Some would argue that finding “THE dress” is as difficult as finding “THE one.”
Brides want their wedding dress to live up to the fairy tale expectation that THEY'VE
envisioned ever since they were little girls. You want to feel beautiful, comfortable,
and know that all eyes will be on you on your special day.
As if finding the perfect gown wasn’t hard enough, finding the right bridesmaid’s dress for the bridal party can feel downright daunting. When you have to accommodate so many different women’s opinions and body types, finding something that everyone can agree on can feel like an impossible task.
Luckily, with over 40 years experience in the business of
weddings, The Balcony Ballroom has seen a slew of different bridesmaids dresses
come through our doors in a wide range of colors and styles. Once the color palette
has been decided on for the big day, if you find that one particular bridesmaid dress
is not going to suit the entire bridal party, try keeping the color universal, but
playing with variations in styles that will suit each bridesmaid’s body type. We have
seen this approach play out at our venue before and the result is just unique enough
while still being uniform. The following are a list of popular cuts and styles to
consider for the big day!
If your bridesmaids are more concerned about their lower body, consider mixing
and matching the following skirt styles:
The A-Line Dress
The A-line dress is noted most for its letter “A” like shape. Fitted at the waist, the
A-Line dress will then flare out gradually into the skirt. An A-Line dress can look
flattering in either long or short form.
The Mermaid Dress
A mermaid style dress is more fitted and tends to body hug the hips all the way
down until it flairs out at the bottom around the knees. Hence, giving it the
appearance of a mermaid tail. While a mermaid style dress can be short, it is more
often associated with floor-length dresses.
The Ball Gown Dress
The ball gown style dress tends to be the more “princess poof” style dress we see in
the movies. It has a fitted bodice and a long flowing, expanding skirt often to the
floor.
The Sheath Dress
A sheath style dress is designed to be close fitting to the body often with a straight
cut downward and relatively simple in style with little embellishment. A sheath style
dress can look flattering in either long or short form.
If your bridesmaids are more concerned about their upper body shoulder area,
consider mixing and matching the following styles:
One Shoulder Dress
This asymmetrical style blends together the essence of both classic and edgy. It
allows for just enough skin to be shown while still providing the comfort of a cover
up. The one shoulder dress also allows room for a fun embellishment such as ruffles
or a large statement flower.
Strapless Dress A strapless dress is form fitting around the bodice and stays tight against the upper body without any straps around the shoulders for support. Strapless dresses generally work well with women who have a bust size that will help prevent it from slipping out of place. Women who enjoy wearing this style of dress are comfortable with an exposed shoulder and upper arm region.
Off the Shoulder Dress An off the shoulder dress is similar in style to a strapless dress as it leaves the shoulders exposed, however it differs insofar as it still has sleeves. An off the shoulder dress may have either long or short sleeves that begin around the upper arm region. An off the shoulder dress will generally have a straight neckline cut across the upper body that continues onto the arms. However, this neckline can change slightly in variation.
Sweetheart Neckline Dress Opposite of the straight neckline cut, is the sweetheart neckline. Similar to a strapless dress, a sweetheart neckline will hug the upper body and be formfitting to the woman’s bust. As opposed to a straight neckline cut which can oftentimes cut off any cleavage, the sweetheart neckline emphasizes the cleavage and gives the dress the appearance of the top of the heart. How deep the neckline will plunge will vary from dress to dress.
Sleeved Dresses For those who prefer to keep their shoulder and back regions covered, a sleeved dress gives off an air of elegance and grace. Oftentimes we will see sleeves in the form of lace or other sheer materials that allow for breathable material and just a pop of skin to show through. Sleeves can come in long or short form. Some sleeves may be narrower giving more of a strap appearance or thicker allowing room for fun adornments.
At the end of the day, it is the bride’s special day to share in with all of her loved ones and we hope our suggestions will help pave the way for pictures that will capture the essence of the day for years to come. Whether you decide to vary your bridesmaid’s dresses in length or in necklines, by keeping the color uniform, we hope our suggestions will allow everyone to feel confident and comfortable as they strut their stuff down the aisle on the big day!
All Sketches Balcony Ballroom (c)
Author: Erin McCluskey
Photo Selection: Ainslie Blanke
Fashion sketches custom drawn for The Balcony Ballroom by Todd Trosclair, Jr. - https://www.linkedin.com/in/todd-trosclair-3651326