Wedding by wedding, today’s bride is breaking tradition, liberating herself–and her bridesmaids–from a stuck-in-the-seventies past, when all her bridesmaids had to dress exactly alike and all her wedding favors had to be the same for every guest. Moving into new “wedding” territory apparently isn’t for the weak or faint of heart. If you’re a bride-to-be who is choosing your color scheme and letting your bridesmaids choose the dress style that best suits them, you’re in the minority.
If you’ve ever been one of those chubby bridemaids who got squeezed into a sheath so you looked like a sausage with boobs and hair, you’re already applauding this move toward bridesmaid individuality, even though it’s too late for you. To those brides a planning wedding, we all hope you treat your dearest family and friends–your bridesmaids–with dignity and respect. Your wedding photos will look much lovelier with a variety of bridesmaids dresses than with a monotonous style that invariably results in one or two very sad “sausages.”
And what would a wedding be without bridesmaids? According to a recent Conde Nast survey on bridesmaids:
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Brides have an average of five bridesmaids in their wedding
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Based on 2.2 million weddings per year, there are approximately 11 million bridesmaids each year
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There are 44,230 weddings every weekend, 23 million bridesmaids and groomsmen, and almost 380 million wedding guests
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64% of brides have their bridesmaids dress identically
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Bridesmaids dresses cost an average of $691 total, figuring to be $138 each with the average of five attendants
Now that you’re thinking outside the box, let me turn you on to the next “what a wedding!” trend. This one comes to us from Kate Aspen, a top-tier designer of to-die-for wedding favors, who says that mixing-and-matching wedding favors is an innovation whose time has definitely come–fun for you, fun for your guests and a bold, new look for your wedding reception tables. Here’s how it works:
Let’s imagine the predominant color in your decor is pink. Sprinkle your tables with the “Sweetheart” Translucent Bottle Stoppers, the pink “Rose Ball” Candles and the “Picture Perfect” Pink Glass Photo Coasters. No matter which one is sitting at their table setting, your guests can’t lose!
Now we’ll take it a step further. Practical favors are always a big hit, and Kate Aspen has the “Cookin’ Up Love!” Practical Favor Collection in coordinated, boutique gift-packaging to really “wow” your guests. Choose the “A-Peel to My Heart” Peelers, “Have a Ball!” Melon Ballers and “Heart-y Beginnings” Heart-Shaped Egg & Pancake Molds, alternating them at the place settings. Trust me, they’ll be a topic of conversation!
Mixing-and-matching is HOT!
