Non-Bridezilla Bridesmaid Dresses

Dear Future Hubby,

I may be drooling over the dress on the right

Bridesmaid dresses. I’m torn.  Part of me wants to be the cool bride that is like “Wear whatever you want” or “Just make sure it’s (insert color here) and you can pick the style.” There’s another part of me that wants everyone to be uniform.  Not “27 Dresses” uniform where all those dresses were mildly heinous, but uniform in classy, elegant, gorgeous dresses.

Kate and I went dress shopping on Sunday for BowieBride’s wedding. B is being rockstar cool and allowing us to wear basically…whatever the fuck we want. I’ve been perusing Nordstrom’s and Macy’s online for the past couple months in hopes that something will pop out at me. I finally decided to make the leap and venture into a store and let me tell you. It was a horrid failure. We found absolutely zip that I would even consider trying on.  I did however find some lovely ball gowns for when I decide to join the pageant circuit or having a coming out ball. We’re going to make a second pilgrimage up to Camarillo this weekend to go to the outlets to see if we find anything there but it’s kind of like looking for a needle in a haystack. With free reign over my dress, the option are a tad overwhelming.  Do I do short, long, tea length? Do I do strapless, spaghetti straps, sleeves, etc? Do I do print or solid? While the options can be daunting, the balls awesome part about this is I am basically guaranteed that I will buy a dress that I will wear more than once.

The other two times I’ve been a bridesmaid, I was just told the dress I needed to order.  No fuss at all (until I had to get both completely reconstructed, eek!) but hey, I didn’t have to put a thinking cap when it came to what I was wearing. But then here I am, two years later, and I have two dresses sitting in my closet that I haven’t worn again. Not ideal, but hey, it’s par for the course when you’re a bridesmaid, right? I did it gladly for my college roommate Andrea and college friend (not BowieBride) Brittani. That’s why I love B’s attitude about letting us wear whatever the hell we want.  While I may get a little more frazzled finding THE perfect dress, I’ll at least know I’m getting a dress I like, I picked out, and that I will wear again.  I already have enough clothes in my closet that are gathering dust. I don’t need any more.

Um LOVE LOVE LOVE!

So what do I do? Do I want to be the bride that picks a dress style and color and just makes my bridesmaids order, or do I just say wear whatever you want.  I think I’m a little too controlling and Type A to let it all go and say wear whatever you want. The thought of bridesmaids in dark silver or charcoal dresses with deep red roses is just too pretty to say no to all together. I mean, Gaelic Gala is going to be a formal affair after all.  But I think I can let go just a little bit and say “Wear whatever style dress you want, just make sure it’s (inset color here).” I know that everyone has their own body issues and are more comfortable wearing sleeves instead of strapless, tea length instead of floor length, etc. I want to have happy bridesmaids, not ones that will resent me in 10 years when they look in their closet.

The bridesmaids at our wedding are going to be the most chill, most happy bridesmaids ever.  I’m not going to be a bridezilla which means, sadly, you will need to be a groomzilla. Every wedding has to have one “zilla” and since it’s not going to be me…better give your groomsmen fair warning.

Love,

Your Future Wife

Tags: Bridesmaid Dresses, Bridesmaids, Bridezilla, Wedding Party