Choosing the look for your maids

I would allow the BM's to choose their dress. Every one comes in different shapes and sizes. So one person may be comfortable in a fitted dress and one may not.

My BM's chose their own dress. I just told them what color, material, and that I wanted it to be long.

I'm going for a fitted mermaid style and I'd like my bridesmaids to wear fitted dresses also. They're all small and love to wear fitted clothes so I don't think it should be a problem. I showed them pictures of what I'd like them to wear and they all love it

Why don't you let them where what they feel comfortable in? I let mine pick out what they wanted (with some guidelines). Some dresses were more fitting and others more flowy

I'm doing the exact same thing as mrspope. They are paying for it so I want them to love it.

I am allowing my girls to pick whatever they want with a few 'guidelines'. Two of my three girls picked flowy, chiffon dresses where as I'm wearing a full, lace ball gown.

My BMs chose a dress that would compliment my dress. My dress is chiffon so they chose a chiffon dress.

Another vote for same color, length, fabric but different styles. I really hope this the norm when I'm a bridesmaid in their weddings. Here are their dressses

So I'm hearing, let them decide which would be much easier on me. I want to do it as a gift since two of my maids are my younger sisters and I know they are struggling just to take off a few days of work for the wedding. But I can let them find the dress and then I can just buy it. This was helpful. Thanks everyone.

e=mc2, I love the navy!

I agree with the others. I let my ladies pick out their own dress with some guidelines. Every body type is different so each girl should get to be comfortable.

My BM are all wearing the same dress, but different hairstyles, shoes and jewelry. I had the BM with the largest stature try on dresses and see what one looked best on her. The rest will get the same one. The dress will be in marine

All I told my girls was the color and length of their dresses. They chose the style.

What style is your wedding? It doesn't matter what you look like. It matters more what the feel of your wedding is.

My wedding was very 'royal' feeling. I was going to be a princess and I wanted my bridesmaids to refect that princess feel. So the dress I picked was midnight blue and floor length. Something to make them feel like a princess as well.

All I told my girls was the color, and give them each a book from the bridal shop. The book had all the dresses for BM's.

They all took the book home and gave it back to me a week later. I told them all to pick 5 styles they like. Funny thing is, they all picked the same dress. So, That made my life easy.

I am leaning more towards the convertible dresses.My older sister is going to be a bridesmaid but so are my younger nieces.I need something that my sister will find acceptable but will still be appropriate for my nieces.My sister told me if I put her in something she doesn't like then she would put me in something pink for hers or that she will show up naked.and trust me she would.

All my girls are wearing this dress in black. I like uniformity and peplum was very flattering on everyone

Honestly if you're paying for them put them in whatever you want. I'm more of a fan of the pick a style if they're paying, because at least you know they'll like it! Be careful about paying, because if they get to pick whatever AND you pay, they may get something extra extravagant unnecessarily

If you are going for sophistication...I would not let your bridesmaids just pick whatever dress. The mismatching dress thing works really well for rustic weddings, but not as well for sophisticated, classical ones. You could give them a designer and a length to choose from so that they are all the same color, material, and length, just fit their bodies better, but if you let them pick whatever you'll have very different colors and textures of materials.

Yeah I would talk to them and see what they prefer/are comfortable in and go from there. My girls decided they wanted a short dress (end of August, cheaper, more likely to wear it again) and my MOH and I went to different department stores to try them on and pick two. We showed pictures to both the bridesmaids and they all agreed on the same one and they each ordered it online. Good luck!

I found a dress that really fit the feel we were going for (simple, fun, laid back). I gave them the style number. Everyone tried it on at their leisure and then I ordered and had it shipped to each of them.

I would think about the time of year...for an October wedding I think long dresses are nice. If you are going for a more formal look, I would have them in satin to match your dress. I am not letting my BM pick their own dresses even though that is popular right now, personally I don't like that look.