WEDDING PARTY ATTIRE 101

As do most wedding planning blogs, my posts come from real experiences and real questions from my couples. One question that I am asked frequently is, "When do I pick out/order/tell my wedding party to order their attire?" Well, the formula is actually pretty simple.

You should allow at least three full months for bridesmaid's dresses to be shipped to the bridal salon after you place your order. Now, allow one month for alterations. Finally, plan so the ladies in your wedding party have their dresses hanging safely in their closets one month before the wedding. Tuxedos should be ordered no less than two months before the wedding. This is the formula I give to my couples. I prefer to help them plan ahead and reduce stress. It has never failed us.

After you have decided your wedding guest list, wedding budget and perhaps already have chosen your reception venue, it is time you actually begin to look for dresses. I know, you want to dive in head first into the dress shopping. But, hold off juuuust a little bit on those. You want to be sure you choose a dress that is seasonally appropriate and that goes to the overall feel of your wedding day. I have great brides. They always try to choose a dress that will fit any body type. Because, how many of our friends are ALL the same size?


Now, depending on the time of year that your wedding will take place is the next deciding factor for dress shopping. If you are having a small, intimate wedding, I suggest a short dress for your bridesmaids. A wedding that will be held in the evening at a church typically calls for a long gown. Keep in mind that it is your wedding, so the bridesmaid's dress you choose should be your choice. But, also keep in mind that if you have spent months upon months planning your wedding, you probably want all elements of the wedding to come together cohesively. A short, halter bridesmaid's dress made of cotton probably will not give you the look you desire at an evening wedding.


Moving on to the wedding party look. My personal taste (and I am just the wedding planner) is that honor attendants not have a different dress from the bridesmaid's dress. All guests will be able to decipher who the maid or matron of honor is. She is the one standing next to the bride. You can work with your wedding planner/designer to design a bouquet for your honor attendants that is a little different from the others, but that does not disturb the overall look of your wedding. I ask my couples to imagine they are sitting at the back of their wedding location looking at the entire wedding party (including themselves) standing in place at the altar/ceremony area. Then I ask them to imagine how many different looks they are viewing. From the left you may have junior attendants wearing one dress, then the bridesmaids wearing a different dress, then the maid/matron of honor wearing a different dress from them. Next, we have the people of the day, you and your sweetie. Let us imagine the bride in a glorious wedding gown and the groom dressed differently from the groomsmen (white tuxedo against black tuxedos). Finally, we have the groomsmen. I know that was a lot to imagine but this is what your guests are seeing along with all the beautiful decor at the altar/ceremony area. That is asking a lot of your guests to focus on but expecting them to focus only on you. This is just something to consider. Again, at the end of the day, it is your wedding and you should have precisely the elements you want (as long as they fit inside the budget).