Few things are as exciting and stressful as planning a wedding, let alone one during winter. According to the Knot, although only 9% of weddings take place during winter, there are plenty of reasons to have a marriage take place during the cool weather months. Your photos will look beautiful, and you’ll get better venue rates during the off-season — not to mention all the unique ways you can style your winter wedding theme.
Now that you have your beautiful engagement ring and wedding dress all set, it’s time to think about what your bridesmaids will look like. Your bridesmaids are here to support you on your wedding day. You need to make sure they’re stylish yet comfortable during your winter wedding. No matter what kind of wedding you’re planning, we have these eight great bridesmaid style tips for winter weddings. Read on to find out what your bridesmaids should wear and how they should style their look for your special day.
Shop with Them
You may be nervous about shopping for your big day. Your bridesmaids may be just as nervous as you. After all, they’re going to play an important part too. Be with your bridesmaids in person when they’re shopping for their dress, shoes and accessories. If you can’t be there in person with them, you can ask for them to video chat you when they’re at the store or shopping online so you can be there in spirit. Encourage them to fall in love with a dress that they’ll actually wear again even after your wedding.
As for any jewelry, make sure they’re not blowing their budget just to get high-quality jewelry for your big day. Inspire them to wear jewelry that they already own or to only purchase jewelry that is beautifully hand-crafted yet affordable.
Make Sure They’re Comfortable
No one wants to wear an itchy bridesmaid dress. During a winter wedding, you may need to consider additional layers other than a dress. You may need to think outside of the box and consider a warmer outfit with stylish pantsuits and blazers in lieu of a thin dress, especially if there’s going to be any part of the wedding outdoors.
Also, keep their body types and shapes in mind. What looks good on your pear-shaped friend may not look as great on your friend with a more athletic build. Be open to your bridesmaids wearing different styles along the theme of everyone else’s outfits in the bridal party. For example, if the theme of your wedding is a winter wonderland, allow one friend to wear a pretty silver pantsuit and another to wear a silver dress down to their calves.
As a the center of this whole thing, we know that you still the kindness to give the least hassle and headache to your attendees, especially your close friends. Avery Austin offers some kind of at home fitting and might come in handy for you
Outfits Should Match Your Wedding Theme
Before thinking about the dress length, cut or even color, how will the bridesmaid dress look alongside your wedding theme? How will it look compared to your own wedding dress or tuxedo? Their bridesmaid outfits may also have a statement coat.
If you’re going for an icy blue winter wedding theme, your bridesmaids can also wear icy blue or outfits with snowflakes on them. They can accessorize with other quintessential winter symbols like icicle earrings and reindeer necklaces.
Think About the Whole Outfit
Besides thinking about just the dress, you’ll want to think about what your bridesmaids are wearing from head to toe. How do you want your bridesmaids to do their hair? Would you prefer that everyone keep their hair down, or do you want your bridesmaids to put their hair up? Is there a particular hairdo you’d like to see, such as braids or a bun?
Winter wedding themes often have rich jewel colors like ruby red, emerald green or sapphire. Your bridesmaids can match those same jewel tones or go in a different direction with muted colors such as periwinkle, grayish-blue or slate gray.
Be Sensitive to Budgets
In between the bachelorette party, rehearsal dinner, hair, makeup and everything else in between, your bridesmaids have probably spent a good chunk of change just to attend your wedding. Keep their budget in mind and be sensitive to all kinds of budgets.
This may mean you need to be flexible in terms of your expectations of what exactly your bridesmaid will wear. Don’t let your friend or family member get into debt just because you really wanted them to wear that EXACT dress or those particular shoes.
Micromanaging vs. No Direction
You don’t want to be a helicopter bride or groom. At the same time, you don’t want to be totally hands-off and leave your bridesmaids wondering what they should wear at the risk of disappointing you or looking totally uncoordinated with everyone else in the bridal party. Suggest that your bridesmaids can wear a wedding bracelet of a specific color or gemstone as an added accessory, but you don’t have to tell them which exact bracelet they should wear.
It Doesn’t Have to be Perfect
Your bridesmaids don’t have to look like they stepped straight out of a department store catalog. They just have to have a relatively cohesive theme or overall style that you’re all sticking to. If you are going for a bohemian winter wedding, then it wouldn’t make sense for your bridesmaids to wear structured satin dresses. If you’re going for a black tie event, make sure that your bridesmaids are all wearing black-tie-appropriate attire and accessories, but it doesn’t have to be the exact same dress.
Let Them Show Their Personalities
At the end of the day, getting ready for a wedding shouldn’t feel like such a chore. It will go as quickly as it came, and your bridesmaids will remember whether or not you treated them with grace, patience and understanding — not to mention a little fun by letting them show their personalities with what they’re wearing.
They can wear jewelry that is simultaneously affordable, conflict-free and still of high quality for your wedding. There are plenty of wedding earrings that your bridesmaids can choose from to showcase their personality while still being appropriate for your winter wedding.
Your beautiful winter wedding will be here before you know it. Now that you know these eight great style tips for how your bridesmaids should dress for your wedding, you can get back to planning everything else.
