How I Chose Dresses for My Bridesmaids

Today’s post is all about: bridesmaid dresses!

Besides my own wedding gown, choosing dresses for my bridesmaids was a major (and fun) decision in the “style” department. After becoming engaged, I began browsing bridesmaid dresses online and visited a handful of boutiques — ultimately finding something I love at Jenny Yoo.

No, this beautiful floral dress I’m wearing here is not the final decision of what the girls will be wearing, but it is GORGEOUS. It truly is among my favorite of dresses… I won’t even qualify it as a pure “bridesmaid” dress, because it truly can be worn on different occasions. It’s called the Claire dress, in “Blush Sand Dune.” (You can purchase it at Nordstrom, Lord & Taylor, or directly through Jenny Yoo, if interested.)

Below, I’ll share a bit of my experience and tips for shopping — whether you’re a bride or helping friend!

My 5 top pieces of advice for bridesmaid dress shopping…

Do your research

When it comes to bridesmaid dresses, there are so many choices. Which is a great thing, don’t get me wrong — but making a final decision can feel overwhelming. Before stepping foot in a boutique, I recommend browsing online as much as you can to get a feel for what’s out there. I felt much more prepared when I began to gather an idea for color, silhouette, quality, and price.

Consider your venue

Bridesmaid dresses should compliment your wedding venue, as well as the bride’s gown. Consider formality, time of day, and also the season. A beautiful full-length gown with embellishments may not be top choice for a daytime beach wedding, just like a garden cocktail reception wedding or an urban city hall celebration would have different implications for dress.

Uniform or mix-and-match?

More and more girls are opting for a mix-and-match look for bridesmaids, which is a fun alternative to the uniform traditional look of everyone in the same dress. If you’re choosing different style dresses for your group, I once heard a great tip: try to keep a common thread between the dresses — whether it’s length, color, material or a particular neckline.

Schedule a “try on” visit

Once I had a few ideas in mind, I scheduled a visit to try on dresses myself. Some girls like bringing their maid-of-honor or mom along, or opt to try on alone, it’s really up to you! Visiting the Chicago boutique at Jenny Yoo — where I ultimately found the dresses — allowed me to get a sense of the fit and color. I also appreciated being able to ask questions in person, rather than a pure online experience — which is important to me in a big decision.

Plan ahead

Be sure to plan ahead and allow enough time for your bridesmaids to order and accommodate alternations, if necessary. It’s generally recommended to order bridesmaid dresses at least 5 months prior to your wedding date. Many dresses are “made to order” (based off girls’ measurements) and are delivered approximately 3-4 months after ordering.

Thank you to Jenny Yoo for partnering on this post!