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Top tips and advice for dressing the wedding party

Onceyou’ve got your dream dress in the bag, getting your squad sorted is one of the following big things on the to-do list. It’s most likely that as a nearlywed, you already know what your wedding day will look like. But for the wedding party, finding the perfect attire can be difficult as everyone has their own style and preferences. To help with the task, we’re sharing our top tips to help with the process!

The Bridal Party

Ensure everyone feels comfortable, relaxed and happy on the big day, as this will shine in the photos. As much as we love our friendship groups dearly, many personalities are grouped together. The same goes for fashion styles; we all have bits we love about our bodies and bits we don’t. Suppose geography or other restrictions prevent you from getting together with your besties to choose and try on dresses beforehand; multiway ranges can be worn to suit different sizes and shapes. A mismatched look can be stunning! Choose the key colour or send out a fabric swatch before letting your girls pick their outfits to coordinate with your theme to pull everything together. Alternatively, you can always go bespoke for something truly original to stand out from the crowd.

Keep in mind the colour scheme, as you’ll want to create a cohesive look throughout the day. Consider the time of year as deep shades are better suited to winter, bright colours are perfect for spring, light shades are great for summer and warm tones look lovely in autumn. For the flowergirls, a classic ballerina dress with a sash to match your colour scheme is a great option.

Mother Of The Brides

The mums play a star role in the bridal party and will want to shine on the big day too. Many agonise about what to wear, choosing the right colours and accessories. With so many fabulous looks available, the choices can be overwhelming – especially if you’re not used to shopping for occasion wear. These factors can undoubtedly strain what should be an enjoyable experience. As the bride, try to make them feel as reassured as possible with plenty of support and advice. As with everyone else on the day, they should feel comfortable and themselves – leading to a happy and confident mother!

Sophistication is key, but this doesn’t mean frumpy! If you love your clothes, then go for a bold colour or striking pattern. Keep it demure by avoiding low-cut necklines or short hems so you can look back on the photos for years with no regrets.

The Groomsmen

Finding the proper attire for the guys can be difficult, especially as more men are taking pride in their wedding appearance. Shopping should be a fun experience where the groomsmen and father-ofthe-groom come together to find the perfect attire. Wherever you go shopping, keep in mind expert advice because the team will have plenty of experience dressing groomsmen. They’ll be aware of the latest trends, what styles suit different wedding themes and how to add the wow factor through different accessories.

For those that have never had a professionally fitted suit, the wedding day is the occasion to have a bespoke-tailored look. The perfect fit is essential for comfort, and you can add little personalised elements such as your initials and wedding date stitched into the lining. A current trend we’re seeing is using earth tones such as sand, beige, brown and green tones.

Grooms who still adore the traditional tuxedo can go for it but think about variations like a velvet material, a bright colour or a patterned effect. Have fun and try different colour combinations until you find the perfect look. Make your personality stand out with your accessory choices – here’s where you can get creative with a dashing waistcoat, a funky watch, an artsy pocket square or braces.

The first place to begin when considering different looks is the venue and wedding theme as a bold tropical print will look out-of-place at a stately house wedding, as will traditional looks at tipi nuptials. Keep in mind the time of year too! You’ll want to ensure you’re warm enough for winter or cool enough for summer. Boleros, jackets and wraps will be your cosy friend for winter.

Our top advice would be not to leave shopping till the last minute as occasion wear differs significantly from the high street. With limited deliveries yearly, many shops cannot reorder an outfit once it has gone. So once you start shopping, ensure you’re ready to commit to a look.

The key is to complement the bridal party and not compete with it, so be aware of colour palettes, themes and what the rest of the bridal party is wearing.

Keep It Local

After settling on a budget and desired look, it’s time to find the perfect local supplier to help guide you through the process to ensure a stress-free experience. We’ve selected talented suppliers who would love to help on your wedding journey! Below you can discover all about the teams behind the successful stores.

Sharon Cousans At Chimney Formal Menswear

When did your passion for fashion start?

I’ve always been interested in fashion, but my career began in the wedding industry more than 18 years ago. I’m passionate about styling the groom as an individual because his wedding is the most important day of his life. Feeling and looking confident is the most important consideration.

What do you offer the wedding party?

We have suits and accessories to hire and purchase with a great variety of waistcoats and wonderful patterned ties to add that special touch to an outfit. We greatly enjoy not only styling the groom but the best men, groomsmen and fathers in slightly different ways to show their relationship to the groom and help them confidently fulfil their roles. We can also style page boys, best women and bride’s men so the whole party is welcome.

What trends can we expect this summer?

We have seen a continuing request for shades of green in suits and accessories. There has also been a keen interest in lighter-coloured suits as well as the mix of chinos and jackets or even chinos with tailcoats to create a very individual look.

What is your favourite part of the job?

The best part of my job is to see the transformation of a nervous and self-conscious groom into a confident guy standing tall and holding his head high while observing himselves in the mirror in one of our amazing

Inna Voronova At Inna Voronova Bridal

When did your passion for fashion start?

As a child, bright colours and fashion were always very high on the social agenda. As the high school proms drew closer every year, I would dream of arriving in a magnificent dress of my creation. As I grew older, my thoughts turned to marriage and the dream of being the centrepiece of my wedding. I used to draw and paint, which eventually turned to occasion wear. Dour years of professional training and a host of positions in bridal wear stores across Europe led me to the inevitable conclusion that I must open my own store.

What do you offer the wedding party?

We’ve been running since mid-2021 when the impact of Covid was causing many other high street stores to close. We took this as an opportunity to rent a space and get started – we’ve been getting busier every week since! We offer an extensive range of evening wear and flowergirl dresses all highly desirable at great value. We can also produce custom-made and fitted bridesmaid dresses with many design templates and fabrics to work from.

What trends can we expect this summer?

We’re seeing many brides opting for different-coloured gowns for their bridesmaids. Multi-way gowns and satin dresses are growing in popularity, as are neutral shades and sequin dresses. Colour-wise, moss green and sapphire blue seem particularly popular this year.

What is your favourite part of the job?

My favourite part is the final fitting when the bride or bridesmaids try on their dress for the last time before taking it home. We aim for 100 per cent customer satisfaction in every single case and try to implement every outfits. Helping customers discover their style is especially rewarding –it’s not just about getting a suit.

What’s one piece of advice that you can share with couples? We advise couples to consider looking for the groom’s suit reasonably soon into their wedding planning journey. It’s not an afterthought and is as essential as a wedding dress. The wedding venue and time of year may influence the suit’s choice, but how special the groom feels and how the outfit compliments his complexion and personality matters.

Check out: www.chimneymenswear.co.uk https://ellenforsterphotography.com www.megandonatiphotography.com design element the client requests with perfect execution. This all adds up to a delighted customer; many get emotional and tearful with joy. We completely understand how important the dress element is to one’s appearance and self-esteem, and it’s almost impossible not to be touched by the joy we help to create.

What’s one piece of advice that you can share with couples? This is your day; do it your way and never look back!

Check out: https://inna-voronova.co.uk