Guy bridesmaids? Girl groomsmen? Mixed genders in the wedding party is something I’m seeing more and more in Center City wedding photography! Here are a few tips for dressing your groomswomen and bridesmen:
Groomswomen
Tuxedo
Menswear on women is one of the best modern fashion trends when it’s done well: see Janelle Monae. Luckily, lots of places specialize in lady-tuxedos: Her Tuxedo is a great little online store, and you can’t go wrong with J.Crew! You could also do a tux with a femme twist. TopShop has an array of jackets and skirts with tuxedo-style detailing that you can mix and match.
Suit
A woman’s suit can be a little masculine or you can do the classic jacket-and-skirt combo. As long as it’s impeccably tailored, you’re good to go! Once again, J.Crew is the one-stop-shop for suiting. They have everything from wool dresses to blazers to pencil skirts. Nordstrom is also a solid choice for a gorgeous lady suit, as are Banana Republic and White House Black Market.
Dress
If your groomswoman is more of a girly girl, she might not be comfortable in a suit or a tux. A dress is the solution! You can have her match your bridesmaids, but if they’re wearing a bright color, you risk her sticking out like a sore thumb. My favorite solution that I’ve seen is a dress that matches the groomsmen’s outfits, with a few matching accessories. A tie looks surprisingly chic with a little black dress!
Bridesmen
Bright Accents
Nicci and Jude had a couple of bridesmen at their wedding. Their wardrobe choices illustrated one way to successfully integrate guys into the bride’s side. Nicci’s brothers both wore suits, but they were accented with bright blue vests and ties to match her bridesmaids’ gowns. Those bright accents really tied the wedding party together!
Contrasting Suits
If your guys will wear distinctive suits, you can dress your bridesmen in outfits that are a little different. This will serve to separate them from the groomsmen and coordinate them with the bridesmaids. For example, if your groomsmen are wearing tweed and your bridesmaids are dressed in navy, your bridesmen can wear navy suits.
Mixing It Up
One concern with mixing up the genders of your wedding party is an appearance of imbalance. Of course, you might not be as nitpicky as I am. If you are, you can correct the imbalance by mixing it up even further! Create an even distribution of guys and girls in the wedding party, each dressed according to whether they’re part of the bride’s or the groom’s side.
Are you planning a gender-bending bridal party? Tell me about your wardrobe ideas in the comments!
