Rustic Country Bridesmaid Dresses

If you have started your search for bridesmaid dresses and finding it harder than you thought you can take comfort in knowing that you are not alone. I hear from tons of brides who can’t seem to find what they are looking for. One piece of advice that I can give you is to start thinking outside the box. Maybe a dress is not exactly what you want anyway. I have seen some pretty amazing bridesmaid outfits when the bride chose to combine a great looking skirt with either a dressy tank & sweater, a cashmere top or even a simple silky blouse. I put together a few skirts that I thought would work great for a rustic wedding.

Sources – skirt 1 & 2: ModCloth / Skirt 3 & 4: Anthropologie / Skirt 5 & 10: ModCloth

Since summer is almost here (yippee!) that means that wedding season is about to heat up and quickly! One of the most popular questions I get via email, facebook and twitter is about the perfect color bridesmaid dress for a summer wedding. I have put together a few of my favorite summer bridesmaid dress colors using some of our more recent real rustic weddings. For the summer months I love bridesmaid dresses in pinks, soft purples, corals, ice blue, navy, yellow and even red! Click on each of the pictures to see the entire wedding.
Sources – photo one: Soli Photography / photo two: Anne Skidmore Photography / photo three: Janice C Photography / photo four: Brooks Scribner Photography / photo five: Carrie Wildes Photography / photo six: Meg Perotti / photo seven: Chi Photography of Charleston / photo eight: Andree Kehn Wedding Photography / photo nine: ee Photography / photo ten: Dove Wedding Photography / photo eleven: Anna Hedges Photography

Finding the perfect bridesmaid dress seems to be one of the planning aspects that I hear from brides the most on. I can fully appreciate the fact that all brides want their bridesmaids to feel and look beautiful while wearing a dress that not only fits into the wedding day theme but also helps your bridesmaid stand out from the crowd of wedding guest. One of the themes that I get asked about the most via emails, our Ask Maggie section, our Facebook page and twitter is finding a dress to fit into a rustic vintage style wedding. I went to my favorite online retailer, ModCloth and put together a collection of some of the best styles that I think would fit perfectly into a rustic vintage style wedding theme.Sources – All styles & photos are courtesy of ModCloth

I get asked all the time to help brides pick out a bridesmaid dress that will fit both the brides style for the wedding and fit the bridesmaid taste. I am sorry to say there is no magic answer to this puzzle but I have found that if you search hard enough the perfect dress can be found. Recently I was helping a bride via our Ask Maggie page that was looking for “unique dresses for our southern outdoor wedding ceremony that my bridesmaid will wear again. I would ideally like to find dresses that don’t look like your cookie-cutter type of dress and one that looks a little unique & different. I am open to both a fun pattern or design as well as regular one color dresses”. Here are the dresses that I picked for this bride to show to her wedding party to see if they would work. All of these dresses can be found at Anthropologie and have a truly independent feel to them and by no means look like your typical bridesmaid dress but yet have tons of style.All pictures & styles are courtesy of Anthropologie

I am a big fan of the Donna Morgan bridesmaid dresses and they are always one of the dresses I suggest to brides in our Ask Maggie section. I am a fan of these bridesmaid dresses for several reasons: one, the come in a large variety of colors. Two, they come in a styles that I know your bridesmaids will be happy with and three, they are reasonably priced. Often I hear from brides that they would like to try to keep the price of the dress they select under $200 and with a Donna Morgan dress you can do just that without having to skimp on style or quality. Here are a few of my favorite styles along with some great color choices.

All styles & photos are courtesy of Donna Morgan

Selecting a bridesmaid dress for your wedding party is one of the fun parts of the wedding planning process. Getting all your “girls” together and heading out to a store to hunt and try on dresses is a wonderful bonding experience and often one of the best memories a bride can make. In order to help you brides out there pick the best bridesmaid dresses I went in search of an expert on the subject and I am happy to say that I can report back with not one but two bridesmaid dress experts. Today I have some advice from Bridget Brown(left), founder of the Bella Bridesmaid Franchise along with insights from the Westport, CT Bella Bridesmaid store owners, Madison & Maribeth.

What are the most important things for a bride to keep in mind when trying to pick a bridesmaid dress for her wedding party?

 Madison & Maribeth: First and foremost, a bride should consider the body types of each of her bridesmaids. There are so many dresses available that flatter any figure, and every bridesmaid wants to feel comfortable and pretty at the wedding! It’s always a good idea to consider color as well. A beautiful cream color that looks great on your super-tan MOH could completely wash out your more fair skinned maids.  

Bridget Brown: Be conscience of your maids figure soft-spots…you know, the one area of our bodies that we are all self-conscience of! For one gal it’s her arms, for another it’s the need to wear a normal bra. Choosing a low cut, straight skirted dress isn’t doing anyone any favors and won’t make them feel comfortable on the wedding day! If you prefer the simplicity and look of one style on all the maids,why not choose one of the new “convertible” bridesmaid dresses?  The “Reese” dress by LoveLane is a multi-tasker….it can be worn strapless, one shouldered, or with more coverage as a shrug. The skirt and color can be kept consistent. Or a long time Bella fave, the Two Birds dress which can be worn over 15 ways. Two birds…one fantastic dress!

M & M: Online browsing is a great way to start. It’s easy to send pictures to your bridesmaids and get feedback from them without having to work around everyone’s schedule to make an appointment somewhere. Once you have an idea of what you and your bridesmaids like, you can start to look at various designer’s collections that have the same feel. Having said that, sometimes all of that pre-planning goes out the window when you arrive at the dress store and see so many beautiful dresses in person. If you make an appointment for a ‘first-look’ somewhere, it’s best to at least have some things decided, like length, fabric, and price point. 

BB: We love bright, colorful weddings for summer! Think pantone colors…tangerine tango is the go-to color for 2012 and we love seeing it paired with a more subtle shade such as sand, beige and taupe for your accent colors. Yellow is always a fun choice for summer…..sometimes harder to wear for different skin tones, so don’t go too mustardy or too pale. And we love it paired with crisp and classic navy and white for a nautical themed or beach wedding. I love the color-block trend for maids as well…..but go simple on the shape of the dress for this trend. Think a simple strapless pencil skirt sheath in a punchy color paired with a bright 3/4 length cardigan. It’s a more fashion forward and unexpected combo!

 Looking ahead to the fall season what trends do you see coming for bridesmaid dresses?

BB: The trend is still towards varying shades and styles…the “ombre” effect as we call it. Brides love giving their maids a choice in what they will wear, whether it’s color or style. I always say “happy bridesmaid, happy bride”, so let the gals chime in on the options. For Fall we always see a return to the jewel tones (emerald, magenta, midnight) and longer lengths. Amsale’s full length chiffon dresses in varying necklines have been a mainstay for us. Fantastic for both a black tie ball room wedding or worn more as a casual maxi-dress on a beach…..

What seems to be your most popular bridesmaid dress at the moment?

M & M: Right now, everyone is loving style AV9825 from Alvina Valenta (pictured below). It looks amazing on practically every girl who has tried it on. We even had a pregnant bridesmaid try it and she looked gorgeous. I think it’s so popular because it translates to a variety of settings. It looks light and beachy in Aqua and glamorous in Indigo. In Rose, it looks great in a more rustic setting. The soft pink compliments any wooden finish.

 Do you have one pieces of advice that you always tell your brides and their wedding party when the come in?

M & M: We tell every bridal party : ‘Keep an open mind. Don’t judge until it’s zipped and clipped!’ A dress that doesn’t look great on a hanger can end up being the dress your bridesmaids wear at your wedding. It happens all the time!

 

Thank you to Bridget, Madison &  Maribeth!

For more information on Bella Bridesmaid, the dress collections they have or their locations please visit their website!For more information about the Westport Bella Bridesmaid please contact them directly