Bridesmaids: how to agree with your friends on the color and fabric of the dress.

Did you decide to have bridesmaids at your wedding, or were you asked to be a bridesmaid and want it to be a super fun experience full of female loyalty? As a wedding styling expert, I can tell you that one of the big "issues" among bridesmaids is dress selection. And while your friends, sisters, or sisters-in-law may adore you, the truth is that everyone has their own style and characteristics, and sometimes when personalities are strong, it can be hard to compromise.

My first piece of advice if you are the bride is to truly choose girls who are super important and close to you as your bridesmaids. If you feel bad not offering the role to your sister-in-law, for example, give her another important role, like being a godmother for something. And if you were offered to be a bridesmaid and you absolutely don't want to adjust to what the bride asks, then with a beautiful smile, tell her you adore her but would like to support her in another way, and tell her how and explain why. If you truly know and appreciate each other, there shouldn't be a problem.

That said, here are some tips for selecting the color and fabric to reach an agreement.

1. If you are the bride, the ideal is that before formally asking your friends to be your bridesmaids, you already have a clear vision of what you and your partner want for your wedding. The venue, style, color palette, and mood board for the ceremony and party should already be defined. This way, even if you don't have the exact color, you'll at least have a possible range.

If you are a bridesmaid and see that the bride doesn't have anything yet, give her the previous advice.

2. Propose options backed by professional advice. If you have a wedding planner who can tell you about wedding color trends, for example, and which ones suit your wedding style, you'll have good arguments to explain what you want to your friends.

And specifically about your bridesmaids' dresses, for example, at Débh Herrera, one of the things that sets us apart is that we offer an integrated "styling" service for weddings. This means helping you interpret your style, your wedding's style, and your bridesmaids' styles, and translating that into fabrics, styles, and colors for clothing. Our ideal is a first session only with the bride to help her define and show her options; then, with the bridesmaids, we help them adjust the fabric and color to each one's style.

It's not the same to say: "I want you to wear pink because I like it"; as to say, "Look, I've defined this concept and color palette for the wedding with my wedding planner, and based on that, I checked with my designer for the best range for your dresses; she will help us ensure each of you feels comfortable in the chosen shade and fabric."

If you don't have the possibility to hire these services and you're organizing everything yourself, then go online and soak up information, collect images, and buy fabric samples that you can use to explain why you want certain shades.

3. Use the multicolor trend to your advantage. Although it's most common to choose one color and have everyone wear the same, today's trend is a range or a color palette.

In a range, for example, if one of the strongest colors for your wedding were blue, you could propose that everyone wear different shades of the same color; so the lighter-skinned person would wear sky blue, the more outgoing person would wear electric blue, the more elegant person would wear navy, etc. An intensity for each personality and personal colorimetry. I insist, the ideal is that you don't dictate the shade; let them choose with the advice of a professional stylist, and it will be easier.

If you're open to something more multicolored, you can base it on your color palette. The palette emerges when you can visualize your wedding style on a mood board; you'll see at least three important hues mixed together. In a forest wedding, for example, you would have terracotta, sage green, and nude. You already have three colors to offer for them to choose from.

4. You really want just one color for everyone and you're torn between three. Put it to a vote among your bridesmaids, and may the best one win. For this, you'll need to have already given everyone some words of encouragement, telling them that you truly appreciate their effort and that they understand how important it is to you. If there's a tie, you, as the bride, make the decision.

Dear bridesmaid, if the color you liked doesn't win, at Débh Herrera we can also help you make the most of yourself in the chosen shade. Now you can concentrate on the silhouette and, if it's open, the type of fabric and accessories too.

5. You already have the color, but not the texture. Choosing the fabric has its science, believe me; in my design career, I spent a year studying this, and in the world of creation, there's a lot of experimentation. The right choice only comes with experience. Some silhouettes and styles require structured fabrics, while others need drape, others airiness, others shimmer, etc. This is a very technical and knowledgeable part; trust an expert. If you go to a seamstress who doesn't have a vision for design and style, even if you bring the best fabric, there's a high probability they'll ruin it. You need a designer and/or a stylist who knows how to combine all the elements.

If you really want to be practical, go for existing dresses that they can try on, although the colors might be limited.

6. If you're super cool and don't care much about having photos that truly represent a group of bridesmaids. Then just give them free rein; let each one choose the color, fabric, and style they like. But even here, remember, bride, it's your wedding. If you know that it will bother you if, in the photo, instead of looking at you or the group, everyone focuses on your friend's deep cleavage, for example, then tell them: "The only thing I ask is that there are no deep necklines."

Think about what, even if you give them free rein, might make you uncomfortable. Here are some examples:

- colors similar to your mother's or a detail of your dress.

- colors that you simply don't like at all.

- textures that you don't like at all (for example, you might be bothered by satins, which is very respectable, you choose).

- cuts that are too tight or too revealing.

And if you're a bridesmaid and you see that the bride isn't setting limits, remember that you want to be her bridesmaid to make her feel good and support her; choose accordingly.

Well, that's it, I hope these tips are helpful. We'd be happy to see you in our studio to advise you and help you make the process much more organized and fun.