Gone are the days when bridesmaids were forced into frothy gowns that were relegated to the back of the cupboard once the wedding day was over – never to see the light of day again. Bridesmaids Only stocks a range of gowns that will have you and your maids in raptures with the beading, modern, yet understated styling and an array of gorgeous colours to choose from. The mothers of the bride and groom as well as flowergirls are also catered for, but what I love the most, is that any of their dresses can just as easily be worn to formal occasions or glam parties – not a frothy gown in sight! Well chosen bridesmaid gowns will enhance the bride’s gown – they provide the perfect foil for a bride who is at the centre of her own very special wedding day.
What inspired your career move into bridesmaids’ gowns? What do you love about your business?
It all started when I was planning my own wedding, 7 years ago. I was struggling to find bridesmaid dresses that suited by five very differently shaped bridesmaids, and that were reasonably priced. I realised that there wasn’t one place were you could go to find everything that you need for your bridesmaids; and so Bridesmaids Only was born!
I love styling the bridal party, helping brides choose the right colour and style of bridesmaid dress for their wedding theme/venue. It’s such a beautiful industry to be in (and so rewarding) making people happy for their big day. The best part is receiving images from their wedding, seeing it all come together J
Image by Nadine Saacks Photography
Where is your shop situated?
Our showroom is located at Level 1, 15 Knox Street, Double Bay. We have dedicated suites for each bridal party, as well as a dedicated consultant to go through all the colours, styles etc.
Are we able to shop from your ranges online?
We have recently re-launched our new website, and are loving it! We have a range of ‘in stock’ dresses that are available for instant purchase, and you can receive a full refund within 7 days. Our sizes range from 6-26.
How do you decide on the styles and colours to offer for the next 12 months? Do you watch trends closely?
We do watch trends closely, both within the bridal industry as well as the general fashion industry. We try to attend the New York Bridal Fashion Week as often as possible to meet with the designers, and discuss trends for the future. For bridesmaid dresses, there are always the popular classic colours for example Navy, Champagne, Blush Pinks; and then there are the on-trend colours that change with the season – for example Ice Blue seems to be popular at the moment!
Image courtesy of Bridesmaids Only
What do you see on the horizon for bridesmaid dresses?
We are seeing more and more mismatched bridal parties; different styles and colours that compliment each other. I personally love this look as each bridesmaid can wear a colour and style that suits their skin tone and body shape.
Are the dresses you offer able to be worn after the wedding (and not overtly ‘bridesmaid’ in style)? Do you have some current favourites?
Definitely! I am in love with our Adrianna Papell ‘Gatsby’ dress at the moment, perfect to wear to any event or a guest at a wedding.
Image courtesy of Bridesmaids Only
What is the role of your style consultants in helping the wedding party?
Each bridal party has a dedicated consultant through the process. We ask the girls about their wedding – the style of their wedding dress; theme; venue etc – from this we suggest styles that we think would work nicely, and encourage the bridal party to pull any styles that they like from the rack. We also go through colours and sizing, and try and make the difficult process of finding the perfect bridesmaid dress as stress-free as possible J
Please offer us 5 pieces of advice when choosing bridesmaids’ gowns?
- I would suggest to choose your top 5 styles before bringing in your bridesmaids. It can get a little overwhelming at first, especially with a large bridal party
- Chat to the girls about who is paying for the bridesmaid dresses before you go shopping, this way everyone is prepared and awkward moments are avoided 😛
- It’s a great idea to bring a swatch of your wedding dress fabric along to your appointment, this helps when choosing the colour of your bridesmaid dresses
- Our made to order dresses take about 12 weeks to arrive, so I would go shopping about 6 months before your wedding to leave plenty of time for alterations etc
- Keep an open mind, we encourage bridesmaids to try as many styles as they can – you would be surprised sometimes! Dresses look so different on, than they do on the hanger J
Image courtesy of Bridesmaids Only
Do you offer maternity options for the pregnant bridesmaid?
We do! There are styles that work well for pregnant bridesmaids, as well as styles that are specifically maternity styles. Many of our bridal parties have at least one pregnant bridesmaid!
Do you offer an alteration service (or can you recommend one)?
We don’t have an in house alteration service, however we do have a seamstress down the road who we recommend!
You also offer Mother of the Bride outfits. What advice can you give to the mums to help them look their best on the wedding day?
Choose a colour that is classic, flattering and that will go nicely with the bridal party (you don’t want clashing colours!) Popular colours seem to be Charcoal, Navy and Burgundy. Also a bit of glitz (sequins or beading) is always nice too!
The flowergirl is not left out either. What do you offer for them?
We have many flower girl styles for all ages in store. Something super comfortable is important as they will be wearing it for a long period of time. We are loving flowergirl dresses with a soft tulle skirt – super cute!!
Images courtesy of Bridesmaids Only
What accessories do you offer?
We offer beautiful jewellery for the bride and her bridesmaids – earrings, bracelets, rings, hair accessories, etc. For the guys, we offer ties, bow ties, pocket squares to match the bridesmaid dresses – this is a great way to tie everything together!
What do you love about living and working in Sydney?
I love the work life balance, Sydney is a beautiful place to live – my best days are started by going to the beach and grabbing a coffee with a friend before heading into the showroom.
Thank you Talia for sharing your story. How lovely are these dresses? Any bridesmaid can now look her gorgeous best too. To find out more about Bridesmaids Only visit the website.
Headshot by Blumenthal Photography
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