Bridesmaid Dresses 101: Tips and Tricks on Making Your Pick as Stress Free as Possible

Bridesmaid Dresses 101: Tips and Tricks on Making Your Pick as Stress Free as Possible

You’ve got your man, your maids and your mom cried when you "said yes to the dress!"

But what will your bridesmaids sport on your big day? You want them to feel beautiful and honored at your wedding because these are your GIRLS! They’ve been by your side through thick and thin. You want to choose a dress that reflects your wedding style and a combination of your ladies' tastes. Insert all the feels.

First things first. You need your wedding color scheme, your wedding date, a venue and to select your own wedding dress before your bridesmaid dresses are picked out. This will help you narrow down your options with color, and even the material & length of the dress depending on the season. 

Ground Rules

  • DO NOT give them a Pinterest free-for-all! If you have specific things in mind, you aren’t a ‘Bridezilla’ for having a preference.
  • Include them in the decision, but don’t let their opinions overwhelm you. It might be smart to pick your top 3 bridesmaid dress options with someone you trust, like your mom or the maid of honor, and then get feedback on styles and pricing from all your bridesmaids. Encourage them to be honest, yet open-minded.
  • Be sure that your dress is distinctly different, yet complimentary to the bridesmaid dresses. You want to stand out as the bride, but also look great as a group.
  • Oftentimes, the bridal shop where you purchased your wedding dress will offer a discount on bridesmaid dresses if they are bought at the same place. Offer this as an incentive for your ladies! 
  • Think inside a box. If you are having a tough time finding dresses in stores or if your bridesmaids live all over the country you can always look into some online rental options such as Rent the Runway or Union Station.

There are so many gorgeous wedding trends around bridesmaid dress combinations right now! We’ve seen plenty of brides highlighting her Maid of Honor with a slightly different dress than the other bridesmaids. We've even seen mismatched combinations of colors, textures and cuts within the group. All are beautiful! But, regardless of if you want to jump in on these trends or keep it classic - know you can’t go wrong! This day will offer you, your groom, and all your friends and family so many memories and joy. Pick bridesmaid dresses that honor your style and preferences and move on to the important part - make your maids feel as loved and beautiful as they truly are!

Photo from Emily + Jamie's wedding. Photographed by Happy Everything Co.

Bridesmaids 101: How to Make the Ask

Bridesmaids 101: How to Make the Ask

So your fiancee popped the question. YAY! Now it is time for you to do the same and ask your favorite girls to join your bridal party. Consider this a big deal, especially since they could be dishing out some money for your big day! It's easy to get creative and show the girls just how much they mean to you. Let's be real, it would mean a lot for them to accept this position! Being a bridesmaid is an honor but also a big job! Here are a few fun ways to say, "Will you be my bridesmaid?"

Gift Box

Any bridesmaid would love a gift box full of bridesmaid and wedding day essentials. Make the box themed around your wedding and make it personal by writing a hand-written note to each girl.  

Jewelry

A new piece of jewelry is a GREAT way to get your friends excited about the wedding! This could be a personalized piece or a necklace, bracelet or ring they may wear during the wedding. Trendy knot rings or bracelets are a cute and fun way to say “help me tie the knot! “

Sweet Treats

Any girl loves a sweet treat AND if it is cute and personalized, how can you go wrong?! Think about making it to match your theme and colors of your wedding! How can they say no?

Robes/ Monogrammed Shirts

On your wedding day, most brides chose to get pictures taken during the “getting ready” process. What is cuter than all having matching outfits to get ready in? Ask your favorite girls with a cute robe or button up shirt, that is easy to get ready in, that won’t mess up hair or makeup, once ready!

Wine/Champagne

Are you looking for a good way to end the night out with the girls? Try asking them with a personalized bottle of their favorite wine or champagne! Make it even more fun with a personalized wine glass or drinking glass.

Photo from Jenna + Lakes Wedding photographed by Karli Ryan.

Wedding Catering 101: What You're Really Paying For

Wedding Catering 101: What You're Really Paying For

For the last few weeks, I have been working behind the scenes with one of our favorite caterers Center Cut Catering. Working behind the scenes has allowed me to see the back bone that really keeps this industry going. I have always known the importance of really good food at a wedding, but this experience gave me such a different perspective. Investing in great catering for your wedding not only gets you great food - it gives you ease, less stress, better flow. 

Your caterer is one of the most important aspects of your wedding, and here's why:

They make sure your food is hot and ready on time. 

Without having a planner or someone to direct the flow of events this can become a difficult task. Especially when you have one person telling you the dinner will begin right after the first dance, but they under estimate the uncle who had a little too much to drink and winds up giving more of an inaugural speech than a brief toast.

They make sure everyone gets their food quickly. 

There is nothing worse than having everyone at your reception get up at the same time to wait in line for the buffet. I mean we all saw what happened in Atlanta during snowpacalpyse 2014. A good caterer knows the worst guest is a hungry guest, so they will arrange the buffet line so that you don’t have a long wait or line out the door. They are used to preparing for functions of 200+ so a wedding is a piece of cake!

They are 100% on your team.

Your catering team is constantly prepping and cleaning behind the scenes and they’re on deck for whatever is next. Consider them your secret weapon. Keep this in mind when you see the service charge and/or price for servers. Say it with me, worth it. 

Here are some of the things you can expect from most wedding caterers:

  • Drives to the venue 
  • Unloads the food
  • Sets the tables with china, flatware and napkins
  • Sets up the chaffing dishes
  • Sets up and prepares the appetizers
  • Gets the buffet ready for dinner
  • Serves the guests
  • Replenishes the buffet as needed
  • Buses the tables
  • Washes the dishes
  • Cuts the cake
  • Serves the cake
  • Continue washing of dishes
  • Begins packing up items to take home

And then there's the chefs who have been cooking all day for the event. If you ordered BBQ, it started slow roasting and smoking up to a day before the event. Most wedding catering starts at $30 a person and that rate totally makes sense when you take into account all that goes into preparing and executing the meal. If you have any questions on catering, feel free to send us a message here.

Photo from Jen + Bob's wedding photographed by Rustic White.