One of the most popular trends in weddings is the look of mismatched bridesmaid dresses. The days of all your maids wearing identical frocks have come and gone, in favor of each lady wearing a dress that is a bit different, and that maybe even showcases a bit of her personality. A word for the wise – this trend is beautiful when done correctly, but too much difference in the gowns can make for a less than stellar spectacle. We’ve compiled our top tips for nailing the mismatched bridesmaid dress trend; happy shopping!
Choose a color scheme
Figure out your wedding color scheme, and what color you’d like for your bridesmaids (and the entire bridal party) as soon as you can! By determining the details of your mismatched bridesmaid dresses early on (say, right after you present them with your bridesmaid “proposal” cards, you’ll be able to start envisioning how your big day will look. This will also ensure that your ladies have ample time to order dresses and have alterations done if needed.
Choose a color tone and/or fabric style
Pick one color or tone for all your dresses, but allow for each dress to be a different fabric and style. A good way to make this option work would be to give out color/fabric swatches, so your gals can match the dress to it. This ensures that although the fabrics might be different, they will look cohesive together. If you’re nervous about what they might pick, ask that the dresses be shown to you for final approval before purchasing. Although your bridesmaids might object, this way you can make sure that they’re all in the same color family, and in keeping with the theme for the wedding day you’ve imagined.
Choose a dress style
Pick a similar dress style, and offer the ladies the option of a few colors or shades. This could work especially well if your wedding color palette has different colors that can be mixed and matched together.
Choose a brand or collection
If you want to save yourself some time and ensure that the mismatching looks coordinated, choose a brand or collection that your bridesmaid can shop from. Designers will usually produce dresses that are similar in style, so keeping it limited to one will automatically make for a look that flows nicely together.
Pro tip: Depending on the number of bridesmaids that you have, keep the color variants to a maximum of three. If you have only a few bridesmaids, each woman in a different dress will appear cohesive, but ten ladies in different styles could easily get overwhelming.
Choose a dress length
Ask that all the dresses be the same length. This can be knee-length, midi, or full length, but it will make for a pleasant sight to have all the dresses appear similar when they are standing side by side. It will also prevent one bridesmaid from looking much more casual (or formal) than the others.
Consider having a maid of honor dress
Consider having your maid of honor wear am an extra special or slightly more ornate dress. This certainly isn’t a “must-do”, but if you want to let your maid of honor stand out a bit more, allow her to wear a different dress than the other ladies. This can be as simple as the addition of a sequined accent or a neckline specific just for her.
Consider having your bridesmaids match shoes and accessories
Tell your bridesmaids if you’d like them all to be wearing the exact same shoes, jewelry, nail color, etc. Having these aspects mismatched can either make or break the cohesive look of your bridesmaid, so keep it in mind when you’re picturing how you want your big day to look.
Pro tip: If you find a piece of jewelry that you’d like all the ladies to wear, give it to them as a bridesmaid gift to thank them for supporting you on your special day!
Consider choosing dresses your bridesmaid can wear again
Try not to think about picking out dresses that they can wear again. While we understand (and appreciate!) your desire to select a dress that can have another life after your wedding day, realistically this might not happen no matter how casual or versatile of a dress you select. If you are hoping to save the ladies some money, consider selecting dresses from a store or website that “rents” them. With some companies, you can see the dress in person before the actual rental time (hello, at home try-on!), order multiple sizes, and even pass a discount on rentals to the rest of your guests.
Pro tip: Renting formalwear is a great idea for groomsman as well!
While picking and allowing your bridesmaids to wear mismatched dresses can seem like a daunting task, when done properly you’ll have a beautifully coordinated bridal party and a look that highlights each woman individually.
Erika focuses on email marketing, copywriting and merchandising at Zazzle, but she has a secret obsession with all things wedding! During the week you can find her writing punny subject lines while also pinning the latest wedding trends, and outside of the 9-5, she is usually cheering on the San Jose Sharks, reading a good murder mystery, or hunting for the best Philly Cheesesteak in the Bay Area.
