You said yes, you nailed the perfect bridesmaid proposals, and now it’s time to pick the bridesmaid dresses! One of the most fun ways to add personality and creativity to your wedding party is to mix and match dresses, colors, and details. Mismatched weddings are great because they allow your bridesmaids the freedom to choose a dress that will best fit their figure, sense of style, and budget! While it can seem overwhelming to make even more decisions about your wedding, it doesn’t have to be. We complied the ultimate list of anything and everything (plus more) that you will need to know about mismatched weddings. From mixing fabrics, designers, and everything in between, we are here to help you create the wedding of your dreams!
Color
As you know, color is one of the most important elements in your wedding! Choosing to mismatch your bridesmaid dresses is a great way to add personality and fun to your wedding. Mixing colors can pose challenges, so make sure you have a clear idea of what you want and communicate it to your bridesmaids! We suggest choosing a color family or palette as an easy way to create a cohesive look (such as neutrals, jewel tones, pinks, blues, etc.). You can be broad with a color family (pastels), more specific with a color (pink), or narrow it down to a particular shade (blush). You can order fabric swatches through Kennedy Blue to have a tangible way to compare your options, or you can visit a hardware store and pick up free paint samples! Giving your bridesmaids examples of what you would like makes it easier for everyone.
Fabric
Mixing fabrics is an easy way to create a beautiful mismatched look! Be careful, though, as fabrics that are too different may not look the best together. Luckily, at Kennedy Blue a lot of our dresses are easy to mix and match! Some of our styles (such as Jade or Wren) have and embroidered lace bodice with chiffon skirts. These are easy to combine with all chiffon dresses (like Amelia or Thea)! Crinkle chiffon and luxe chiffon fabrics also flow seamlessly together. As a guideline, it's usually best to pair cohesive fabrics like chiffon and lace together, and put shiny fabrics such as satin and silk together. Again, make sure to clarify for your bridesmaids!
Sophisticated Grace Photography
Styles
The amazing thing about choosing a mismatched bridal style is that all your beautiful bridesmaids get to choose a dress style that truly flatters them! Let’s be honest, not every style looks good on everyone. We all are different heights, figures, and sizes, so choosing just one dress to compliment every ‘maid can be tough. Letting your bridesmaids choose their dress style gives them the opportunity to find a dress that will really make them shine. You can also help your Maid of Honor stand out this way by styling her in a different dress! There are really no rules when it comes to mismatched bridesmaid styles, but you can choose to include one consistent feature across the dresses. Choosing to go all strapless, have flowy skirts, or deciding on a consistent gown length can be a few ways to find a consistent flow. It can also be a smart idea to set a formality level. If one girl shows up in a fancy evening gown and another is in a summer dress, this will probably not create the look you were envisioning. Whatever you decide, make sure to be clear with your girls with what you are looking for.
Details
If you are hesitant to mismatch your whole bridal party, you can make each look unique in the little details! This is a great way to be creative without getting too crazy. You can have your bridesmaids choose their own:
- Shoes
- Hairstyles or hair accessories (floral crowns anyone?)
- Jewelry
- Getting ready robes
Having your girls choose accessories or hair styles that they feel confident in will help them shine that much more on your wedding day. It can be a fun way to add a little pop of color and let your ‘maids show off their personalities! On the other hand, the details of the look can be the cohesive feature you are looking for. If your girls all have different dresses, you can pull their look together by putting them in the same shoe or red lip.
Sophisticated Grace Photography
Designers
While very possible to do, mismatching gowns from different designers is a tricky task. Choosing one designer ensures your dress colors will be very similar, so you won’t have an accidental color mismatch in your bridal party! Working with one designer also gives your bridesmaids more direction when they choose their dress. It’s a lot easier to choose from one website instead of the whole internet!
Your Maid of Honor
The mismatched theme is the perfect way to highlight your Maid of Honor! What better way to celebrate her than featuring her in a long dress instead of short, a statement necklace, or a different style or color?
Find inspiration
The mismatched bridal party theme is gaining popularity right now, so there are a lot of amazing inspiration, ideas, and examples out there! Finding ideas that you like will help you narrow down your options and decide on what you want. This will also help you determine what your objectives are for having a mismatched wedding. Do you want everyone to find a style that flatters their figure? Do you want a variety of colors? Do you have a specific, exact idea you are looking for, or are you open to whatever? A quick search on Pinterest or Instagram will provide you with more examples than you could ever look through.
Other helpful tips to keep in mind:
- Don’t leave everything up to your bridesmaids. While you might think this will be best for them, it may just actually make everyone more stressed out. Setting a few guidelines such as color, fabric, or designer can make the shopping process a whole lot easier.
- It’s a good idea to approve your bridesmaid’s dresses before they order them. Even if you let your ‘maids choose their style, color, etc., it’s YOUR wedding and you should love everything! (And with that it’s also okay to say no, your bridesmaids are already elated to be part of your big day and will understand!)
- After you approve your bridesmaids’ dresses, tell and show the rest of the girls. This way if you wanted each girl in a different color, there won’t accidentally be three in slate blue. Sometimes it helps to assign each ‘maid a dress style or color.
- Order extra Kennedy Blue fabric swatches for your bridesmaids to help them choose what colors and fabrics will look best together. Having everything in front of you is so much easier than trying to picture it in your head! You can also visit a home department store for free paint chips so you can show your ‘maids exactly what shade of blue you are looking for.
- Make sure your mismatched bridal party still matches your overall theme of your wedding. It’s fun to let your bridesmaid pick their own dress color, but just make sure it still will look good with the rest of the wedding!
- Have fun! While choosing just one dress in just one color might be easier, mismatched weddings are your chance to let your bridesmaid shine in unique looks. Don’t be afraid to be bold in your choices to create a truly memorable look!
Mismatched bridesmaid dresses are the best way to allow each bridesmaid to be creative and unique in your wedding party. Letting your girls choose their own style of dress will help them find a gown that will fit their personality and figure! You can also decide to mix colors, fabrics, and the details of their outfits. Whatever you decide, remember that this is YOUR wedding day and ultimately you get to make the final decisions! And most importantly: have fun!
Where have you found inspiration for a mismatched wedding? Have you ever attended, been in, or planned one? Let us know in the comments section!
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