Your bridesmaids have spent mucho dollars to come to your wedding– the airline tickets, the hotel stay, the gifts, the dress, the hair and makeup, the jewelry….I could go on, but we both know, I don’t have to.  It’s not that often that your gal pals can get together at a gorgeous spot, all decked out and have an awesome photographer to document it all. Arrange with your photographer to snap a few shots of your girls alone and give those pictures to your maids as a gift. If you have an awesome photographer like Scarlett, George, Mark, Jasmine, Chris, or Spencer— these will be ones that they cherish!

But let’s dish first–If you decide to do this, you want to make sure it is something your girls can appreciate and you feel are worth the investment. 

What to consider:

Everyone wants to look good in photos– especially really good photos. If you have hired a stellar photojournalist, this is the next best thing to having a fashion photographer build a portfolio.  So you want to make sure that you are picking something flattering.  Because I love you, I’ll share this with you:

1.) Consider your girlfriends’ coloring when selecting their dress color— some colors don’t look good on fair girlfriends, other colors make our olive and sepia toned girlfriends look sallow.  Remember, you can pull a Jenna Bush, and have each girl wear a varying shades of a color. This adds dimension and style. Just please don’t copy Barbara’s wreath. 

2.)  Consider your girlfriends’ shape when selecting their dress— this is so crucial.  I have seen weddings where the bride chose a nice merlot colored strapless number that was probably gorgeous on the model, but "notsomuch" in real life.  What did it was that the bride had girlfriends in varying shapes and sizes; some were a size 0, some were a size twenty.  As a former well endowed woman, strapless dresses can make even the most demure damsel curse like a sailor, and at times, depending on the cut of the dress, it just doesn’t look flattering.   Again, find a dress that will flatter all shapes, or really– don’t be afraid to give your event some personality.  Let each bridesmaid choose their own dress (or you could pick for them).  You want them to feel and look like rockstars, not miserable clones.

PSA:  You shouldn’t discount anyone that you love from being in your bridal party based on size or coloring.  These are people, not Barbie and Midge.  But you’re not that petty. That was for those "other" brides.  Moving on…

3.)  Consider the shoes— If you have shorter girlfriends, avoid putting them in shoes the same color as their dress. This immediately shortens the leg.  Choose a nude or clear shoe to elongate the leg.  Make sure they are a comfortable height and design. 

4.)  Hair and Makeup– I have seen some bridesmaids have an actual wedding uniform. All of the women in the bridal party that had to have the same hair, nails, makeup, dress, jewelry and shoes. That’s taking it to an extreme that could quite possibly leave you friendless at the stroke of midnight on your wedding.  It’s not fun to have your personality and style taken away from you– but most friends will do it because they love you and it’s your day. 

Ok, here are some tips you might want to pass along to your girls to help them prepare for their "shoot". Remember, they won’t have a lot of time, but if you set this up with your photographer ahead of time, it should go smoothly (provided you get started a little earlier and can go right into your pre-wedding shots).  They will love you and thank you for it!

{Photo: Source}