In past times when it came to dressing the ladies of your bridal party tradition dictated that you’d find a bridesmaid dress you liked within your colour scheme, multiply by number in the party, then add matching shoes, jewellery and even hairstyles. Today, this doesn’t have to be the case.

Weddings and “tradition” have steadily been parting company over recent years. Not to say that the modern couple are all going for humanist rituals, festivals and wearing black. Just to say that they could if they wanted. One tradition I am enormously glad to see the back of is the matchy-matchy one. People are individuals, why dress them as identikit models – particularly when it comes to girls of differing shapes in dresses.

If you like the idea of mis-matched bridesmaid attire but aren’t sure how to execute without the overall look being of a random group of people standing together, some images for inspiration are hunted below.

Mis-Matched Bridesmads : Different Dress, Same Colour Tones

In this immensely popular example I imagine the Bride requesting that all bridesmaids wear a short dress in neutral / nude shades. Shoes are also all nude, although non-matching. Hairstyles are broadly all loose and tousled, with the choice of matching bouquets in simple green and whites pulling the look together. Your bridesmaids would thank you immensely – they’ll be able to wear their dresses again //  Tumblr

This is an excellent demonstration of how mis-matched dresses can still look like they belong together.  Tonally united mismatched greens look beautiful here. Similar fabrics and hairstyles help enormously to pull the look together // Bridesmaids

Even patterned dresses can be mis-matched if they’re tonally similar, like these floral Summer brights in the blue; pink; yellow spectrum // Bridal Musings

Mis-Matched Bridesmads : Matching Dresses, Different Colours

If you want to create a bridesmaid rainbow , you can choose dress colours that are significantly different from one another like in this line-up above. As above, though, by keeping dress style and tonal range (here, dusky and pastel shades as opposed to brights) identical they look part of a collective.

Mis-Matched Bridesmaids : Mis-matched Accessories

If you want just a splash of individuality, you could opt for all matching bar the shoes – in the above image they’ve kept it in theme by matching shoe colours with floral colours. Personally, I don’t find this as effective as the two above, but I’m quite comfortable for your taste to differ from mine. (via weddingdressonlineshop)

Anothe novel idea is non-matching by their tights, like in this colourful display via Green Wedding Shoes.

Another alternative option for mis-matching is to keep each bridesmaid dress the same, but give them differing bouquets. The shot above – credit to the fabulous Mister Phill - is actually from my wedding. My bouquet was a composite of all the individual bridesmaids blooms. I’m a little biased, but I thought it worked very well …

Mis-Matched Bridesmaids : Same dress colour and fabric, different styles

Finally, a trend I’ve seen at numerous weddings is for the bride to find a colour and fabric, then opt for differing bridesmaid dress styles. This allows each bridesmaid to pick a style that is most flattering for their figure, like with these brown grecian dresses.

Here we see an even greater style variety : strapless, high neck, plunge, all pulled together by keeping the material, skirt-length and in this case even hair identical. //  Tumblr

If you’re option for “same fabric, different style” bridesmaids, one option is to make them yourselves / have them made for you. If you don’t know any seamstresses another option is to go to Two Birds Bridesmaids. They specialise in convertible dresses like these buttercup yellow ones above : perfect for this look.

Or, same principle but entirely different colour, like so. I’m not totally sure why the bridal party are wandering barefoot in a pine forest but it certainly demonstrates that black dresses are perfectly acceptable in a wedding. // Tumblr

Mismatched bridesmaid dresses : you have been hunted.

Is it a look you would consider?

Or have you ever been a bridesmaid in this type of wedding? Was the overall look effective?

Comments always welcomed below

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