Your wedding is as unique as you are as a couple. And just like your relationship, the choices you make in creating and styling your wedding party don’t need to conform to any rules if you don’t want them to. It’s about celebrating your union and including the people close to you in your life.
Traditional roles can act as a starting point or guideline for establishing responsibilities – after all, your tribe is not just chosen to stand there and look pretty; there’s work to do! From here, you can then work on breaking away from those things that don’t fit for you and your partner.
MATCHY MATCHY
The days are over of putting your wedding party into identical looks. It can frankly be quite torturous for those involved and when the end goal is to be celebrating individuality and uniqueness it just doesn’t cut the mustard.
You have the final say on what the wedding party will wear, but don't torture them.
Keep in mind your wedding party's body types and personal style.
Remember, a happy bridal party will be a helpful bridal party!
THE PALETTE
It’s important to know your colour palette first and think about how you want the final look to be. Never seen your bestie wear yellow in their everyday wardrobe? Don’t try and put them into it for your wedding!
Think about their look as an extra special extension of what they would wear to a more formal event.
Too many people try to go so far removed from what suits them because of the enormity of the day that they simply get it plain wrong.
There are a few different options for this:
A single colour for your crew to wear and let them find their own look – this could be straight navy or blush pink
Pick a palette or tonal group as a guide and set them off on their merry way – this could be jewel tones like ruby, emerald and sapphire for a bold finished look or alternatively a whites and ivories tonal group to keep things clean and fresh.
Pattern palettes are a really fun and different option – florals or stripes for example, just keep in mind that these looks can get a little lost in photos and can also date quite quickly.
Those wanting to wear tailoring ie. a tailored jacket or full suit, can either wear the one colour you have selected or opt for classic navy, cream or black with accents including tie, pocket square suspenders etc.
Following these guidelines, everyone will be in an outfit they feel glam in, and, that suits them.
You will also save yourself the trouble of holding each person’s hand during the decision making process.
TO DIVIDE OR NOT
You may want to mix things up and have a little fun, your wedding doesn’t have to be about fulfilling roles or sticking to what’s expected. As a couple, you could share some of your closest friends and in which case you can create one joint wedding party instead of the usual two separate ones.
If you are choosing to have one whole group, then keep the palette the same for everyone. Or if you want the outfits to reflect each of your sides , change up the colours or tones to differentiate.
WHAT’S IN A NAME?
Just as your wedding party doesn’t need to follow tradition, neither does their name. Have some fun with it while still showcasing the roles you have selected. There are the obvious ones incuding “bridesman,” “bromaid,” “groomsmaids,” or “groomswomen,”. For some out of the box terms, why not go for “I Do Crew,” “Friends of honour,” “Commitment Crew,” “Bridesfolk,” or “Groomsfolk”.
At a wedding, the ones having the most fun are often those most comfortable with what they are wearing. From shapes to colours, to accessories, your wedding party's attire should reflect each person’s own style while holding true to the overall look you desire for your wedding. While there are some traditional guidelines based on age old rules, these are no longer steadfast.
Carte Blanche Bride – the French way to Wed
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