Getting the right look and feel for the wedding day is one of the most important parts of the big day for a bride, making sure everything looks great and fits in with the theme, and bridesmaid dresses is no different. Many brides spend hours of window shopping and trawling the internet looking for exactly the right bridal party wear for the day of their wedding, trying to find something which matches the theme, would suit all of the bridesmaids and come in on budget, below we set out a few hints and tips to help make the search a little easier.

Consider your Bridesmaids
When searching for the bridal party look you should not only think of yourself and your preferences but consider those you are asking to wear the gowns also, try to avoid the thought that if the bridesmaids look horrible it will make you look better, bridesmaid gowns which match and compliment the bride`s wedding dress makes for a much better overall look and feel and for much better wedding photo`s.

Choose colours which suit your bridal party by considering their hair colour and skin types. It is generally accepted that lighter colours are more flattering with darker complexions while fair skin lends itself better to pastels. You could consider involving your bridesmaid in the decision making process by choosing a colour or fabric then letting them choose a dress which they feel suits them best allowing them to feel as comfortable as possible on the day itself.

Consider the Overall Look
Give thought to how you want your bridesmaids to compliment your look, dresses which have a similar style as the bride`s dress but aren’t too similar or luxurious, think of the big picture. If you’re bridesmaids are not all size 8 then choose a dress which will suit them all, empire waists and A-line skirts are often thought to look good on all body types.

Managing the Costs
If you are stumping up the cost for your bridesmaid dresses then the decision making is firmly in your court but it is worth considering what will happen to the dresses after the day of the wedding, could you choose something that the ladies will be able to wear again?

If you are asking the bridesmaids to purchase their gowns then don’t ask them to buy something they can never wear again and give them some choice in the matter. Think about the financial situations of the various bridesmaid and set a budget for them, If you have your heart set on a particular dress that is outside the budget then it may be a nice idea to help out with the difference in cost.

Take the Girls Shopping
If you can manage to get everybody organised it can be a great idea to take your bridesmaids out dress shopping, this way you can gauge their opinions before the purchase is made and get them to try the dresses on, this can save a huge amount of time going back to the shop many times for fittings and returning badly fitting garments. If you have a large group of bridesmaids however this many conflicting opinions may be too much to handle, groups of four or so are easier to direct.

Share the Load
Planning a wedding is a huge undertaking for a couple so why not share out the responsibility a little? You could appoint your maid of honour of chief bridesmaid to seek out and purchase the gowns for the girls so you dont` have to.