The Mix and Match Wedding – Can Wedding Dresses Plus Size be in Different Colours?

Wedding dresses plus size or otherwise are the subject of hot debate in the run up to a wedding. Who will wear what? What will the colour scheme be? How will it all be done?

One interesting trend is to specify that bridesmaids and other members of the party don’t have to wear dresses of the same colour. Indeed, a very interesting effect can be achieved if the bridesmaids wear a range of colours picking out the highlights of the overall colour scheme, or of the star flower in the wedding bouquet.

It’s helpful to look at how a wedding bouquet is made, at this juncture, before we continue to look at the wedding dresses it might inspire.

A wedding bouquet is normally composed of a number of blooms, but with one “star flower” at its heart. Essentially, it may be thought of as a spray of a single flower species, which has been decorated and dressed with complementary species to create an ornate appearance.

The colours of the star flower define the colours of the complementary flowers. A purple calla lily, for instance, which has a bright orange calyx, may dictate that orchids with orange petals and yellow and purple highlights be used to bring the main colours out.

In this example, then, it is possible to specify wedding dresses plus size in not one but three colours – the purple of the star flower; the orange of the supporting flower; and the dusky yellow of the orchid’s highlights.

This effect works best with a number of bridesmaids equal to the number of colours in the supporting flowers. It may be enhanced by having each bridesmaid carry in a small bunch of supporting flowers herself; or even a single example of it, depending on the species and the size. Effectively, the whole bridal train then looks like a living embodiment of the bouquet and is used as part of the decoration of the “scene” – that is, when the bride and her entourage appear at the altar or the designated ceremonial spot.

There’s another school of thought here – that the bridesmaids can essentially wear whatever dress they like, as long as it is a) smart and b) not white. In this case, the bridal train must be equipped with bouquetsof flowers that tie it in to the overall colour theme of the wedding.

This can actually deliver quite a pleasing effect, as the general tendency is to go for smart, pale outfits that nicely offset the bridal white. Here, the touch of colour lent by the individual bouquets held by the bridesmaids pulls everything together nicely, without an overload of commentary shades causing the whole thing to become a bit top heavy.

In part, the wedding dresses plus size worn by the bridal party are dictated by the size and nature of the space in which the wedding is to take place. A hot sunny beach wedding, for example, means a whole different strategy must be concocted, which may or may not involve bare feet…