bridesmaid attire

Bridesmaid and Wedding Party Alternatives

First thing’s first: the folks who stand up with you during your ceremony are not the bridal party. It’s 2022. They’re the Wedding Party.

And the Wedding Party is getting more and more creative.

As times change (thank goodness!), we’re getting more folks bucking tradition, and that includes who they invite to stand next to them as they get married. Men invite women, women invite men, and (gasp!) - they don’t all have to wear the same thing!

Here are some of our favorite “alternative” Wedding Party ideas we’ve seen over the years, in case it inspires you to eff tradition, and do what feels right!

Add some color!

Photo by Leo Druker

One of my favorite couples chose to have her bridesmaids wear every color of the rainbow! It brought such joy to the day (and the photos!) - and I highly recommend it!!

Brides: have your best men beside you

Photo by Margaret Wrowblewski

I don’t see enough brothers and male best friends next to brides. This brother was one of my very favorites - and I know his sister adored having him there with her on her big day!

Matching, schmatching

Photo by The Colagrossis

Why do members of the wedding party have to wear anything coordinated or matching at all?? This awesome bride just told her best gals to wear whatever they wanted and (GASP!) - it worked, everyone was happy, and they still got married! :)

women in suits

Photo by Josef Sullivan Photography

Women can wear suits. And look damned good in them, too. Men - have a female friend or family member you want up there with you, but you still care about matching? Have her rock a suit and never look back!

Hip Bridesmaid Fashion

care of Lena Dunham's Instagram yo

I had to pop by to do a quick blog post on the bridesmaids outfits everyone's talking about.

For those of you who follow me on Instagram know, I flipped when I saw Lena Dunham's Instagram post featuring what she and fellow bridesmaids wore to her BFF Audrey Gelman's wedding. They wore sequined skirts customized by J.Crew's Jenna Lyons, along with dusty pink tops and gold shoes.

Can we PLEASE start doing more of this? It's sequined and shiny and sparkly so you know it's festive and fancy. But these ladies can WEAR THESE SKIRTS AGAIN. Plus, they're customized (see detail below) which is just sweet as hell. I adore that they're still appropriately dressy while still being untraditional and chic as all get out. Plus, I don't know who that pregnant woman is on the right, but she is killing it.

care of Lena Dunham's Instagram yo