Afternoon, friends! Since January, we’ve been looking at all the key trends for bridesmaid dresses in 2013 – who knew there could be so many? We’ve looked at prints (floral, stripes), styles (Gatsby, skirts) and textures (lace, sequins). Now we’re turning to colours themselves – after all, this is the classic look that many brides will always choose. Next week we’ll look at neutrals (in themselves a trend) but today we’re turning attention to five key colours that have been making a big impression in wedding parties across the world: emerald (Pantone’s colour of the year), mint, coral, peach and navy. For each, I’ve highlighted a few shop finds – somee a steal and others a bit more of a splurge. I love them all!Read More
We’re heading towards the end of our series on the top bridesmaid looks for 2013, and I must say, I have loved pulling them together! I honestly don’t know how you all are choosing which one to go with, because I love them all. And today’s is no exception – as you may have figured out by now, I’m a huge fan of ombre, the French term for graduated colour – see more of this wedding look here. It also happens to work perfectly with the watercolour trend that’s making everything so pretty right now. There are lots of ways to bring ombre into your wedding, but one of my favourites is through bridesmaid dresses – it’s the perfect evolution of the mismatched look. But what IS the difference between ombre and mismatched bridesmaids? Well, the key is really in the colours, of course. With mismatched, you could pick a colour (green, for example) and let your girls buy whatever dresses they liked, as long as they’re blue. With ombre, you’ll need to be a bit more OCD about it, picking an exact shade along the same colour spectrum for each bridesmaid, starting at an intense colour and ending at a light one, spaced out according to the number of BMs you have. Sound complicated? Well, it can be – one way to make it a bit easier is to have dresses made (the same or in different styles) so you have a bit more control. Take paint samples with you when you go shopping for material or dresses – each will usually show you an ombre colour family, so they’re the perfect reference. But even if you go high street, it’s not as difficult as you might imagine, and to show you, I’ve put together three ombre looks from current high street finds. My favourite is the peach ombre look – it just works so perfectly!
Evening, lovelies! Time for some more bridesmaid fashion inspiration, but today instead of looking at dresses, the trend we’re focusing on is bridesmaid skirts. I think this trend started with LDS weddings in the US, but I absolutely love how stylish and sophisticated the look is, and it’s actually really budget friendly. As with all the trends I’ve highlighted so far, there are lots of ways of working bridesmaid skirts and tops – identical skirts and tops, mismatched tops, mismatched skirts, casual tops, formal ones… you can pretty much customise it to whatever look you want. In fact, I think bridesmaid separates a particularly good option if you’re struggling to find dresses that fit with the style you envision – definitely consider the skirt option, whether simple or textured, short or long. I’ve actually worn this as a bridesmaid before (my friend Abbie was so ahead of her time!) and I have to say that it was comfortable, flattering and really pretty. So here are my favourites from t’internets. *Links in bold denote affiliate links. The cost to you remains the same, but SBB may receive a commission for any sales made.
Hello lovelies, are you all ready for your weekend? I have a rare personal post coming up today, but first, it’s time to look at another awesome bridesmaid dress trend and this is one I’ve been looking forward to highlighting for a while. I don’t know about you, but I LOVE The Great Gatsby. Ever since I read it, I’ve been a little bit obsessed with the roaring ’20s. I’m also a little bit obsessed with Baz Luhrmann – Strictly Ballroom is my ALL TIME favourite film, with Romeo + Juliet coming a close second (although, let’s not talk about Moulin Rouge or Australia, kay?). So as you can imagine, I am dying to see the film. And the timing is perfect, because fashion and wedding world have been jonesing for this for ages – 1920s keeps being a trend, and it keeps getting better, especially with all the gorgeous embellished dresses around at the moment. Seriously, could someone doing this please make me their bridesmaid? Because I so want an excuse to wear one of these beauties. Full disclosure: it’s not the most budget-friendly look, but it is mismatched (or even matched), glam, perfection. You don’t need to be having a vintage or Gatsby-themed wedding to pull it off either, but it will add a gorgeous touch of dapper flapper to your wedding style. This post contains affiliate links. SBB may receive a commission for any sales made.
It’s bridesmaid dress time again! So far you all have been loving this series, where we’ve already covered some of the other 2013 bridesmaid trends: lace, stripes and ice cream pastels. Which has been your favourite? Today we’re looking at florals, one of the prettiest sides of 2013’s print trend, and with floral dresses being very much in fashion right now, there’s plenty to choose from! There are lots of way to do this – mismatch prints, put bridesmaids in the same dresses – but for me the one I like best (and that I think will date the least) is to mix prints with block colours as you’ll see some of the bridesmaids in this roundup do. It’s such a lovely look! Whatever you do, try to remember the shape of the dress as well as the print – even with a lot else going on, your girls want to look their very best. For the same reason, make sure you take their colouring into account, the way you would do with a solid colour. As with previous posts in the series, I’ve rounded up my favourite real bridesmaid looks, as well as some off-the-rack picks for your shopping pleasure!
Hello lovelies, have you recovered from the gorgeousness that was this morning’s wedding? Good-o, because this afternoon we’re continuing our series on the key bridesmaid looks for 2013, with inspiration from real weddings as well as some off-the-rack finds. So far you all have been loving this particular set of posts, and we’ve already covered lace and stripes, with more to come. Today is all about pastels – or more specifically, mix ‘n match ice cream pastels. I absolutely LOVE this look, whether with matching dresses in different colours or a complete mixed vibe. If your girls have quite different looks, this is a fantastic option, and it also goes brilliantly with the Cape country vintage look, as shown off by our Real Life Bride, Cheryl, last year. It’s colourful without being too bold, and just because you go for a mixed bridesmaid palette doesn’t mean that the rest of the wedding needs to be in multiple shades. That makes it really useable while still being pretty and whimsical and fun, which is probably why it’s gained in popularity. So here we go, my favourite sorbet bridesmaids – and some pastel pretties from the high street as well.
Hello lovelies – how are you enjoying your long weekend so far? Today I’m bringing you the latest in our new series on the top looks for bridesmaids in 2013, and this week we’re looking at a subset of prints – one of 2013’s biggest trends. Stripes are such an accessible print, particularly monochrome stripes, which are very much the look. They work well with a variety of looks – everything from a nautical wedding to a preppy one to those with a bit of a French influence, or just one that looks fresh and fashion forward. It’s no accident that the images I’m sharing today have already been pinned like crazy – every time a set of stripey bridesmaids hits the net we all fall madly in love with it. Just one word of advice – as a bride, you want your girls to feel comfy, and some stripey dresses can be super unflattering for a curvy bridesmaid. Opt for a narrower stripe, a stripey skirt with a block coloured top, or just make sure to let everyone try on your choice before you buy, as you never really know which are going to work until you get them on. Apart from that, stripes away! Here are some of my favourite looks, and some off-the-rack options to recreate them.
I suppose there are many different ways of deciding on the people that you’ll have walking down the aisle before you and many factors play a role in this (sometimes difficult) decision. Some stick to family members, some to friends, some choose according to what the budget allows or how many groomsmen the groom will have. I didn’t set myself any rules. My two sisters are a pair of amazingly awesome, beautiful, fantastic ladies who I wouldn’t trade for anything in the world. Naturally, they would have to be bridesmaids. But I also want my bestest friends to be by my side as they are the pillars on which I rely in life. So I’m going to have five bridesmaids. Yes, it has its complications in terms of the dresses, time schedule, budget, etc. but I wouldn’t change anything. I’m a very determined person so I figured I would make it work despite the odds.
Ten years ago, if I’d been writing this blog (if blogs even existed then, which they probably didn’t), I’d no doubt have been telling you ladies to style your (strapless, obvs) wedding dress with a simple pearl necklace or a diamond solitaire. Nothing too flashy, mind. And don’t get me wrong – diamonds and pearls are ALWAYS a good idea. But if it was me styling my wedding dress, I have to admit that I’d probably be looking in the direction of a trend that has grown and grown among brides – the statement necklace. A few years back, my dear friend Kath rocked this herself, wearing the most gorgeous chunky creation made from various brooches and heirlooms – it looked amazing. And since then, I’ve seen brides in any number of bold and lovely pieces. Every time I do, it gives me a little fashion thrill. Of course, I’m a fan of statement jewellery in general, and this trend isn’t for every bride, but if you’re willing to take a risk, you can turn even a plain gown into a bit of a showstopper. In fact, a plain gown is often a better bet for a bit of styling – you definitely need to have a bit of balance. The other piece of advice is to make sure that whatever you’re doing with your hair allows the necklace to be shown off properly – up is better but long hair down can work, though it’s definitely something to check when you do your hair trial. You can go for bling, layers of pearls – even colour. Here are my most inspiring web finds.Read More
Good morning, friends! It’s been a long and crazy week for me, including an amazing shoot with such a great team mid-week that I am dying to share with you (in the words of Barney Stinson… wait for it…) so I’m pretty glad it’s Friday. And what a fun Friday we have lined up for you, as it’s our unofficial Bridesmaid Day! We’re kicking things off with some comprehensive, down-to-earth advice from friend of the blog Theresa Lazarevic of Creation Events.. I love that Theresa not only has a great eye for decor that really benefits her brides and grooms, but she’s also a source of wedding wisdom and practical ideas. I like to think I’ve always been quite a switched-on bridesmaid, but I know many friends who have felt a bit lost in knowing their place in the planning and what they can do to help and support. Well, here’s everything they need to know. Be sure to make use of the sharing buttons at the end of the post to share these with your own bridesmaids and MOH! And don’t forget to pop back later for more bridesmaid inspiration from our sponsors.Read More
