Down the Aisle With Chriselle: Bridesmaids Dress Search

down the aisle with chriselle bridesmaids part 1

This week on Down the Aisle with Chriselle we are talking bridesmaids dresses! Chriselle and one of her lovely bridesmaids, Sara, take a trip to Mary Me Bridal, a bridal boutique in Orange County, CA, to search for the perfect bridesmaids dress. Watch their journey as they learn some helpful tips + pointers in finding that perfect dress all her gals will love!

On Thursday, we’ll be sharing part two of their trip where Sara will try on a bunch of dresses Chriselle loves! While Chriselle and her lovely ladies try to determine what dress is right for them, I thought it would be fun to share what I see as the 4 directions you can go when selecting dresses your ladies. :)

bridesmaids in matching dresses

Bridesmaids in Matching Dresses
This is the most traditional look.  Even though the concept is traditional, remember that you aren’t limited to traditional bridesmaids dresses! The ladies in the top photo chose cute dresses from Anthropologie that I’m sure they wore after the wedding! If your ladies are all similar body types, this style will work great. If they aren’t, you may want to consider option two. :)

{top photo by Gideon Photography from this wedding, middle photo by Jill Thomas from this wedding, bottom photo by Benjamin and Elise Photography from this wedding}

Bridesmaids dresses in same color different styles


Bridesmaids in Same Color Dresses, but Different Styles
This is a great option for your gals, since your bridesmaids may prefer different styles of dresses. This concept allows your gals some options to ensure that each is comfortable, while staying on theme by using the exact color you selected for them! Lots of bridesmaids dress designers offer similar dresses in the same fabric color. My favorite places to find this look include: J. Crew, Two Birds, Dessy and Donna Morgan. If you’re a bit more adventurous, but still want to keep your bridesmaids on theme, option three may be of interest to you!

{top photo by Katie Neal from this wedding, middle photo by Alively Photography from this wedding, bottom photo by Michele M. Waite from this wedding}

bridesmaids one palette, unique dresses

Bridesmaids in same color family or palette, but unique dresses
This can be a fun idea to ensure that each of your gals loves her dress. The ideas here are endless!

Some brides have asked how to go about this, so here are my suggestions. While you’re giving your gals much more flexibility in selecting their dresses, you still need to give them some direction.  If not, you could be unpleasantly surprised. A super easy way to give your ladies direction is to send each of them the same paint swatch and tell them that you’re fine with them getting a dress in any shade on the swatch. Just stop by your local Home Depot or paint store and find the swatches that match your theme!

If you’ve got a bit more time or like to be more hands on – like me :) – you could create a Pinterest board for your ladies to offer them a bunch of ideas for dresses. Whichever way you choose, the dresses all seem to match perfectly, so don’t be nervous to go this way! :)

Now, if you’re even more adventurous and have faith in your ladies, option four is great and becoming quite popular.

{top photo by Our Labor of Love from this wedding, middle photo by Jill Thomas from this wedding, bottom photo by Paige Newton Photography from this wedding}

bridesmaids rainbow dresses

Wildcard!
Remember how I said there are no rules? Well, that applies here too! Rainbow colored dresses, muted neutral palette, sherbet colors, whatever you dream and imagine for your day is totally possible!

There is some risk associated with this concept, but when it works it’s lovely and so fun :)

{rainbow bridesmaids photo by Three Nails Photography from this wedding, bottom left by Braedon Photography from this wedding and right by Gemma Hart Ingalls and Andy Ingalls from this wedding}

If you are looking for more bridesmaids dress inspiration, be sure to check out our Bridesmaid Gallery where we have lots of photos of our fave bridesmaids looks!

I can’t wait to see what Chriselle picks for her ladies! On Thursday we’ll share part two of the Bridesmaids post where Chriselle + Sara try on dresses and get one step closer to finding the one!

Which of the options above is your favorite + why?  I love hearing about the looks that you love!

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