28 Reasons to Love the Mismatched Bridesmaids' Dress Look

By Sarah Schreiber
March 25, 2016
Corbin Gurkin

Your bridesmaids will love you for letting them flaunt their own style on your big day.

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Corbin Gurkin

There are many ways to pull off the ever-popular mismatched bridesmaids' dresses look at your wedding. Before you say you're put off by the idea of your girls wearing individual looks, you should know that there are degrees to this trend—and most of them don't involve each attendant wearing a completely distinct dress. The gist? You get to decide how "mismatched" your bridal party really is.

The following wedding parties prove this point. Ahead, you'll discover that many brides dressed their sisters and best friends in the very same dress, but asked each woman to don a different colorway. Another way to make this trend feel more cohesive? Opt for similar dresses in the exact same hue—just switch up the neckline (your ladies will appreciate being able to choose the one that flatters them best!). Of course, maybe your completely ready to embrace this mix-and-match bridal party look. If you're really going for it, consider allowing your party to choose their own looks with a color palette as a guide. Another alternative is to choose dresses in all-different patterns that still speak to one another. The secret? Keep the dresses otherwise-similar, in both form and hue.

Ultimately, giving your bridesmaids some agency over their looks is a good thing. They'll feel comfortable and catered to on the big day—especially since they could choose an ensemble that best fits their bodies, skin tones, and budgets. Ready to discover how pretty the mismatched bridesmaid trend can be? Click through with your 'maids for major inspiration.

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Pink and Purple

Ashley Upchurch
Can You Have an Uneven Wedding Party?

Super feminine shades like pink and purple are never a bad idea. Just take this bridal party, whose gowns created a blush-to-lavender ombré effect, for example.

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Jewel Tones

Melissa Gayle

They're complete gems, so why not dress them as such? Four out of the five bridesmaids opted for a gemstone-inspired shade—amber (from Lulus), sapphire (from Show Me Your Mumu), emerald (also from Lulus!), and ruby (from Stone Cold Fox). As for the maid of honor? She chose a floral ensemble from Forever 21, which helped her stand out.

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Happy Neutrals

India Earl

This will be your best friends' reactions when you tell them that they can choose their own wedding ensembles. Bonus points if you opt for a readily-available, easy to find shade, like cream, like these ladies' styles from Show Me Your Mumu.

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Cut from the Same Cloth

Gianny Campos
Pretty Silk Bridesmaid Dresses

If you're searching for a way to unify your ladies' looks, even if they're wearing different dress styles and colors, you've found it. Go for gowns made of the same fabric (in this case, silk with sheer mesh accents!).

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Same Print, Different Shapes

Lilly Red Creative

Alternatively, keep your girls' styles cohesive with a matching print. As for each girls' dress silhouette? That's entirely up to her.

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Big Bridal Party

Michelle Boyd Photography
The Perks of Having a Large Wedding Party

When you have ten or more bridesmaids, giving each of your friends ownership over their big-day look is practically mandated (one dress style can't work for each person!). Take notes from this bride, who gave her girls color palette restrictions—blush, gold, and cream—instead of style limitations.

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Glitter, Lace, and Jersey

Bonphotage

Different textures bridesmaid dress textures lead to a layered, dynamic look. We love how these ladies-in-waiting donned neutral gowns in varied fabric types.

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Fall Tones

Sara Monika
Bridesmaid Dress Colors for Fall Weddings

Inject some seasonality into your attendants' looks in the form of a rich, rustic color palette. This brides' group donned burnt-orange ensembles, from floral-patterned frocks and floor-length gowns to an on-shade suit.

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Graphic Print

Melissa Beattie

We're having a hard time choosing a favorite silhouette here. This punchy floral print from ASOS is eye-grabbing in all its iterations, from the caped, floor-length version, to the off-the-shoulder cocktail dress, to the midi-length ensemble.

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Gentle Pastels

Plum & Oak Photo

This girl gang proves that softer the color scheme, the more flexibility you have (how else would you make yellow and mauve play nice?).

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Multiple Patterns

Angga Permana
How to Pull Off the Mismatched Bridesmaid Dress Look Effortlessly

Here's how you pull off wedding party mixed prints—keep them small and within the same color family. Tiny navy and powder checks, diamonds, and dashes defined these ladies' interconnected styles, all by Brides Story.

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Location-Inspired

Tayor & Porter

Turn to your venue when searching for mismatched bridesmaid ensemble inspiration. These ladies' traditional Indian attire referenced the color scheme of the English castle locale.

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High-Low

Mary Jane Weddings

Unify punchy bridesmaid dress colors by opting for identical hemlines à la this trio, whose high-low pink and yellow ML Monique Lhuillier looks from Rent the Runway stole the show.

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Statuesque

Jose Villa
Dos and Don'ts for Choosing Your Bridesmaids Bouquets

Looking for another way to sync up your girls' diverse looks (how pretty are these blush-toned beauties?)? Supply them with identical bouquets. Just be sure to make your maid of honor's is extra special with an accent bloom (like a bushel of baby's breath!).

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Moody Tones

Lauren Scotti Photography

Soft, but striking shades are sure to satisfy your 'maids. We love this group's usage of moody pink, gray, and peach pastels. They perfectly accented the bride's ultra-dramatic look, complete with a bead-encrusted wedding dress and spiked tiara.

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Personalized

onelove photography

Who says that your girls' looks have to reference each other's or your overarching color palette? Make like this bride and let your 'maids go for it with regards to silhouette and hue. You won't have a unified palette, but you will have your favorite people's personalities front and center.

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Mix and Match Necklines

Kim Stockwell

Notice how no two of these bridesmaids' dresses are the same. Varied necklines kept the gray looks from feeling too matchy-matchy.

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All-White

Starling and Sage
Bridal Parties Wearing All-White Ensembles

This group effectively proves that dressing your bridesmaids (and, in this case, your junior bridesmaids, too!) in mix-and-match white gowns won't detract from your own creamy get-up. If anything, the unified color scheme brings you together.

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Metallics

Kyle John Photography

Tie your girls' looks back to your own by choosing one of your own style's accents and repeating it throughout theirs. This bride, whose custom Maria Korovilas wedding dress featured brass broaches (and an epic gold flower-lined train!), asked her 'maids to choose dresses (also by Maria Korovilas!) with the same metallic touches.

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Intricate Backs

Chelsea Diane
Wedding Dresses That Wowed from the Back

With bridesmaid dress backs as intricate as these, a from-behind photo is a must. Although no two backs were the same (we're loving the criss-cross and off-the shoulder variations!), a blush and cream color scheme prevented the cohort from looking haphazard.

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Soft and Romantic

Judy Pak Photography

Lacey, shimmering, and floral—what a trifecta! This varied mix stunned against the wedding day's rainy backdrop. 

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Blue and Gray

Lauren Peele Photography
Go Inside Our Favorite Beach Weddings

Getting hitched on the beach? Turn to the ocean's gradient hues when selecting looks for your friends. This group stuck to two water color notes: gray and blue.

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Sleek Black

Adam Barnes

These ladies prove that wearing black to a wedding is anything but dreary. Their long black gowns—from Alice & Olivia, Norma Kamali, Nicole Miller, and Halston Heritage—all featured mismatched necklines.

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Neutral

Sylvie Gil Photography

Dress your favorite natural beauties in the prettiest neutral shades, like these sisters who chose pieces from Zac Posen and The Row.

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Dresses and Jumpsuits

Corbin Gurkin
Get More Ideas for Chic Bridesmaid Looks

Don't just vary bridesmaid dress color or silhouette—switch up their style entirely! A mix of black and cream dresses and jumpsuits is an idea to bookmark.

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Rosy and Blue

Patrick Moyer
Go Inside More Real Celebrations

In dresses these flowy, we'd want to strike a pose, too! This bride's 'maids sat pretty in an array of rosy, blue-hued, and beaded dresses by various designers.

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Bouquet Backdrop

Joe Goger

Another advantage of all-white dress ensembles? They act as a neutral backdrop for bridesmaid bouquets—we love how these blooms pop against this creamy mix.

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By Sarah Schreiber