My friend asked me for bridesmaid dress ideas and these are the ones I always suggest

Recently my group chats are filled with an influx of engagement announcements, first house purchases and baby scan photos. Call it the turning 30 effect (or in my case 33), but there seems to be a new event to plan, prepare for and celebrate most weekends for the next 6 months – something which I couldn’t be happier about, I must add.

As my big milestones are a little while off (although believe me, I’ll be celebrating new jobs, birthdays and just making it through the week with just as much vigour), I’ve taken to pitching in wherever I can to help my friends plan their events. Just last week, I was helping pick out paint colours for a friend’s new flat and now, I’ve turned my eye to wedding planning or should I say to tracking down the best bridesmaid dresses.

When the text came in asking for advice on the best bridesmaid dresses, I’ll be honest, it felt a little overwhelming. After all, there’s a lot to consider when it comes to choosing bridesmaid dresses (much more than when choosing a wedding guest dress). What shade will work in harmony with the colour palette? Whether to go printed or plain? How long should a bridesmaid dress be? And that’s before you even consider which styles are on trend for 2025. You also want to think about how much you want to spend on bridesmaid dresses, a figure which will depend on how many bridesmaids you have and your overall wedding budget.