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Carol Hannah Whitfield, Season 6 Project Runway finalist and idal designer, admits that choosing idesmaid dresses is challenging for designers as well as ides. “It's always a hard decision because you’re dealing with different girls who have different sizes, and you want to pick styles that are flattering on everybody, so there’s a lot of areas where things could go wrong,” she says. “It’s one of the harder styling issues that people have to deal with.”r
The good news is that designers such as Carol Hannah have started taking these concerns into account when picking colors, fa ics, and styles for their designs. There are also some things you can do, as a ide, to keep everyone smiling. Instead of thinking of the process as a nightmare (as many ides do), think of it as an opportunity to express yourself and incorporate the personalities of your entourage. Here are some ways to get creative.
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Rob Korb for JPG Photography
Pick a Color, Any Color
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It's a good idea to keep in mind when and where you'll be having your wedding, because these things will influence your color choices. Colors vary depending on season. For example, winter colors tend to be darker, more somber shades, whereas spring and summer weddings allow for ighter hues.
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Many ides are opting for “rainbow dresses,” outfitting their idesmaids in a selection of complimentary hues, or shades within the same palette. Annapolis ide Sarah Digby, who got married in April 2010, chose dresses in clover (green) and sweet guava (pink). For Digby, the colors the 'maids wore indicated their status in the wedding: idesmaids wore green, and usherettes (chosen because there were a number of younger girls that wanted to be included in the idal party) wore pink. But colors can be randomly assigned, at the discretion of the ide.
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Another way ides are reinventing the traditional monochromatic look is by asking their idesmaids to purchase their own dresses independently, within a set color range. This works best for a small number of idesmaids, and the end effect is a subtle array of colors in the same family (espresso, taupe, and chocolate own, for example).
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In the end, it's all about what colors you like. If you like turquoise, you can still use that color even if your wedding is in the winter, perhaps pairing it with black. Salisbury, Md., ide Laura Benedict chose a certain shade of green because it had personal significance to her. “The color green is similar to peridot, birthstone for both my fiancé and me. Our birthdays are four days apart,” she says.
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Rob Korb Photography
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Accessorize
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Accessories are a fun way to add a pop of color, a bit of bling, or a sense of uniformity, depending on your preference. Accessories can include everything from the traditional jewelry pieces (necklace, earrings, acelet) and shoes, to feather headbands, colorful pashmina wraps, and ooches. If you're letting your idesmaids pick their own dresses, consider purchasing matching accessories and including them as part of their idesmaid gifts. Conversely, if your idesmaids will be wearing similar dresses, it might be fun to let them provide their own accessories (just specify a color) to add personality.
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Adding Flair with Flowers
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Another way to add personality is with your bouquet choices. Carrying identical bouquets can ing a cohesive look to maids wearing different colored dresses. If you like the look of matching dresses, but you want a little bit of variety, give the idesmaids each a unique bouquet to carry. They could each carry a different shade of roses or a different flower altogether. Each flower has a meaning—ask each girl to find a flower that symbolizes her wish for you. For example, a white Chrysanthemum means “truth,” so a idesmaid that chooses that flower to carry wishes you and your new spouse to have a truthful marriage. One who chooses Gardenias wishes you a joyful marriage, while a bouquet of yellow tulips sends the message for you two to be always hopelessly in love.
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Hamilton Photography
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It's a good idea to listen to your idesmaids, but don't let your overall vision become compromised by their ideas. Never forget that this is your wedding, and that your personality and desires should come first and foremost. “So many things about weddings feel like they revolve around rules,” Hannah says. “People feel like they have to follow these arbitrary rules, and you really don't have to. It's your vision, it's your wedding, your aesthetic, and it's really about whatever you find appropriate. It's up to you.”
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