Category Archives: Bridesmaids

Ultimate Bridesmaid Census 2013: Maid Stats and Bridal Showers (Part 1)

I am so excited to share the results from our first-ever Ultimate Bridesmaid Census! Thank you to all those who helped spread the world and who took the survey. First up, who you are and what you think about bridal showers. I’ll be sharing info on bachelorette parties, bridesmaid duties and the traditions you love and hate in the coming week.

What I learned and/or found surprising: I suppose I shouldn’t have been, but I was a little bit surprised that tea party shower pulled so far ahead of the other shower theme categories, with 53% listing it as one of their top three themes. Some found the idea of having a theme at all totally unnecessary and a few left comments suggesting that cheesy shower party games be nixed. I also loved some of your suggested themes, like wine tastings or a charitable shower with donations instead of gifts.

I also found out (as we’ll see again in later infographics) that cost is a big factor. You want to dream big in terms of planning a shower for a friend, but budget rarely allows you to splurge on a photographer or event planner. 45% did say they would take care of most of the details themselves, but might bring in help the day of, like hiring a caterer. I was surprised that as high as 16% would host a shower for 40+ guests—that’s a huge party! Not surprising: We’re all addicted to Pinterest (well, at least 52% of us).

I was a little sad to see that the bridal shower doesn’t seem to be something you look forward to. While it only showed up a few times in the free answer section on what you most dislike about being a bridesmaid, 21% did say that planning it was one of the hardest parts of being a bridesmaid. I should have listed “attending the shower” as a choice to see if it wasn’t just the planning that gets to you. And only 7% listed it as one of their favorite parts of being a bridesmaid.

To me, this is a little bit sad. Why are we spending time, energy and money on a party that we’re really not looking forward to? I’m seeing this as a call to reimagine what a bridal shower can be. I’ve always felt that the true potential of a shower is wasted in its rigid structure. A bridal shower reminds me too much of a kid’s birthday party—now it’s time for games, now it’s time for presents, now it’s time for cake. Grown-ups rarely throw parties like this. We like talking, mingling, laughing, eating—we even like games if they are funny and, most importantly, seem natural and unforced. I’ve always tried to bring you real parties that are unique and fun, but going forward I’m going to try even harder to help you create bridal showers that you’ll actually enjoy.

Also, for those who are interested, I made this awesome infographic using a free site called Piktochart. It is amazing!

Fall 2013 Bridesmaid Trend Report

Well folks, lace and neutrals are not going away. These trends continue in many of the new fall bridesmaid collections, but a few designers have taken a fresh approach with floral-inspired laces and unique new shades. The color palette is shifting from bright summer hues to warm jewel tones like garnet and classic navy. A new trend that is popping up all over the place is the illusion neckline. Take a peek at the gallery for a few of our favorite Fall 2013 bridesmaid styles and let us know what you think in the comments.

Lace continues to be a strong trend this season. I love the scallop necklace detail in this swingy Donna Morgan dress, accessorized with a skinny metallic belt.

A different take on lace and neutral, two ongoing trends, from Lela Rose. The flowing chiffon skirt is balanced by the daisy lace top.

J.Crew introduced a lace collection in vibrant colors, like this bright poppy.

I like this variation on lace from the Dessy Group.

A new trend for Fall 2013 is the illusion neckline. This dress from Lela Rose is one of my favorite versions as the tiny gathers in the mesh adds detail and elegance.

J.Crew’s take on the illusion neckline, in a fun polka dot.

One of the season’s most popular colors—navy. I love the cap sleeves and V-neck illusion neckline—a total different take on this trend.

A touch of sequin at the neckline and waist in this Dessy Group style.

Another popular color this season is a deep crimson. I love the delicate layers of tulle in this BHLDN style.

A garnet style in flowing liquid jersey from J.Crew, with a unique pleated knot at the bust.

This velvet style from Donna Morgan is totally my wild card, but I kind of adore it for a winter wedding. The rich forest green is spectacular and velvet would be totally unexpected.

A White and Peach Zen Bridal Shower

This zen bridal shower from JKB Young Photography is such a breath of fresh air! From the delicate origami butterfly garland to the pastel peach cotton candy, everything about this shower is serene and sweet—a perfect antidote to the stress of wedding planning! Guests enjoyed mango sushi bites, thai coconut tomato soup, smoked salmon and apricot mocktails before indulging in whimsical desserts. And bride Clara just looks so confident, beautiful and empowered in her yoga poses. The soft color palette and zen decor create the perfect atmosphere for relaxation and serenity—an ideal setting for the bride to recharge with the women in her life before her big day.

Photography: JKB Young Photography | Event Planning: Lady Blue | Catering: Lavender and Gold Lace | Florals: Shoots | Hair/Makeup: Jessica Young

Take the 2013 Bridesmaid Census!

emily delamater photography via style me pretty

Photograph by Emily Delamater, via Style Me Pretty

Something that I spend a lot of time thinking about (so much time, you guys) is what the bridesmaid experience today is like. What kind of bridal showers are we throwing for our friends and what kind would we want for ourselves? Where are we spending our destination bachelorette weekends and will there be a stripper…or is that absolutely not going to happen? What do you love about being a bridesmaid and what do you most dread? You can answer as many or as few questions as you like in our anonymous 12 question survey. Just 12 questions! Questions apply to bridesmaids and brides past, present and future alike, so any lady will be able to answer. I can’t wait to share what we find!

Take Our Survey!

Wine Basket Bridal Shower Gift + Printable Poem Gift Tags

Today, I’m so excited to bring you a series of printable poem gift tags, perfect for a wine basket bridal shower gift. This is a great gift to team up on with a couple friends. You can split the cost of 8 bottles of wine (at least one should be champagne!) and then add a poem gift tag to each bottle so the bride has a wine collection ready for the milestones of her first year of marriage.

When I decided to embark on this project, I knew my friend Amanda was the perfect person to collaborate with—she is absolutely the master of writing cute little poems. (When I was in her wedding, she wrote a poem for each bridesmaid, talking about how special our friendship was to her.)

We looked at similar projects around the web and both agreed that we didn’t like certain events that were commonly used for this gift. We thought First Fight was weird (“Yay, we’re married and we fought!”) and we agreed that Christmas and New Year’s were kind of lame, especially since it’s likely you’ve already spent a few of these holidays with your significant other before you get hitched. We liked the idea of celebrating the first baby, but didn’t like how most poems for this event were designed so that the lady didn’t get to drink anything! We decided that we could get around this by reserving the baby bottle of wine for right when you decide to start trying to get pregnant or for after baby is born! We brainstormed different life events that merited a bottle of wine and came up with a list of eight options: Wedding Night, Honeymoon, First Anniversary, First House, First Baby, First Dinner Party, New Job and Just Because!

For the tag design, I experimented with some of my favorite color palettes—some sunset-inspired shades, then neons, and finally metallics paired with warm neutrals. But when I tried them on wine bottles, I really didn’t like how the colors clashed with the shades of the glass. I finally decided to pull colors from the bottles themselves and landed on four shades of green and violet that would complement the natural colors of wine. (My color choices are also inspired by Pantone’s shades of 2014.) I added a geometric triangle at the edge for a bit of a visual pop. What do you think?

IMPORTANT NOTE: To print these to make your own bridal shower wine basket, you should download the PDF from the link below. It will give you the best resolution and most clear type—the jpegs used throughout this post are just to show you the design, but are too small and will pixelate if you print at full size.

Print from this link for the best results: Wine Basket Printable Poem Gift Tag PDF

I hope you love! And if you want to design your own tags, you can find the full text of the poems after the jump.

Continue reading →

Bridesmaid Gifts Under $30: Our Favorite Bags and Jewelry from Etsy

Many brides like to choose bridesmaid gifts that their maids can wear to their wedding, but I also love the idea of just choosing something fun that you know your girls will love and that they can mix into their daily ensemble. Bags and jewelry are always welcome—what girl doesn’t love a handy new tote or a little extra sparkle? Plus, one size fits all and lots of Etsy vendors allow you to purchase assortments of different colors and prints. We rounded up our favorite bridesmaid gifts under $30 from Etsy.

You got a diamond, so why shouldn’t they? I’m quite taken with this stunning little bamboo ring (and it will be way more affordable than your rock, at $19.92).Brighten up their day with this soft vegan leather foldover clutch accented with a punch of neon yellow (and it’s a steal at only $26).

I’m loving the bold graphic statement of these leather cuffs ($18), laser cut with tribal patterns (and perfect with jeans and a chambray shirt, don’t you think?). You can never, ever have too many totes, especially delicate arrow-printed ones, made from recycled organic cotton ($24.50). Mix and match these enamel-dipped brass feather hairpins with their favorite colors. Can’t you just see them tucked into a loose braid? ($10 each, plus buy 3 get one free!) (similar here)

Looking for a cute bag to stuff with bridesmaid survival gear? Look no further. Dotted with stars and trees, this linen pouch will double as a stylish makeup bag after your big day ($29.94).

Bridesmaid Looks Inspired by Fresh Seasonal Food

I’m loving the trend of farm-to-table weddings, when couples highlight local produce not only in their meals but in their overall theme. So why not let the bridesmaid look be inspired by some of your favorite dishes as well? Charleston Chef Maya teamed up with Reese Moore Weddings and Fabulous Fete to envision four bridesmaid looks based on fresh, seasonal dishes. First up, roasted butternut squash on a smooth ricotta and goat cheese mousse inspired a soft neutral gown with pops of sunset orange and pink in the flowers.

On the Sunny Side

Next, the perfect yolks of these huevos rancheros on petite black bean cakes were the inspiration for the sunshine yellow dress and matching gerber daisies.

Melon Perfection

These gorgeous melon cocktails with serrano ham roses provide the perfect palette for a coral dress and bouquet of ombre roses.

From the Sea

Charleston is renowned for its oysters, so a classic Oysters Rockefeller couldn’t be missed. The delicate shellfish piled high with sautéed spinach that almost mimics seaweed beautifully complements a sea foam green dress.