The tradition of having bridesmaids dates back many centuries, when in Roman times bridesmaid dresses would mimic that of the bride to confuse and ward off evil spirits, they also had the role of warding off unsuitable suitors thus leaving the brides for her groom.

In modern times, bridesmaids no longer have to ward off evil spirits or perhaps even unsuitable suitors! But they are still required to support the bride and be her confidante. Thankfully for today’s bridesmaid they no longer have to dress like the bride and gone are the days of meringue style, puffy sleeved creations in peach taffeta!

These days bridesmaids step out in dresses which ooze sophistication and elegance, but which do not upstage the bride! In fact many a bridesmaid will love their dresses so much they will look for any excuse to be able to wear them again!

Although the rules for bridesmaid’s dresses have relaxed somewhat over the years, there are still a few pointers you should follow to make sure your bridesmaids outfits coordinate with yours and your wedding style:

1. For a formal wedding you should choose the same style of dress and in the same color. Whilst on paper this may seem a simple task - one choice, job done, you may come to realize that different body shapes do not suit every style of dress. If you want to go down this route however, choose styles such as A-line or princess cut which can look fabulous on almost any body shape.

2. For a less formal wedding but where you still want to be traditional, you can choose the same style of dress but in different colors. This is wonderful as not everyone will look good in aqua blue or pale pink! Use your wedding colors to coordinate colors for each attendant and then use these same colors in their bouquets and yours. You will need to pick colors which compliment each other otherwise the effect of all these different colors could be somewhat overpowering!

3. For a more modern approach choose different styles of dress but in the same color. This is perfect for everyone as it hits that happy medium that most brides desire. Doing it this way also allows your bridesmaids to choose their own dresses but in your specified color or you can all troop en masse to the bridal store and try on different outfits and dresses there.

4. Finally you should consider these rules when making your choices: the more formal the wedding, and the cooler the season, the darker the color should be and a heavy fabric should be used. For an outside wedding in summer, choose lighter shades and lighter fabrics. There is also a rule that states that very formal weddings require full length dresses and informal weddings can choose shorter lengths such as cocktail or tea length.

You don’t have to buy your bridesmaid dresses from a bridal store either, department stores and many high street retailers have a range of occasion wear which will be perfect for a bridesmaid no matter what the style of the wedding. The benefit of using a bridal store, however, is that you will get a wider choice of colors and fabrics, as well as dress styles, matching accessories and a range of separates if you didn’t want a dress.