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A green approach to picking a bridesmaid dress they really will wear again
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These bridesmaids were asked to pick a dress in one of the three main wedding colors.
The bride tied it all together with flowers and parasols in alternating colors. Pictured above:
Megan Stewart, Morgan Filler and Stephanie Yuen. Photo by Frederick Ng Photography.
It can be one of the tougher decisions to make in a wedding — what to have your lovely bridesmaids wear.
So instead, why don’t you let your bridesmaids do all the legwork and choose their own dresses?
Not only will they love you for not forcing them to wear something they would never want to wear in the first place, you’ll also save the earth from another set of disposable dresses that only get worn once.
Even though many brides set out to pick dresses that they think their maids will wear again, it’s rarely the case. According to the Wedding Report, over 80% of bridesmaid gowns are worn only once. That means out of the approximately 9.5 million bridesmaids expected this year, about 7.7 million dresses will never see the light of day again... until they show up in a land fill.
But if your girlfriends have a real choice, they might actually slip that dress on again for a future night out on the town or as a guest at another wedding. Their individual personalities and style can shine through, and the end result could be even more beautiful than you pictured.
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Kelli Fiore opted for the elegant little black dress for her bridesmaids, asking them to
don a cocktail length black dress and open toed heels for her Carmel, CA wedding.
From the dress to the bachelorette party to the wedding gift and the travel, the average bridesmaid will spend just over $1000 for a single wedding in 2009. With the average bridesmaid dress at $178 — in addition to $56 in alterations and $52 in accessories — shopping for their own dress will also allow your maids to find something that fits their budget.
Having your bridesmaids pick out their own attire doesn’t mean you need to give them free reign. Set up a few ground rules that will help them fulfill your vision for the wedding. Some things to think about include:
Picking a flavor: This is probably the most important preference. Pick a color from your wedding theme. Can your maids choose from various shades in that color tone? An exact match to a particular color hue might be difficult if you have multiple maids. Be cognizant that some colors may be a little difficult to shop for in certain seasons. For example, maids may be hard-pressed to find a dress in softer colors like baby blue and spring yellow if they’re shopping in the fall or winter.
Don’t be afraid to choose two or even three different colors. You can easily make it all come together visually using flowers in alternating colors or other creative accessories like parasols.
If it’s too hard to narrow down on a hue, an easy and elegant way to go is the always reliable little, black dress.
If you’re really lucky, your maids might even find a dress that they would all like to wear, and you’ll all be sitting pretty.
Dressed up or dressed down?: Does it matter to you if the dresses have varying hemlines? Would you like them to be full-length, tea-length or any-length?
If the shoe fits: Remember those dyed to match shoes? Your maids will thank you if you pick a common color that they might already have in their closet or will wear again — like white, black, silver or gold.
Please feel free to contact Patti with questions or to share your Greener Ever After™ wedding tips and stories. Email: patti@greenereverafter.com Twitter: SFGreenWeddings.
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