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Trends to Try, Traditions to Keep: The Bridesmaid Army
 
Katherine Thornhill - Owner of Lucky & In Love, Wedding Production and Design
 

When it comes to the picture perfect wedding, there is nothing better than being surrounded by each and every loved one in a person’s life – immediate family, out of town relatives, friends from college and even the occasional close coworker. The large crowd of supporters and celebration ready guests are significant, however, none will come close to the importance of having a gal pal or two beside the bride on her big day.

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Surprisingly, bridesmaid duties haven’t drastically changed since their first historical record in Roman history. The maids, typically young, unwed women, were selected to perform a number of duties to ready the bride. Their tasks included weaving the floral wreath for the bride to carry, dressing the bride in her gown and safely ushering her to the ceremony. Most importantly, it was an absolute necessity that the group of women dress themselves to look as similar to the bride as possible. From their styled hair all the way down to their shoes, these mirror images of the bride were put in place to confuse any evil spirits interested in disrupting the wedding festivities. They acted as a shield, protecting the bride on her final stroll of singledom down the center aisle.

In 2014, the need to have an old fashioned bridal party is dwindling. Many brides are opting to stand at the front of the ceremony with only the officiant and their husband to be. Some still meet the Roman requirement of five attendants, even surpassing it by offering eight, even 10, close friends and sisters the honor of standing at the front of the ceremony. In this case, many brides are choosing to have their bridesmaids wear mismatched dresses, highlighting the specific taste and preferred style of the woman in the dress. This may not confuse any lurking evil spirits, yet will certainly please any fashion forward and picky maids in the bridal party.

The mismatched gown look can be achieved through a number of different combinations. Bridesmaids can be dressed in one specific color, with variations of the dress length and style, they can be adorned in a close hue, such as an ombre line up of light pink to dark, or may even be in an unplanned dress of their choosing. The latter option being the least used, as many brides prefer to keep the look of the event cohesive, for photos, and for guests to be able to point out the few honored as bridal party members.

What’s on trend and upcoming in bridal party fashions? Asymmetrical necklines with a strong focus on the one shoulder design, a new look at texture and patterns like bold prints, delicate beading, sheer details and gorgeous lace, and the midi length hemline. For style advice, wedding planners can often advise the best local stylists to work with, even offering the service themselves. It’s absolutely possible to find that fabulous dresses that won’t be banished to the back of the closet as soon as the event is over.

 

About the author


Katherine Thornhill is a coffee shop connoisseur, European travel fanatic, sometimes stylist and admittedly a bit wedding obsessed. She spends her days working at her dream job, as the owner of Lucky & In Love, a company specializing in wedding production and design. Lucky & In Love is a company founded with the goal of creating sophisticated, innovative and impactful weddings, rooted in tradition. Its couples find joy in the details, they value great design, and they're ready to have a little fun throughout the process of wedding planning. For more information, and to inquire about booking - visit www.luckyandinlove.com. Connect on Instagram at @sparklef