Goin’ To The Chapel: Bridesmaid Dresses

Anastasia picked this dress...

PW associate editor Anastasia Kotsosavas is getting married (to a guy with an equally long, equally Greek last name). In eight months, she’s going to walk down the aisle come hell or high water (or even worse: rain). She’ll be chronicling all her crazy planning experiences here. Donations can be sent to the PW offices.

Picking out a bridesmaids dress is kinda like going to the dentist. You keep putting it off until you absolutely have to go and then have to figure out a way to coordinate your schedule—and the schedules of every important woman in your life—around the hellish experience.

A while back I had decided to go with black bridesmaid dresses. When older women would hear this decision I was mostly faced with blank stares from the polite ones and horrified gasps from the traditionalists.

I didn’t care. I told my modern bridesmaids my decision and they were fine with it. I’ve always thought everyone looks his or her best in black.

I started to search for dresses online that would be simple and stylish. I found a few, and, being the dutiful bride I am, forwarded them along to my four bridesmaids for review. I got a little feedback but mostly was told the decision was up to me.

I decided the best route would be to have an outing to the bridal boutique and have all the girls try stuff on and agree on one together. Of course, coordinating five busy gals’ schedules was problematic but we figured something out.

... in this color.

After trying on a few selections all of the girls settled on a strapless number that could (dare I say it) be worn again to another function.

As I looked at the pretty dress with all the sleek lines that would be lost in the black color I made a split-second decision to change the color to a lighter lavender tone that would also fit in with the flowers I had selected.

Three of the girls had no problem with the change in plans. But of course something had to go wrong. My one bridesmaid told me that the black dress would be nicer and gave me a lecture about how she thought I was being unique going with a color that many people shy away from. She then explained in detail how much prettier the dress would look in the darker hue. She ended her speech by telling me that of course she is so easy-going and would wear the purple dress if she had to. Gee, thanks!

I felt the dormant bridezilla inside begin to stir, but quenched the desire to scream, “It’s my wedding and I’ll do whatever I want!”

Because I’m calm. I’m laid-back. I don’t care about this wedding stuff! Remember, I wanted to go to Wedding’s R’ Us and be done with it. What’s happened to me? Uh-oh …
*Written by Anastasia Kotsosavas