Shoes
The right shoe can be a statement all in itself. If you choose a simple sleeved dress then go for a dramatic and over the top shoe selection. The shorter the sleeves the more open the shoe should be to balance out the skin factor (amount of skin being exposed). Longer sleeves warrant high heel short and long boots (especially for winter weddings). A sweater dress look is perfect for winter and looks stunning when paired with a stylish pair of leather boots.

Earrings
Long sleeved dresses are easily dolled up with a killer pair of chandelier earrings. The trick with earrings is to create contrast. So if you have a black dress choose earrings that stand out against the black if the earring falls down close enough to the dress and the same color as the dress if they are on the short side.

Hair decorations
If you choose to forgo the jewelry then you can still add some sparkle and shine with hair decorations. Make an updo more interesting by inserting rhinestone pins, using clips or adding other decorative elements. There are lots of things you can do to add some fun to the hair styles and overall look by simply putting something in your hair and playing up the look of the dress.

Necklines
Interesting necklines are key to making the sleeved bridesmaid dress work and be attractive on anyone. A V-neck shows off cleavage which may be one woman’s asset. A boat neck look is simple and works on most any shape and facial structure. Unusual necklines can add a lot to the design of a dress and are one of the most important elements when there are sleeves involved as it is where the eyes are drawn to.

Backless
A bridesmaid dress can have sleeves and any neckline in the world but if it’s backless that suddenly becomes the main feature. For women who want to cover up their front and be dramatic as they walk down the aisle go for a backless look. You’ll have to have the ladies get some stick-up backless bras but it’s worth it because people will be in awe as they pass them and they see the strong, confident look of an open back.

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Name brands
No one really needs a name brand bridesmaid dress. It’s the bride who is the center of attention, not  her attendants and there are tons of dresses that are cheaper that can be used and then reused. Name brands never used to exist when it came to wedding fashions, now they seem like one of the staples. Save money and pick the dress you like based on the dress itself not the label.

Big chain stores
Stores that are found everywhere and have a retail name, meaning they’re a large chain, usually have limited choices and high prices. Avoid these and you’ll be able to find a lower priced dress that is actually likely of a higher quality and more fashionable. The dresses at these stores tend to be fairly cookie cutter in design and quite ordinary.

Shopping too early or too late
It sounds strange but when you shop too early sometimes you end up actually spending more money. This is true if you start looking around and find a dress you think is just perfect so you buy them thinking it’s a good deal only to find something you like more a month later that is half the price of the first one.  However shopping too late can be mean you end up with whatever dress you happen to find that can arrive on time regardless of the price.

Unusual colors
If you choose a color that is really unusual or you’re insistent that the color matches everything else exactly you’ll end up spending more on a dress because your options are limited and you might end up having to pay to have it dyed. If you’re more flexible with the colors you will be able to find a great deal since you’re open to various possibilities. Or if your color is something really common like black, the choices are seemingly endless.

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Dress Up Time
Take all your ladies out and have them try on a wide variety of dresses with various necklines, lengths, sleeves and even kinds of fabric. Take pictures of each lady in each dress so you can compare what looks good and what doesn’t between everyone.

Cut and Paste
Print the photos you took then cut and paste the elements you like. You’ll basically be making a mosaic Picasso looking bridesmaid dress if you use parts from different girls and dresses. This however will let you see all the elements combined to give you a better idea of what the combination really looks like.

Sketch It Out
Get some good old fashioned paper and pencil and sketch out your design. Use the Picasso cut and paste figure as your base for the drawing if you did that, if not then start from scratch with your ideas and just begin putting the pencil to paper. The sketch doesn’t have to be perfect so don’t beat yourself up over your stick figure design, just get the ideas down.

Online Dress Design
For those who are drawing challenged or just don’t even want to attempt trying to make a realistic looking dress there is such a thing as the internet. Not only is the internet great for researching dresses it’s also perfect for designing the bridesmaid dresses of your dreams. Find a site that lets you create dresses virtually. These sites give you a body to dress then you begin incorporating different elements such as the necklines, sleeves and so on. You can create numerous designs, easily switch things in and out to see how they look and have some fun creating any dress you can imagine. The best part is it’s so easy that anyone can do it and then you just print the diagrams and you have your design before your eyes in minutes. With technology like this there’s no reason you should let anything stop you from designing the perfect bridesmaid dress.

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Length
You need to think about the length of the dress you choose because if the wedding is in the sand you don’t want the dresses dragging in the sand and ruining the bottom edges or making it difficult to walk and having the girls trip. For a wedding that takes place on the beach it’s wise to choose a dress that is tea length. This is actually the perfect length because it’s not so long that it drags on the sand and not so short that a shoreline breeze will blow it up and show off their undergarments.

Sleeve coverings
The length of the sleeves or inclusion and exclusion of sleeves is important. Most brides choose dresses with no sleeves or strapless choices for such a setting because it’s casual, stylish and free flowing. However one thing you should consider is including a shawl or covering of some sort because it can be quite cold along the beach with the breeze coming in over the water. So even though the sun may be out shining brightly there’s the chance it could be freezing, at least for part of the day. Help your ladies out and choose something they can wear as a covering over their dress (or at least their shoulders) if the weather turns out to be chilly.

Color
Think about the colors of the terrain and try to choose colors that will blend well but not fade into the background. Pale yellows and faint teals can easily blend too well into the background of many beach settings and make the wedding photos look a little off as your wedding party turns into a bunch of floating heads. However too bright of colors or colors that really don’t mix with the cool beach setting will also look odd. Stick with solid turquoises, oranges, darker yellows, muted reds, muted greens and violet tones.

Embellishments
Minimal embellishments are best as it mimics the relaxed feel of the beach. Think about choosing jewelry or accents on the dress that coincide with the beach such as shells, mini pearls or beading. You don’t need a lot to make your girls and the photos look amazing, they’ll speak for themselves.

Fabric
Satin is a little too stiff for the beach so try to go with a lighter, more breathable and loose fabric such as chiffon. It will move well when the ladies walk and give some dimension with the ocean breeze without being too frilly or “night gown” like. In fact skip the silk slip look altogether, polyester, cotton/lycra blends and chiffon are a beach bunny’s best friends when it comes to bridesmaids bliss.

Image Source: http://weddingdressbridalgown.blogspot.com/

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