enthusiasm make her the perfect guide for couples seeking to infuse their relationships with creativity and love.

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