Bridesmaids Dress Dilemmas

Ten months to go, and the hashtag-weddingplanning is going without any hitches. (Oh God, did I just jinx myself?!) The venue, caterer, dress, band, and some decorations have all been booked, leaving me with very little to worry about. Right, brides? Right? It only gets easier from here on? I'll keep believing that...

If someone had asked me six months ago whether I thought it would be harder to choose the bridemaids dresses or my own, I know what I would have said. 'Mine, because I'm SO picky and there are so many to choose from!'

But now, less than a year to go, and I chose my wedding dress during my first visit to a bridal boutique (The Harrogate Wedding Lounge is the place of dreams), but bridemaids dresses have me lost. There are a lot of things to think about when choosing the dresses, mainly that I don't want my lovely ladies to be unhappy with my choice, but also making sure they fit when two of them live on the other side of the planet. (I know you're reading this - move home, already!) So choosing a dress that matches my style, the style of the wedding, flatters them AND fits perfectly? Tough task.

Bridesmaids dresses have come a long way in the last decade or two, and the choices have opened up widely. ASOS do a lovely bridal section for brides sticking to a budget, and the more traditional shops for wedding attire have branched out with their selection. But I'm still struggling with two main things when choosing the dresses.

Problem 1. Colour scheme. I don't have one. Not a set, strict one anyway. We're going for hints of rose gold, muted pastels, and dark navy blue I think, but that is subject to change at any time. Our venue is very rustic, so anything too deep or bright would be overpowering and simply wouldn't go. Our date is on the cusp of summer/autumn, so pastels will still work nicely without looking out of season.

Problem 2. The dress itself. Do I go with matching dresses in the same colour, different styles in the same colour, different colours in the same style, different styles and different colours, argh someone send help. Do I want a subtle shimmery gold, or will that look too OTT? Should I have the same neckline as my own dress, or something different? And what hairstyles will look good? Don't get me started on shoes. 

I'm spending endless hours on Pinterest, pinning so many gorgeous dresses that I'm tempted to stick my bridesmaids in my wedding dress, and pinch their dresses instead! I'm the bride, it's my day, and all that.