You've chosen your best girls, now it's time to shop your bridesmaids!
We've rounded up our top tips from the Kent Wedding Centre team that will guarantee a fun and fuss-free search for your bridesmaids dresses.
If you thought finding the perfect wedding dress was hard work, just wait until it comes to finding bridesmaids dresses that fit your colour scheme, work for the season of your wedding in Kent, AND that your girls actually like.
To help you out, we’ve pulled together our top tips from the team at The Kent Wedding Centre to make finding the perfect bridesmaids dresses an easy (and fun!) experience.
Aimlessly wandering into bridal boutiques or along the high street might seem like a fun Saturday afternoon, but it can be overwhelming. There’s so much choice out there, so to stop yourself getting disheartened, make sure you’ve spent some time working out what you’re looking for.
Buy magazines, look on Instagram, create a Pinterest board – you’ve probably done all of this when searching for your own dress, so why not for your bridesmaids? Trust us – it helps!
Don’t feel like all of your girls need to be in the same colour. It’s a common misconception that all your girls have to be matching on the big day. Try instead a popular choice at The Kent Wedding Centre, mismatched bridesmaid dresses. Be that different colours of the same gown, or the same colour in different styles. Either way, your girls will feel more comfortable, and together look more on-trend.
It’s not all about the colour of your bridesmaids dresses, though. You also need to think about the style. From off-the-shoulder, to floral patterned styles, to gowns with one shoulder, there’s so much to choose from.
Choose your budget
There’s a long-running debate among Kent Brides over who pays for bridesmaids dresses. If you have kindly offered to pay for the gowns, set a clear budget for them. You don’t want anyone falling in love with a dress that is wildly over your budget.
If this does happen, you could gently suggest that the bridesmaid pays the difference between your budget and the dress she wants.
Things to consider when choosing bridesmaids dresses in Kent
Fancy seeing your girls in ’50s style strapless tea dresses, but have booked a Scottish castle in December for your big day? You might have to rethink your vision. Moaning maids are not what you need on the happiest day of your life, so make sure the dresses are both pretty and practical.
Separate celebrations
TOP TIP: Go wedding dress hunting long before you start scouring the shops of Kent for your bridesmaids dresses. That way, you get your own special day, without worrying about how your girls are feeling, and you’ll know exactly what will complement your look.
Timing is key
In fact, purchasing bridesmaids dresses can be one of the last tasks on your wedding to-do list. This way, any changes to your girls’ figures (e.g., pregnancy) are less of an issue, and costly alterations can be avoided! You’ll also (hopefully) have the rest of your day sorted, so colour clashes won’t be an issue either.
Consider the lingerie to wear when bridesmaid dress shopping
We cannot stress the importance of this enough! There’s nothing worse than trying on dresses when you’re wearing pants that don’t fit, and a bra that doesn’t support in the way it should. We recommend to our Kent girls that they wear a nude strapless bra and thong (or seamless shorts) to ensure any style of bridesmaids dress looks fabulous.
Don’t let bridesmaid accessories be an afterthought
The perfect pair of shoes or a gorgeous statement necklace can transform an outfit. If your maids aren’t hugely enthusiastic about the dress you’ve picked for them, maybe give them a little more authority over their accessories. Most of our brides let their bridesmaids wear whatever accessories they want, or just give a colour theme to stick to.
Beware of leaving accessory shopping to the last minute though, especially if you’ve agreed to cover the costs. Last minute splurging on jewellery or bags for your maids could break your budget. Give them a figure to stick to, if they are choosing their own.
Be assertive when shopping for bridesmaids dresses in Kent
Ultimately, it’s your special day, and although you want your maids to feel happy and comfortable, don’t forget that the executive decision is yours. Try not to be swayed into choosing bridesmaids dresses that aren’t to your taste or style. You’ve invited your girls to be part of one of the most important days of your life, and they should respect that.
Saying that, it’s not an excuse to make them look silly – we’ve all seen some of the, shall we say ‘statement styles’, that Katherine Heigl endured in 27 Dresses…
Enjoy yourselves!
Like everything when it comes to wedding planning, it’s essential not to get bogged down in all the small stuff. Make a day of the bridesmaids dresses shopping experience and have a catch-up over cocktails or celebrate finding your perfect gowns in Kent, with a dinner at the end of the day. The motto to follow? ‘Happy bridesmaids, happy bride!’
Book your bridesmaids dresses appointment with our experts at The Kent Wedding Centre today by contacting us using the info below.
Tel: 01622 873434
Email: info@thekentweddingcentre.com