One of my best friends is getting married this July (eek!) and she’s throwing a black and white affair. We all know most brides really do think the dresses they pick out you can just shorten and wear again. And we all know how unrealistic that expectation usually is. But this time, I really do think we’ll be able to wear them again – no shortening or altering, just wear it again. She wants her bridesmaids to all wear strapless black dresses with sweetheart necklines. Who doesn’t need another little black dress in their closet?

Now this may sounds simple – strapless black dresses are everywhere. It’s harder than you’d think; here are some of the options we’ve come across:

J. Crew is such an easy spot to find bridesmaids dresses though you can’t try them on until you order them unless you live in NYC and can visit their bridal store.

This Ann Taylor dress is nice but a bit expensive for the brand.

This is obviously amazing but is $330 on a bridesmaids’ dress too much?

Since she’s not getting married until the summer, we’ve got plenty of time to find the perfect dress. How do you narrow down the bridesmaids’ dress options?

lovin the daisies

If you’re not completely sold on the tangerine gowns, why not split your brides half in orange and half in peach? That line up would really show off the complimentary shades of your wedding palette. To keep the wedding party looking cohesive just choose the same dress for all your bridesmaids, like these J. Crew designs. Shops that specialize in bridesmaids dresses make it easy for you to mix and match colors while keeping the style consistent.

i'm a big fan of strapless

And obviously, you can always just go with peach bridesmaids dresses. Just be careful not to put the color in too many of your large wedding decor pieces or you’ll have trouble making your ladies stand out in your wedding photos.

It’s never too early to begin planning a spring/summer 2011 wedding (these picks are likely too late for our 2010 summer wedding brides). I love bright colored weddings and think the ultimate spring wedding colors would be bright yellow and lavender. These two colors would allow you to work with a variety of shades because light yellow and dark purple accents would look good too. So this week I will plan a lavender and yellow spring wedding with a garden tea reception. I just love the idea of having an outdoor wedding in a blooming garden. And making it a tea party let’s you add a few whimsical touches, even if you only serve iced teas.

bright yellow short bridesmaids' dresses

These bright yellow bridesmaids’ dresses are so cute and they pop so well next to the bride’s crisp white dress.

yellow and lavender bouquets

Just substitute theses flowers into their hands and this would play nicely into my garden wedding. These dresses are from J. Crew, which is likely why I was drawn to them in the first place.

Picking a color, shape, and fabric that compliments all of your bridesmaids is hard. Luckily a modern bride is no longer limited to just one option for all. My favorite trend in bridesmaids’ dresses is allowing each girl to pick her own dress. Obviously this can be a risky choice – you don’t want your teenage cousin showing up in something short and tight, nor do you want anyone’s dress to be so loud it draws all of the attention – but don’t think this can’t be done. Look how adorable it worked out for these brides!

mismatching tan bridesmaids

mismatching blue bridesmaids' dresses

Just set shopping guidelines and make sure everyone knows that the bride still has the final say:

1. The dress must be a shade of your wedding colors (or any shade of one color if you prefer a more unified look). Give them each a copy of your invitation to use as a reference guide while shopping.
2. No loud patterns. This way you can avoid the ladies’ dresses clashing.
3. No white dresses. This day is all about the bride.
4. Don’t buy anything that can’t be returned. The dress may fit all of your guidelines, but if you’re not there to shop with the bridesmaid, you need there to be flexibility in their choice.

This option can be fun but make sure you stay involved! Everyone deserves to feel comfortable and look gorgeous but it is your big day so make sure you’re part of selecting each dress.

Planning a bridesmaids’ dress shopping trip with all of your ladies could be fun and a great way to spend time with them before the big day!