Bridesmaids play essential roles in every wedding celebration. Whether you’re opting for just one maid of honour or a squadron of bridesmaids, having a mix of ages or selecting close friends and older female relatives, your bridesmaids have a variety of duties to fulfil. Agreeing to be a bridesmaid is actually like signing up for a part-time job! A bridesmaid provides a vital support network, not just at the wedding ceremony and reception but in the months and weeks before. In return, all you have to do is select bridesmaid dresses that don’t look completely terrible and at the same time don’t upstage your bridal gown.
When buying dresses for each and every member of your bridal party, there are a number of golden rules that it’s helpful to follow. One of the biggest questions when purchasing bridesmaid dresses is whether they should match or not. Mismatched bridesmaid dresses are all the rage these days but is upholding tradition more important than following this latest trend? Read on to discover the tradition behind matching dresses as well as our top tips for nailing the mismatched look.
The real reason why matching dresses is tradition
Matching bridesmaid dresses have been the go-to for as long as we can remember. In fact, they have their place in history, with records dating back to Roman times revealing that bridesmaids wore not only the same dresses as each other, but as the bride! Although this strange scenario would probably never happen in the present day, there was some very creepy thinking behind the tradition as Mental Floss explains:
“In the early days of the ritual we recognize today as the wedding, brides had a lot more than floral arrangements to worry about. Any glad tidings had the potential to attract evil spirits, for one thing—and then there were all the would-be grooms the bride had turned away. So to keep the bridal couple safe from demons and angry, rejected men, they dressed their friends in matching wedding attire. The theory was that the bevy of brides would confuse any malcontents long enough for the happy couple to get their vows on.”
The modern day benefits of matching bridesmaid gowns
Turning away demonic spirits with matching garb isn’t the only reason to stick to tradition. There are many modern day benefits to matching gowns, including your bridesmaids not upstaging you on your own wedding day. Matching bridesmaid dresses can also be chosen to complement your wedding themes.
Mismatched bridesmaid dresses have their plus points too!
Mismatched bridesmaid dresses are becoming more and more common at UK weddings, and for good reason. The main advantage of opting for mismatched is to complement the varying body types of your bridal party. Your bridesmaids aren’t there to make you look pretty, they’re a vital part of completing your wedding look. Your bridesmaids also have to feel good about what they’re wearing and will no doubt love getting involved in your wedding celebrations even more if they have some input into the style of their dresses.
It’s not easy to nail the mismatched bridesmaid look though. Many brides opt for the same style dress in different colours or the same dress colour in different styles to ensure a flattering look that stays true to the wider wedding theme. If you’re going bespoke, even an altered hemline and different fabric can make a huge difference. How you accessorise can also help to bring your mismatched look together.
Keep your wedding on trend by reading the latest fashion news from the wedding world on our blog. We recently took a closer look at a trend set to dominate the wedding scene in 2019, but will you incorporate it into your wedding day ensemble?
