District Weddings

Over the past several months, you all have gotten to know Kimberly’s thoughtful personality and fabulous sense of style…So, it should be no surprise that Kimberly has found a way to let each of her ‘maids shine in their own way on October 16th…

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Now that I’ve found the dress of my dreams, it’s time to outfit my partners in crime – AKA, my bridesmaids.  These three ladies have been with me in various stages of my life, and my wedding wouldn’t be the same without them.  Gretchen, Inga, and Tammy are some of the most intelligent and unique women I know.  Each one has a distinct personality and taste in clothing, so I really wanted to make sure that they were able to showcase their individual style.

Once upon a time it was believed that “evil spirits” would attend weddings to harm a bride and groom, so, their closest friends would stand next to them and dress the same to confuse spirits. To this day, bridesmaids usually wear the same dresses at a wedding.  Having been a bridesmaid, I know about wearing the exact same dress…it’s normally not flattering for all involved.  As the bride, I’ve decided to change “tradition” and encouraged them to select a dress in whatever style they feel most comfortable in.

Now that the collective gasp from DW readers has subsided, let me explain my rationale.  My bridesmaids mean the world to me.  One has known me since I was 13, another since I was 17 and the other since I was in my mid 30’s.  All of these women are my friends, and friends don’t let friends wear unflattering dresses in skunky colors with no possibility of wearing them again.

Here’s how this works – I gave them a color palette that goes with my wedding colors (light to deep purple), and asked that the gown be floor length, that’s it.  I asked them to coordinate among themselves, and decide on a designer of their choosing from which to select a dress from.

The ladies agreed on designers they most liked were housed at Hannelore’s in Old Town.   On the first Saturday in May, my friends gathered together to show me the dresses they had selected:

Dress 1 by Mackenzie Michaels; Dress 2 by Jim Hjelm Occasions; Dress 3 by Jim Hjelm Occasions

Gretchen’s dress by Mackenzie Michaels, suits her trend-setting style.  This dress flatters her 6’1 height, and great waist plus the dual colors fit my palette perfectly.

Inga’s dress is by a different designer, Jim Hjelm.  Inga is 5’11, so this is ideal for her because it can be ordered in tall.  The one shoulder will be totally flattering because she’s got a great back so this dress will definitely show it off!

Tammy’s dress, also by Jim Hjelm, is the same color as and fabric as Gretchen’s skirt.  Tammy is 5’3, so she didn’t want anything overwhelming.  She absolutely loves the simplicity of this dress, and since she’s got fantastic shoulders and it’s an A-line, it’s perfect for most body shapes and heights.

My bridesmaids are as distinctive as the dresses they’ve chosen, so I’m glad they’ve found styles they love, and want to wear again.  Gretchen, Inga and Tammy are true individuals, and that’s why I love them so very much!