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We love how wedding trends are constantly changing, and wedding attire is no stranger to that. The mismatched bridesmaids dresses trend has been a thing for a while now, but perfecting it can sometimes be a bit of a challenge, especially if style + fashion is not your forte, or if your personal style is more simple + monochromatic, but you’re experimenting with colors for your big day.
What shades work with what? Are incorporating different textures + styles ok? It can take some review + practice, but as a busy bride-to-be, sometimes you just don’t have the time to order a ton of different samples + pair textures + shades together, or visit a ton of different stores to shop for bridesmaids dresses (or can’t right now because of COVID!)
We always aim to anticipate your needs + take as much off of your plate as possible, and that goes for all areas of your wedding planning, including detailing you + your girls’ wardrobe choices. Today we’re outlining some of our style tips on how to perfect the “mismatched bridesmaids dresses” trend.
THINK GRADIENTS + HUES
We love a good ombre color palette when it comes to mixing + matching bridesmaids dresses. For example, if your main wedding colors are gold + orange, think about having your bridesmaids in coordinating “sunset-inspired” tones of peach, tangerine + burnt orange. It all depends on how many girls you have in your wedding party, but here are a few ideas of numbers when it comes to how many girls should be in what shade:
2-4 girls: 1-2 shades
5-8 girls: 3-4 shades
9+ girls: Up to 6 shades
It’s also fun to throw in a neutral color into the mix, like a white or cream, to accent the main color palette. Some of our brides have put their Maid or Matron of honor into the accent shade, while others have had their junior bridesmaids wear the coordinating color. One of our most favorite things is a bridesmaid or Maid of Honor in white! Trust us ~ you’ll still be the star of the show.
CONSIDER MIXING TEXTURES + FABRICS
We are big fans of an eclectic color palette + wedding design. The definition of “eclectic” is deriving ideas, style, or taste from a broad and diverse range of sources, and that can be translated into your wedding aesthetic. Being too matchy-matchy can look monotone + boring. Consider adding in an accent color or texture to your aesthetic that’s unexpected to keep things exciting + multi-dimensional.
One way to do this is to throw in a color like blue to offset a gold + burgundy color palette, or putting your bridesmaids in velvet if you’ve chosen lace table linens. Beaded, Lace, Silk, Chiffon ~ incorporating different textures can add another level to the eclecticness of the girl gang vibe, and this texture can then be incorporated into other areas of your wedding design as an accent texture, like in your linens or napkins. Same goes for an accent color ~ the color the bridesmaids are in can then show up in other areas of the design, like in the stationery or napkins.
GIVE FREE REIGN, BUT REQUIRE APPROVAL
Nowadays, most of our brides are choosing to give their bridesmaids free reign when it comes to picking out their own bridesmaids dress. This is helpful because it ensures each girl can choose something that she feels great in, and can also possibly wear for another occasion. This also takes this task off of your plate, which can come in handy when you have a lot of your to-do list during the months leading up to your wedding day. Mixing + matching different silhouettes is yet another way to bring some diversity to your squad, and can come in handy if your girls have different body types.
The only rule we’d recommend here is to keep the length of the dresses consistent so things don’t get too wacky ~ high-low can be mixed with floor length, but never floor length with knee-length. We do love a good pantsuit moment, so consider having your maid of honor wear one in a color that coordinates with the rest of the girls, or consider nixing dresses all together + having your ladies all wear pantsuits, or for a spring or summer wedding, maybe even a cute short + blazer combo. Always have your bridesmaids send photos of the dress (or jumpsuit!) they are considering before making any purchases. Too many times, our brides have come to us almost in tears sharing how much they hated the dress one of their friends picked out + you don’t want to be in that situation. Give parameters + a color palette, and make sure you love what they picked out as much as they do before saying yes to their dress.
