Dun dun dun. Yep, we know that choosing the bridesmaid dress can be a difficult process (see here and here for evidence!). It was a daunting task for Katharine, who had nine ‘maids across a wide spectrum of personalities and body types to outfit… that is, until she came to work for Southern Weddings.
From Emily:
Before I came to SW, I heard I was going to be working with this girl named Katharine. I was on vacation at the time, so I didn’t think much of it besides some worry about the fact that she had just graduated from Harvard and was therefore likely smarter than me. (Turned out I needn’t have worried. JUST KIDDING! Love you, KTW!)
Anyway, fast forward to our first week in the office. Like any good twenty-first century citizen, Katharine had friended me on Facebook before we met in person. Eventually it surfaced that she hadn’t merely friended me, she had stalked my FB albums. How did I know this? One of the first conversations we had was about the dress I wore to my senior formal. I’ll admit, it was pretty awesome:
Why yes, yes I did circle Wheaton’s entire campus on an epic photo shoot before I left for the formal.
But seriously, Katharine was in love with this dress. As in, she probably mentioned it at least once a week.
From Katharine: More like twice a week, but who’s counting?
Even before there was Emily and her gorgeous dress, there was this stunner (see far left picture below) and these look-alike black beauties:
I always suspected I wanted my maids to wear black, but after seeing these gorgeous gowns – and swooning over Emily’s – I realized not just any old black dress would do. Like the dresses above, I wanted something elegant, sophisticated and more than a tad glamorous. So began the great dress search…
I had 3 simple requests when it came to my bridesmaid dresses:
1. Style: First and foremost, I didn’t want their gowns to look like your “typical” bridesmaid dress. You know exactly what I’m talking about, right? Most bridesmaids dresses have a certain “look” to them, but I wanted something that wouldn’t scream, “Here come the bridesmaids!” This meant no satin, nothing strapless and preferably not an A-line dress in flowy chiffon. I wanted my girls to look like they were ready for their close-ups at the Oscars and not posing for wedding photos. Am I a low-maintenance bride or what? :)
2. Fit: While it’s hard (if not downright impossible) to find a dress that flatters every style and body type, I was determined to find a dress that my girls didn’t hate, even if they couldn’t necessarily all love it. My solution? I picked a dress that I personally would be thrilled to wear so that no one could ever accuse me of being THAT bride who forced her maids into something she herself would never wear. (See, Emily: I am smart!)
3. $$: Especially considering my buddies would be shelling out for airfare and hotels for my out-of-town Boston wedding, it was important that I find a dress that wouldn’t break their post-college banks. $150 was my goal, and if you’ve begun the dreaded b’maid dress search, you know a sub-$200 price tag can cramp your style.
I think you know where this is going, right? Emily’s bright blue dress – which I still am mildly obsessed with – fit the bill perfectly. With its deep, double v-neck, fabulous fit-and-flare shape and subtle ruching, this gown packed the glamorous punch I was looking for – without punching a hole in our wallets.
So I did what any sensible bride would do. Without ever visiting a store and without ever seeing the dress in person, I tracked down Emily’s magical dress in black. (Thank goodness for the internet and NYDressCo.com!) I knew it was “The One,” and had even gotten the thumbs-up from some of my ‘maids. My only reservation? Would this form-fitting dress withstand the ultimate wedding test of ten+ hours of standing, sitting, dancing + posing? Enter Emily, our official wedding guinea pig…
From Emily:
My answer to that is an unequivocal “yes.” Despite being form-fitting, this dress has a ton of give to it. It is also brilliant at eliciting compliments from innocent bystanders.
With the comfort issue quickly dispatched, there was only the tiny problem of fit left. As a benchmark, I ordered up two sizes in this dress. As you can see, I lack endowment in certain — or, err, all — areas of my figure. Oh well. The interesting part? Katharine’s 5’11, stick-thin bridesmaid, her 5’4, petite bridesmaid (moi!), and her 5’6, curvy bridesmaid all fit in the same size. Cue the Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants music! Yes, we did have a minor heart attack when Katharine’s younger sister, who is suddently (and unexpectedly), shall we say, well-endowed, sent a camera phone photo of her in the dress, but all’s well that ends well! Just between you and me, I actually thought Katharine was going to keel over, but it turns out she’s still alive and kicking.
Anyway, for those of you who are interested in outfitting your maids similarly, we’ve pulled together some inspiration. Happy shopping!
P.S. Up next? Katharine’s super-fly wedding website. And that, my friends, she put together all on her own.
Image credits, clockwise from top left: Pure Photography via Southern Weddings,Watters & Watters, Cliff Brunk, Watters & Watters, Jim Hjelm, and Joey + Jessica Weddings
Previously:
I had the same dilemma! I wanted my bridesmaids in elegant black, but since they range in size from 5’1" and 00 to 5’10" and size 10, I had a hard time narrowing it down. I settled on a fab Maggy London one-shoulder black dress from Nordstrom. Bonus: the dresses were only $129!
Amanda, I love the one-shoulder Maggy London!! Great pick! Glad to hear we weren’t the only ones struggling to find figure-flattering black dresses for our maids :) Katharine @ Southern Weddings
Katharine, I can honestly say that I had five of those dresses above on my inspiration board…great minds think alike! ;) Good luck!
Emily, cut it out! Spotted the pillars of Metcalf by Peacock Pond and just knew you must have been decked for ROSECLIFF!From one Wheatie to another, you looked simply GORGEOUS. :)
Black and white are really amazing colors.. They really stand out to the other bright colors out there.
I love the classic look of the black bridesmaid dresses and I think it gives a lot more options..I think going into regular department stores such as Nordstroms is a great idea when you are looking for this option! Thanks for sharing..beautiful inspiration :)
Thanks, Anna! YAY! I’m so happy to have someone else out there who appreciates the beauty of Wheaton and the wonder of Rosecliff. :)
Hi! LOVE LOVE LOVING the black bridesmaid dresses! Quick question…what designer makes the black mermaid dress with the ruffles on the bottom where she walking behind the towncar? I am in love with this look and am thinknig this would definitely be a show stopper at my reception next May! Please let me know if you can help me find it!
Hi Jess! Congratulations on your May wedding!! I LOVE the dress you pointed out :) It’s a picture of Charlotte York from the Sex and the City movie. She’s wearing a totally glamorous Narciso Rodriguez gown – and it’s basically to die-for. (Kind of what inspired me for my own bridesmaid dresses.) Let me know if you have any other questions, and definitely share what you end up picking! Katharine @ Southern Weddings
Hi! I just stumbled upon this website and I am in LOVE LOVE with all the pics! Would you mind telling me who makes the dress with the ruffles across the back (featured in the pic of the single girl sitting on the bed with the flowers above)?Thanks so much and I cannot wait to see future updates!
Hi Elle! Thanks so much for your kind words! The dress you're interested in is from Jim Hjelm. It's stunning, isn't it?Emily @ SW