Of all the times I generally seem to question the status quo and appear to be second-guessing convention and tradition, this is one issue on which I am in full agreement. That being the fact that one’s wedding day is all about the bride. We’ll give the groom a little, but even he knows that this is the one day on which his bride-to-be simply needs to feel like the entire world revolves around her, which it does! As much as it’s all about the bride though, what is it with hideous bridesmaids’ dresses? I mean sure, you definitely don’t want any of the attention to get taken away from the bride by picking out bridesmaids’ dresses that essentially drown out the bride’s wedding gown, but I mean come on – do they have to look SO bad?

You really don’t have to sell them short, even though wedding photos just have a way of coming out beautifully, despite the hideous dresses bridesmaids often have to endure wearing. That really only comes down to the skill of the cameraman in conjunction with the beauty of the venue you choose for your wedding pics though. For the poor bridesmaids whom you’ve reduced to unwilling mannequins, their copies of your wedding pics will always be a constant reminder of the day your friendship was truly tested! Make no mistake about it, the grins you may see are nothing but a mask, but really, it just doesn’t have to be that way. Your bridesmaids can definitely look good too, in a way that takes absolutely nothing away from the day’s main star.

How to Pick out Gorgeous Bridesmaid Dresses that Complement the Wedding Gown

We’ll start with the DON’Ts, which are perhaps some basics you’re already fully aware of, but basics you probably take way too far and in effect border on the ugly. Don’t go for primary colours, so no red, blue or green. Add yellow to the DON’Ts list as well, but if you insist on having your bridesmaids wear primary colours, you’ll inevitably go right back to having to ensure their design is ugly, so that they don’t overpower the wedding gown.

The DOs – Do go for soft colours, but white itself is definitely out of the question, assuming of course that the wedding gown itself is white. White is perhaps not completely out of the question for the bridesmaid’s dresses, but it should not be a “brighter” white than that of the wedding gown. So you can perhaps choose from the various cream-white tones available, otherwise peach, grey or faded-blue women’s dresses come in various elegant designs which will do nothing but complement the wedding gown. The trick is to have the bridesmaids looking like they’re the supporting cast of proceedings, there to serve the main star of the day, who will be clearly distinguishable by a gown which is a bit brighter than the rest.

Yes, it’s your special day as the bride, but think about how you’d feel if you were subjected to wearing a dress that looks like it was sketched onto your body by a four year old! With the many subtle-elegance options available to you, you’ll very quickly realise that bridesmaids can indeed look gorgeous too.