It goes without saying that bridesmaid dressing has come a long way. Brides no longer need to follow the old rule that says bridesmaids must look uniform and wear the same dress and in the same color. Today, brides are so much more open to mixing things up with their bridesmaid looks, creating a truly one-of-a-kind bridal party that features gorgeous gowns in various styles, fabrics, hemlines and even colors. Brides are thrilled to have their bridal party pick their own styles and bridesmaids are even more excited to be able to pick their own dress—one that makes her both look amazing and feel great.
But be careful. Having your bridal party dress in mixed matched bridal gowns can be tricky. If it is not done correctly, you can end up with a disjointed bridal party, rather than a cohesive one that compliments each other.
We sat down with Adrianna Papell’s superstar stylist, Elise, and asked what her stylist secrets are to mix and match bridesmaid dresses.
First, she said to find inspiration with colors that complement the venue and the wedding’s time of day and season. (think blue heather, pastel blues, blush, rose gold or shades of pink, champagne, silver and floral prints for spring and summer and burgundy, night plum, navy, emerald green and gold jeweled tones for fall and winter.) You also want to consider colors that are important to the couple or their family.
You can also think about pairing neutrals with pops of a color to give texture to any color palette. “For example, if you love lots of greenery and white include a light blue as a statement color to break up the simplicity but still align with the clean mood,” Elise said.