I think of all the tasks of the wedding, this was my most stressful. Hands down. It was absolutely nothing to do with my bridesmaids – they’ve all been so supportive.
I think no-one will mind me saying that we’re all short-arses. The tallest of us (and yes I include myself here being a bit of a stumpy one) is Amy, my sister and maid-of-honour at a staggering 5 foot 6 inches. Wow. Giant, right?
They’re also, all beautifully different, and I’d decided early on that I did want them in the same dress. There has been a trend lately where many bridesmaids wear the same material but different cut. I think I would have been up for this but there just wasn’t enough I liked in the high street.
I was really lucky in the fact that Holly, my bridesmaid and best friend, came up from London (a surprise for my birthday, seriously, how awesome is that?) and joined us on a shopping trip so we could go shopping together, something I didn’t think we’d be able to do.
After a lovely catchup, we went hunting for three black dresses. I thought: “how hard will black dresses be to find?” I underestimated that one for sure.
Although I am aware there are designers specifically there for bridesmaids (the likes of Dessy, Forever, and Mori Lee) at this point (in October – 6 months away from the wedding) I was told I was too late to order any. Turns out, bridesmaid dress orders from official providers can take just as long as actual wedding dresses. Who knew?
So, off to the high street we went. Here’s what I thought of a few of the stores and what they had to offer:
AX Paris: Some great bargains, but compared to my dress these dresses could look really cheap in comparison.
River Island: Although I had been recommended to look in here, I saw nothing that would have been suitable at a formal do.
Mango: I felt all the velvets and drapey dresses were too ageing for my 20-something year old bridesmaids.
Debenhams: Really good formal range, but struggled to find a dress without sequins or that fitted appropriately.
Coast: Great range, perfect for weddings but very expensive.
In the end, I decided to part with the cash and just go for Coast’s Savannah Maxi Dress:
They were the dresses I loved the most, they were the most flattering on all three girls, and I’d much rather spend money on something they will wear again. I hope you’ll agree with me that they looked absolutely stunning.
(I haven’t had my official wedding photography back yet but here’s a few sneak peaks from some of my tipsy guest’s cameras!)
Oh, by the way, guess what colour is everywhere now… BLACK!
