Aisle Style: How to Make Gold Bridesmaids Dresses Work
Gold bridesmaids dresses have long been a favorite around here. These gorgeous gold gowns will get your bridesmaids SO excited and will add major glam to any black tie wedding. We love the idea of choosing mix and match gold bridesmaids dresses, and not getting too particular about the shade of gold – let your girls choose from bronze, rose gold, champagne and true yellow gold gowns and give them your final approval before they purchase. Of course, done right, dressing each lovely lady in the same sparkling ensemble can look absolutely stunning, as you’ll see below. The key to sequined bridesmaids dresses is to play to both the dress(es) and your bridal party. There are a few tricks and tips to delve into, so let’s go!
Why it works: With this many women, everyone in long, gold dresses in the exact same shade is too overwhelming. The mix and match effect gives this bridal party the effect of shimmering like candlelight, without being too matchy-matchy. It’s also worth noting that this bride went bold with her own look – an amazing vintage inspired look from head to toe, complete with bright red lip. There’s no danger of her girls’ glitz stealing the show.
When to avoid: If you’re planning to wear a very simple dress, or have a more low-key ceremony and reception, sequined bridesmaids dresses may not be the best option. Long sequins? Doubly so.
Long All the Same:
Why it works: First of all, these three are gorgeous. So it’d be hard for them to look bad in any dress. But this one steps it up a notch because it’s a blouson silhouette flattering on a variety of body types. It looks like these three ladies are all within a size or two of each other, but this style dress is good for vastly different body types.
When to avoid: If you have a larger bridal party. The dress is gorgeous. But the pattern might be overwhelming on a party with more bridesmaids. Also, if any of your bridesmaids are pregnant, this might not work with a further-along bump. Let’s try another all matching long dress for a bigger bridal party:
Why it works: This image, most of the time blatantly stolen from the photographers with NO credit, watermark removed, and cast into the Pinterest black hole, is enormously popular. And for good reason – this bride expertly chose the same dress for a bunch of girls and it looks good on all of them. It’s got the blouson top, like above, and the light, light shade of champagne isn’t overwhelming. It’s also miraculously flattering on all of their skin tones.
When it doesn’t: See above.
Short, Sparkly Mix and Match, All the Same Color:
Why it works: There are a lot of bridesmaids here – with this many, mix and match may have looked a hot mess (then again, maybe not…see below). Regardless, the bride wanted a more streamlined approach to mix and match, so she had the girls choose different short dresses in the same fabric from the same designer (Aidan Mattox for Neiman Marcus.) The result was a gorgeously coordinated bridal party that still got to dress for each girl’s body type.
When it doesn’t: When there are budget constraints. If the entire bridal party can’t agree on a price point, it might be a better idea to let them all choose dresses from designers they can afford. See below, again.
Why it Works: Texture! Patterns! Glitz! Gold! Happy, happy bridesmaids! All the body types! All the budgets!
When it doesn’t: Let us get back to you when we figure that out.
Why it works: You can choose a great dress that your girls will likely wear again, and can be found pretty inexpensively. These are from Asos! So your girls will thank you for that. It’s also a great way to go a little trendier with your dresses, a la this peplum style.
When it doesn’t: Outdoor weddings in winter, ceremonies in some religious institutions (these dresses in particular are notoriously short…be sure you check for length!)
Short Sparkly and All the Same Rental
Why it works: Unlike the above (albeit lovely) photo, this one is from a real wedding! And those are real bridesmaids, who shelled out for those dresses, and wore them all day and all night and danced the night away and ate real food and real wedding cake. But fear not, they didn’t pay that much (although we would, for this dress.) They rented from Rent the Runway! Which you already know is one of our favorite ideas of all time.
When it doesn’t: If your girls object to renting (even though it’s a fraction of the price of a typical bridesmaids dress!)
Long Sparkly and All the Same Rental
Why it works: See Above
When it doesn’t: ditto!
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