Explore the cost and trends when choosing attire for the bridal party. We cover the groom, groomsmen, and bridesmaids attire in this module. We explore the average costs so you can better plan your budget.
The following article is an example of the content we have in our online wedding planning membership site HappyWeddings.ca under the heading of Bridal Party Attire. To learn more and get useful wedding planning tools for FREE, click here!
As you might expect, most bride’s focus on ‘the dress’ and the rest of the bridal party tends to be an after thought. This is a mistake because the rest of the bridal party’s attire will set the tone for the wedding’s formality, and are the supporting attire for ‘the dress’.
The groom must look equally stunning to the bride, and grooms have five different suit styles to choose from. Most grooms rent their formalwear, and the cost starts around $150. The groomsmen tend to wear the same style that the groom does, and the groomsmen traditionally rent their suits also. They also pay for shoes and any other accessories chosen by the couple. We explore this more fully later in this module.
The bridesmaids’ attire is usually a full-length gown or a tea length dress, and they are traditionally responsible for the cost of the dress and accessories. Matching shoes, handbags and jewellery are common features. Cost for dress and accessories tend to start around $200 and go up from there. A new eco-friendly trend is the renting of bridesmaid dresses, and it may be something you want to explore.
It has become very common to have the bridesmaids in different style dresses within a set range of colours. For example, the bride might say that she wants sleeveless dresses in a rose colour palate. Within this guideline, each bridesmaid then chooses something that appeals to her. This is a welcome change as people have different clothing styles that work with their body type, and allowing everyone to look their best is a good thing. The uniformity of the bridal party attire gives a more formal look than when there is less uniformity in the dresses.
There are many options when choosing attire for the groom, groomsmen, and bridesmaids, and we will explore those choices as we go through this module.