Ack!! I'm having such a tough time picking a BM dress!!

Hi everybody, I've been a silent member of the message boards for quite a while and they have been immensely helpful throughout the wedding planning process. Thanks to everybody!

Anyway, I'm posting today because I am feeling an increasing amount of anxiety about picking a BM dress and I feel like I just need to rant about it.

My wedding is on June 6th so I feel like I need to pick a dress, like...yesterday... I just graduated with a teaching degree so I've spent the last three months focusing on student teaching so I've just started looking at dresses now. One of my issues is that I don't really know anybody that can try on the sample dresses; they are either way too tiny and thus not an accurate representation, or they are, you know... a normal weight, so they don't fit into the samples I'd really like to see the dresses on normal people before picking one though. I've tried doing searches online but I haven't gotten a lot of pics where you can actually see the dresses. Any suggestions?

Also, I feel like I'm never going to find one that would look good on most, and that I actually like and would want to see in my pictures forever. I love the roughing (don't know if that's spelled right) like in Bill Levkoff 555 because it seems like it would be really flattering. However, that dress seems a little plain for me, especially since my dress has a lot of bead work on it. I would love to see some beading (not too much though) to accent the dress. I can't find one that I like though. Grr... so frustrating!!! Anyway, I just needed to rant!! If anybody has suggestions...is in the same boat...etc...I would love to know I'm not alone in my anxiety and frustration in finding the right BM dress!

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Posted by Suzq99

Hi everybody, I've been a silent member of the message boards for quite a while and they have been immensely helpful throughout the wedding planning process. Thanks to everybody!

Anyway, I'm posting today because I am feeling an increasing amount of anxiety about picking a BM dress and I feel like I just need to rant about it.

My wedding is on June 6th so I feel like I need to pick a dress, like...yesterday... I just graduated with a teaching degree so I've spent the last three months focusing on student teaching so I've just started looking at dresses now. One of my issues is that I don't really know anybody that can try on the sample dresses; they are either way too tiny and thus not an accurate representation, or they are, you know... a normal weight, so they don't fit into the samples I'd really like to see the dresses on normal people before picking one though. I've tried doing searches online but I haven't gotten a lot of pics where you can actually see the dresses. Any suggestions?

Also, I feel like I'm never going to find one that would look good on most, and that I actually like and would want to see in my pictures forever. I love the roughing (don't know if that's spelled right) like in Bill Levkoff 555 because it seems like it would be really flattering. However, that dress seems a little plain for me, especially since my dress has a lot of bead work on it. I would love to see some beading (not too much though) to accent the dress. I can't find one that I like though. Grr... so frustrating!!! Anyway, I just needed to rant!! If anybody has suggestions...is in the same boat...etc...I would love to know I'm not alone in my anxiety and frustration in finding the right BM dress!

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Why not put your BMs in different dresses but the same color? I, too, am having trouble picking out dresses, which is why all of my BMs are going dress shopping with me next weekend. Hopefully, I will get a better idea of what I want/they want when they try some dresses on. These are the dresses I am considering...

I had an incredibly hard time picking out dresses and moreso choosing colors. DONT WORRY YOU ARE SOO NOT ALONE...

What I did and honestly it TOTALLY worked for me... I took the pictures I had that I took of me IN my dress (they were on my comp) and then I searched online for BM dresses I thought I liked I tried placing that pic next to me in my dress to get an idea of how it looked. #1 that helps you narrow down what style you like and TOTALLY solved my problems of choosing a color.

Second, YOU can try on the dress if you dont have a friend to try on BUT even if the girl is too skinny or regular sized girl, you can still get an idea of how the dress will look. No matter what that girl has to wear the dress and everything doesnt always look good on a skinny girl.

Third, there are 2 ways you can go with style. 1. pick something that isnt fitted and too tight. something that is more of an A line because if you do have any girls that are a lil bit bigger they will still look fabulous! OR your other option is, especially with Bill Levkoff dresses, you can choose 2 or 3 different styles of the same color and same fabric dress. This way the girls can go and choose which one they like best.

Theres the Dessy website where you can change the colors of the dresses and they have GORGEOUS dresses! =)
My BM's are in Bill Levkoff and they fit GORGEOUS no matter the body type. And they are so reasonably priced as well. Mine are A line and ALL the girls have totally loved them so far! =)

Dedecakes, just a suggestion and I am NO expert at this, but you may want to stick with the same fabric as well because in the pics with all the different fabrics, they reflect light differently and becomes distracting. And it doesnt mesh together. You want to keep the focus on you =)

Just a suggestion a friend of mine made to me when I was shopping. =))))

Good luck! =))

Try going to a store yourself and trying on a few dresses. Then maybe something will click for you. Or you can send out an email to your BMs and ask them to look too. Give them an idea of the color and type you're looking for (tea length vs. long, strapless vs. sleeves, color, fabric, etc.) and ask them to help decide what they think would look good.

There's also sites like AlfredAngelo.com that have a million dresses that come in the same colors and fabrics. You can give them a choice of which dress they want. They also have separates so you can get all the same skirt with different tops, which is good for better endowed ladies. They definitely have some beaded tops too.

I know how you feel. I am getting married june 7th I still haven't picked out my dress either. I either like them online and not in the store or they are too expensive.

I hope your search go well.

I would find a couple of styles that you like and then just go shopping. If you are looking for a store that has samples in multiple sizes try RK bridal in NYC they have a ton or dresses and samples in more than one size. The average sample I saw during dress shopping was a 12-14 which varies for each designer BUT the sales women are usually wonderful at clipping the dresses to help get the best idea of how the dress will look on each girl. Good luck and try not to stress!!
I know another girl suggested it but if you really feel the samples do not fix your BM well try the dresses on yourself-I did mainly b/c most of my bridal party is from out of state.

Don't worry SuzQ, my wedding is a couple weeks before yours and I still don't have a bridesmaid dress picked out either! I just went today during lunch to try on a couple and found one that was okay but at this point I don't know if I can be that choosy since I have 8 girls to clothe asap, haha. What I've been doing is looking online at dresses I like and then trying a couple on. I'm looking for something simple that will look good on a variety of body shapes, and I don't think it needs to match the design of your dress. I was worried about that at first but now that I see the dresses in person the simpler ones will look the best on more girls, and will make my dress detail look that much nicer I think. Good luck and don't stress -- you are not alone!!!

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Posted by StaciP

Dedecakes, just a suggestion and I am NO expert at this, but you may want to stick with the same fabric as well because in the pics with all the different fabrics, they reflect light differently and becomes distracting. And it doesnt mesh together. You want to keep the focus on you =)

Just a suggestion a friend of mine made to me when I was shopping. =))))

Good luck! =))

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Of course!!! Those are the styles I am looking at, though. Forget it...FH's father is a fashion designer. If he saw my girls in 2 different fabrics, he'd go crazy!!! LMAO!

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Posted by StaciP

hahahaha dede I LOVE the color! And I think the last one is sooo pretty! =)) I LOVE matte satin! =)

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Thanks. I honestly can't choose between the three. I tried on the first one (in an ugly green color) and my boobs looked like pancakes, lol (but i didnt have a bra on). I love the second one...but for an August wedding, it might be too sticky. The third one...I wore something very similar to that for my brother's wedding (I was MOH) in October...so i'm not sure if i want something too similar to that dress. Oh decisions, decisions...

me toooo!!!!! I feel your pain! I am getting married July 24th and I still don't have a bridesmaid dress either. I might just go to david's bridal and have them pick their own dress (out of a few I choose) with the same color. At first I wasn't too sure I wanted to do that...but that would be easy right? and everyone would be comfortable because they would choose what they wanted to wear

good luck!

Marisa

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Posted by Suzq99

Hi everybody, I've been a silent member of the message boards for quite a while and they have been immensely helpful throughout the wedding planning process. Thanks to everybody!

Anyway, I'm posting today because I am feeling an increasing amount of anxiety about picking a BM dress and I feel like I just need to rant about it.

My wedding is on June 6th so I feel like I need to pick a dress, like...yesterday... I just graduated with a teaching degree so I've spent the last three months focusing on student teaching so I've just started looking at dresses now. One of my issues is that I don't really know anybody that can try on the sample dresses; they are either way too tiny and thus not an accurate representation, or they are, you know... a normal weight, so they don't fit into the samples I'd really like to see the dresses on normal people before picking one though. I've tried doing searches online but I haven't gotten a lot of pics where you can actually see the dresses. Any suggestions?

Also, I feel like I'm never going to find one that would look good on most, and that I actually like and would want to see in my pictures forever. I love the roughing (don't know if that's spelled right) like in Bill Levkoff 555 because it seems like it would be really flattering. However, that dress seems a little plain for me, especially since my dress has a lot of bead work on it. I would love to see some beading (not too much though) to accent the dress. I can't find one that I like though. Grr... so frustrating!!! Anyway, I just needed to rant!! If anybody has suggestions...is in the same boat...etc...I would love to know I'm not alone in my anxiety and frustration in finding the right BM dress!

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I think you shold focus on finding the dress and if there isn't enough beading on it then dont worry abut that.. because all that can be added on with the alterations dept. Is there someone you know that youc an have go with you to try them on that's the right size? evenif they arent in the bp they can tag along to help. Also NO ONE fits in the sample sizes.. so evenif you take girls who dont fit into them.. the workers in these places are used to working around that and they might be able to at least get the dresses on? At least I am hoping.. bc i will prolly haev the same prob!

I recommend David's Bridal for BM dresses. They have a big selection with a lot of different styles in the same colors. There prices are pretty good too. I loved my BM dresses!