How I Chose My Bridesmaid's Dresses • Collectively Carolina

One of the top wedding-related questions I’ve received is “How did you go about choosing your bridesmaid’s dresses?” This is such a fun topic for me because I truly had the best time picking them out, and spent many hours and much thought doing so!

I knew from the beginning that I wanted all of the girls to wear the same style, versus the trendier option of each bridesmaid wearing the same color, but different styles. I’ve also always been loyal to the Alfred Sung brand after seeing their dresses in person at Evelyn’s Bridal. The fabric of these dresses (and most Alfred Sung styles) is described as a “satin twill” – it’s very structured and in my opinion, is just perfect for a formal wedding.

I ended up choosing these sleeveless, open-back, pleated skirt dresses (with pockets!) for a number of reasons. I knew that out of my 8 girls, we had body types that varied (as would any group of that size!) I wanted something that would be universally flattering, and make everyone feel comfortable and confident. Alfred Sung has a number of “cap sleeve” styles which I love, but don’t always think are the most flattering. I also knew that an a-line skirt (versus a fitted, or mermaid style skirt) would be best to accommodate all shapes and sizes!

I had pretty much decided on a color scheme for the wedding as a whole before I started looking at dresses! I was conflicted about whether or not I wanted the dresses to be blue or pink, but at the end of the day, I knew that it would be easiest to incorporate the light blue with the dresses. This color is called “mist.”

Keep scrolling for a quick Q&A with the top questions that y’all submitted on Instagram!

Q: Did your bridesmaids try the dresses on first so you would know how they looked on everyone?

A: My sister and Maid of Honor, Mary Catherine, went with me to Evelyn’s Bridal the day I truly wanted to start considering different dresses. They have a sample of almost all of the different Alfred Sung styles in the store to try on! I started out with just her trying on a few different styles to see how we liked it. After seeing her try on the dress that I chose, I could envision that it would be universally flattering.

Q: How much did you let your bridesmaids have input? Did they sway you?

A: Not much, and no! I feel like you’re either a bride who knows exactly what she wants and makes the decision, or you involve the whole group in the decision. For me, it seemed like it would get too stressful/messy to involve all 8 of the girls in choosing a dress (especially because it was a singular style), so I really just relied on Mary Catherine trying them on, and her opinion + my mom’s!

Q: Did you look online, or in stores, too?

A: Both! I started looking online first, which I recommend to everyone. Dessy.com is a great place to start – you can view all of the Alfred Sung styles there! After I looked online, I went to Evelyn’s Bridal to see a few of my top favorite styles in person, and had Mary Catherine try them on.

Q: Do you or the girls have any regrets about the dresses? Were they comfy all night?

A: As far as I know, they girls loved wearing them! The structured style definitely helped everything stay put throughout the night. For me, my only regret is not considering the open back in more detail. I knew that bra placement might be an issue, but hoped that the dress was structured enough to not wear anything at all, or that sticky bras would work! At the end of the day, that was the only challenge with this specific dress, but it ended up just fine!