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Silky Bridesmaid Dress

Bridesmaid Dress Style Trends

Bridesmaid Dress Style Trends

You’ve found your wedding dress, so the next step on the agenda is to choose your bridesmaid dresses! The color, fabric, style, & neckline options are so endless. It may be difficult to choose an option that is both now and timeless. Bridesmaids, rejoice, we’ve narrowed down the bridesmaid dress trends you’ll actually want to wear again for years!

Silky Fabrics

This trend is a favorite of ours! Silk-like bridesmaid dresses come in many styles from long to short, and from fitted to flowing. If you are willing to be flexible with dress silhouette, your bridesmaids will be happy to find a style they feel best in for their body type. In this fabric, the cowl neckline is trendy and flattering for all body types.

T-Length/Midi-Length

We’ve seen a resurgence of the t-length dress! One thing to keep in mind is this trend looks best if all your bridesmaids feel comfortable wearing high heels. Wearing a t-length/midi-length dress with flats is not a very flattering line on anyone. This is an excellent option if you’re having a summer or warm destination wedding, but you do not want cocktail-length bridesmaid dresses. Bridesmaids also may feel more comfortable wearing a midi or long-length dress as opposed to a short cocktail dress. Brides, you can bring your vision to fruition while also being considerate of your bridal party’s self-esteem and any body image insecurities.

Strappy Backs

This is another great trend for warm-weather weddings! There are so many different options to choose from. Your bridesmaids will be happy to choose a back and neckline to accommodate their bra necessities or lack thereof. If you are wearing a strappy wedding dress, strappy bridesmaid dresses will be a fun complement to your dress.

Puff Sleeves

This one is definitely only for the fashion-forward who can appreciate this nod to the 1980s and 1990s. If you’re up for it, go ahead and be bold, choose the puff sleeve! They come in all options from long to short, tulle to crepe, and slit to solid. Brides, if you are pro or anti the puff sleeve, it’s best to talk with your bridesmaids to see how they feel about this trend. It can be gorgeous, but not all bridesmaids will feel good wearing a puff sleeve.

Variations of the High/Boat Neckline

Speaking of classics from the 1980s and 1990s, the high/boat neckline has more options than ever before! If you like to have more of an open neckline, you can choose a racerback halter. If you prefer more coverage in your necklines, a wider boat neckline will look and feel amazing. This is one option every body type will find a style they feel comfortable in.

The Square Neckline

We are so glad this trend is hanging around! This neckline is flattering on just about everyone! It gives you the clean lines of a boat neckline with the openness of a v-neckline. The clean lines are flattering and the square brings the eye up to your bridesmaids’ beautiful faces. If you’re looking to be more unique than the classic v-neckline, but still have a more open neckline, this is a perfect choice.

Have you chosen your bridesmaid dresses yet? Did you recently get your wedding photos back and would like to share how you chose your bridesmaid dresses? We’d love to hear! Email credited photos and vendors to hello@chicagoweddingblog.com to potentially be featured on our blog.

Bride and bridesmaids look feel best

Brides and Bridesmaids: What to Wear to Look and Feel Your Best

There are more styles for brides & bridesmaids to wear on wedding days than ever before. However, this does pose some logistical challenges. Brides and bridesmaids have to coordinate necklines and skirts with figure, undergarments, dress lengths, and shoes. It is important to keep a few details in mind as you plan your bridal party’s wedding attire. Here is what you need to know, brides and bridesmaids, about what to wear to look and feel your best.

Bridesmaid dresses

You’ve asked all your best friends or sisters to be in your wedding but now what? The dreaded bridesmaid dresses! Some people are reluctant bridesmaids because they’re obligated or spoil sports. As the bride you can help alleviate some of that stress by what you decide they should all wear.

Bridesmaid dresses can range from ball gown to boots and jeans. We’re sure all your bridesmaids are models and would look exactly like the pictures in the catalogs…Or they’re people with bodies that work hard for them and are of all shapes and sizes! As the bride you should definitely be aware of who’s in your party and what their body types are. Maybe give them a color or style of dress but leave the details to them like straps, no straps, belt or no belt. Some women are larger up top than others and will not feel comfortable in strapless gowns.

It may be easier to ask your bridesmaids what they do not feel comfortable with rather than what everyone wants. Bridesmaid dresses come in all sizes so that shouldn’t be a problem. But some maids may feel shorter is something they’d rather not wear. To make things less complicated and to keep you from pulling your hair out try selecting a designer and color you like. Then, let the bridesmaids pick among the style choices in that range. It can keep everyone on track and also feel their comfort levels are being taken into consideration.

Bridesmaid dresses can also be easier if you try Brideside, a site that lets you choose 3 styles you like, are shipped to your house and you get to try them on! They have consultants who can organize your bridal party as well and thus alleviate some stress off of you. They understand your girls have actual body parts that sometimes don’t cooperate or look good in certain styles. We recommend you tell your girls to give those dresses a good shake and jump too! You never know how the dress will hold up dancing versus just standing or walking. You and your bridesmaids can have a lot of fun picking dresses that will compliment them and make you the center of attention on the big day!

Bohemian Wedding

Bohemian Wedding
Trending into next spring we have the Boho style wedding! It may be the holiday season but there’s no time to waste if you’re planning a wedding for next spring or summer.
If you’re a chill, free spirit and love those ethereal layers then you’ll want to look into the Bohemian wedding. We love the quirky details that make every Bohemian wedding unique. Here are some of our favorite Boho details that you can incorporate!
1. Flowy, lacy layers. These vintage style dresses can be worn with as much lace as you love. They can be accented with rosettes on the straps, romantic plunging necklines, with soft off the shoulder silhouette or wide bell sleeves.
2.Flower crowns in your hair. Instead of the traditional veil, think about flowers entwined with elegant vines as a jeweled piece on your head! A Bohemian wedding wouldn’t be complete with out flowers.

 

3.  Tee pees! What bride wouldn’t want a romantic white teepee to either take pictures in or have as a shady spot at the reception. It’s sure to be a hit with guests. You can get creative with embroidery, fabric and cost saving materials to make your own!
4.  The last one will be a sure hit for your bridesmaids–long, flowy dresses to match yours! They can be in the wedding with comfort and style as well in lovely pastel colors. They don’t have to be long, you can layer their skits or have them wear a cute crop top style over the shoulders.

SimplyBridal – 5 Iconic But Unusual Wedding Dresses

SimplyBridal does it again with 5 iconic but unusual wedding dresses.

The American singer-songwriter, lead vocalist, and worldwide fashion icon Gwen Stefani made headlines with the Galliano wedding gown in 2002. What about John Lennon’s bride, Yoko Ono, who stepped out in a big floppy hat? SimplyBridal has compiled the most iconic and unusual wedding outfits from the last century. Do any of these fit your style?
5 Iconic Wedding Dresses

Valentines Day Around the World

Valentine’s Day Around the World

Valentine’s Day is just around the corner; February 14th is generally the day where men shell out on average $130 on candy, cards, jewelry, flowers and dates. But by this time, the couples in Wales had already celebrated St. Dwynwen’s Day. In addition, the Chinese Valentine’s Day isn’t until the 7th day of the 7th month of the lunar calendar!

One of our favorite vendors, ‘SimplyBridal‘, has put together a list of Valentine’s Day Around the World.

Valentine's Day Around the World

SimplyBridal

SimplyBridalSimplyBridal is an online retailer started in July 2011, simplifying the entire bridal process by putting the best wedding products and services directly into the hands of users worldwide. This mission is accomplished by offering a selection of quality bridal products; providing an excellent, worry-free purchase experience; providing the best set of bridal resources and content; and offering beautiful, superior-quality wedding dresses that won’t break the budget.

Offering over 400 wedding gown styles, 180 bridesmaids dress styles in 28 colors, close to 100 wedding veils, and a new line of bridal jewelry. Each dress is made to order from the finest fabrics without the monumental cost and corporate red tape. SimplyBridal offers a 30-day risk free return policy on their products.

SimplyBridal has professional bridal consultants at the showroom as well as over the phone with years of experience to assist brides in choosing the dress of their dreams. The in house design team consists of graduates from Fashion Institute of Technology in New York and the Fashion Institute of Design and Merchandising in Los Angeles.

Simply Bridal is offering a 15% discount (shipping not included).
Here is the discount code: SBL86MD.
It expires 02/28/2013 and is valid for 10 uses.

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Pinterest: Pins of the Week

Cream Bridesmaid Dresses.  When we think of some of the oldest, most followed pieces of wedding advice, we can’t help but think of “Nobody but the bride wears white.”  And we totally get that advice; a girl’s wedding day is important and she deserves to have a color all to herself.  But once in a while, advice is meant to be ignored, and in this case, we love the outcome!  This bride chose to have her nearest and dearest dress in varying shades and shapes of cream, and the look is nothing short of sweet and spectacular.  (The boots don’t hurt either!)  And even though this bride chose to share her special color, she is still a radiant standout!

Photographer: Brian Aulick

Picnic Save the Date Session.  We love to see how couples’ personalities come out in their save the dates, and this shoot is the perfect example.  This couple manages to balance out all the right things, leaving guests with a warm reminder of the love they are about to see united.  From the plaid blanket to the suspended pom poms, we love the relaxed and playful vibe of this shoot.  And ok, let’s be honest, the leaves in the first photo are getting us pretty amped for fall weddings!

Wildflowers Photography

Chevron + Sparkles.  Sometimes we see a pin that makes us say, “Yes, yes, YES!”  This was one of those pins.  Chevrons and sparkles.  We’re not sure there is a more amazing combination.  Enough said.

White Dresses at a Wedding: Love or Hate?

The old rule is that it is rude to wear white to someone else’s wedding. The bride should be the only person wearing white. But Kim Kardashian recently let all of her bridesmaids and guests break this rule. For her wedding, Kim Kardashain asked all of her guests to wear black and white, and her bridesmaids all wore stunning white dresses. Many people are now wondering if the old rule is still relevant.

When to go white…

If you are a bride who is daring and confident, white bridesmaid dresses may be for you. This look bends the rules and takes some of the attention off of the bride. Allowing your guests to wear white is even more of a risk. This move suggests that you are extremely confident. This look can work if it meshes with your overall theme. For instance, Kim Kardashian had a black and white theme.

When to skip the white…

If you are traditional, you should be the only person wearing white, which symbolizes purity, virtue, happiness and joy. If you like the black and white theme, you could have the bridesmaids and guest wear black dresses and accessorize with white. This would keep the attention on your gown and compile with traditional styles.

When guests can wear white…

As a guest, only wear white if the bride says to. Many people still believe that wearing white to a wedding is tacky and rude. However, if the bride asks the guests to show up in certain attire, it is typically best to listen to the bride’s instructions.

If you like white bridesmaid dresses, you can find a variety of options available online and in stores. Styles range from simple cocktail dresses to full-length, fully embellished gowns.

Tell us, do you love or hate the idea of white bridesmaid gowns?

 

Bridesmaid Dresses

We’ve all seen the movie 27 Dresses.  Katherine Heigl’s portrayal of a professional bridesmaid was too funny not to love, as was the closet jam packed of not-so-lovely looking bridesmaids dresses.  So to offer our support to bridesmaids around the world, we’re highlighting a few of our favorite not-so-typical places to get bridesmaids dresses.  Because who says bridesmaids dresses need to come from bridal boutiques?

Nordstrom: Though this big retailer is no secret, it is somewhat of a secret in the bridesmaid world.  Nordstrom has one of the biggest and best selections of dresses out there, and they have even separated dresses that may be great contenders for your attendants.  Now these aren’t exclusive bridal collections, but they are dresses in beautiful colors, flattering shapes, and varying price points, perfect for outfitting a group of girls.  An added bonus is Nordstrom’s incredible customer service that will likely be a big help as your bridesmaids find just the right size, color, and Nordstrom store.

J.Crew: First lady, Michelle Obama, isn’t the only one loving J.Crew these days, so are bridesmaids!  J.Crew has grown their bridal line in recent years, and bridesmaids everywhere are rejoicing.  Many of their dresses allow girls to pick the style of their dress, keeping the same color and fabric as the other bridesmaids.  And what bridesmaid doesn’t love the freedom to choose something flattering?  And for the bride wanting one-stop shopping for her bridesmaids’ shoes and jewelry, J.Crew has you covered.

Modcloth: This online-only retailer is perfect for the bride having a garden-party wedding, an afternoon ceremony, or a less formal affair.  Modcloth carries retro and indie clothing and has a dress selection that covers anything your vintage inspired heart could desire.  Dreamy fabrics, pretty florals, and fluttering shapes fill their store and make definite bridesmaid dress potential, especially for the bride who wants a bit more a less-traditional approach.  Another bonus is the price.  Modcloth’s dresses start at $20.  And what bridesmaid doesn’t love that?

See below for some great selections from Modcloth.