Bridesmaids Revisited
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:
- I hate almost everything in the stores right now. Remember- I pretty much live in the mall.
- Not all bridesmaids appreciate this whole youallweardifferentdresses trend. It’s confusing. But whaaat color? Vintage/French/Modern/Carnival? What does that meeeeean?
- Shopping with each girl individually would have been a better idea.
- 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, Bridemaid 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:
- Be less of a control freak than I am. Give the girls your blessing and send ‘em out into the world
- 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 phenomenom is key. Trust me- I’m handing out valuable trade secrets here.
- 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/bowties/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 Davids with a swatch of something shiny?
I
I think bridesmaids choosing their own can be as hectic as choosing them yourself. My five gals are wearing dresses and seemed pretty excited when I said, “something short, something yellow.” But then I was getting emails and phone calls and pictures and “what do you want me to wear?!”
Isn’t that the point of you picking it out yourself? I don’t want that on my to-do list. To be honest, I’d rather then worry about it
But everyone has a dress and they’re happy with their choices. I think it will let their own personality show through while still looking like a bridal army of sunshine. Ooooh. I like that.
And Team Awesome looks hot hot hot! Isn’t Modcloth just the best thang?
My grad school study group was called “Team Awesome.” I can’t wait for our Team Awesome reunion @ my wedding.
We did the LBD route but they all had to pick the same store/fabric and coordinating that took several months. I feel like if I went all bridezilla and said “this style, this color, just get me your size” it would have been easier but I was keen on them being able to wear their dresses again.
But I do think yours are mighty purdy. And the skinny jeans are a fabu-tastic idea. Also, check out cyberoptix (www.cyberoptix.com or toybreaker on etsy) if you haven’t already. I love the idea of custom-silkscreened skinny ties for your other ladies. I just got a few ties there for our ushers and the craftsmanship is really nice.
yes! 826LA east is on sunset in echo park…i got crazy busy right after i did the orientation, so i never got to volunteer there. ;( but it’s awesome…the theme for 826LA east is “time travel”
it’s on sunset, just west of echo park blvd, near the bookstore stories!
http://www.826la.org/