THE BEST BRIDESMAID DRESSES

Planning a wedding is a time of both excitement and great stress, for there is so much to take into account.

When it comes to dressing your party the search for the best bridesmaid dresses can be time consuming and often difficult, yet we think we have put together a guide that gives you some idea of where to begin looking and what you can expect to find.

We began by asking the questions you will be asking yourself: is it a big society wedding or a smaller family affair? Are the bridesmaids small children or older? Is there a strict budget for the clothing, and are there colour restrictions that inspire the final choice? These few questions, and many more, will undoubtedly be on your list, and when we put them to practice we found the world of bridesmaid dresses is one that offers a vast array of choice in style, colour, size and price, and that we could provide only a few fleeting glimpses of what is on offer.

We began by looking at a selection for those who wish to go the designer route; Vera Wang is not a name that will be unfamiliar to many, and this superb designer shows her class not just in wedding gear but in the ultimate in couture outfits. The bridesmaid dresses in the Vera Wang range are plentiful, and the three we chose give an idea of the variety and choice available in this wide ranging and very impressive collection, but by no means give the whole picture; take a look for yourself - it is an impressive line.

Next we looked at dresses for the junior bridesmaid, with the young teens and the toddlers to the fore; from the traditional to the more modern and up to date there is plenty to choose from here, also, and when it comes to dresses that can be reused we found a great selection of quality garments that would double as a prom dress!

We chose, also, a selection of inexpensive bridesmaid dresses, as not everyone can afford to go down the designer couture look, and here again there was much in the way of choice and variety from the classic look cocktail dress to the less formal wear, and this very much led us to our final category where we looked at vintage bridesmaid dresses, a selection very much influenced by the glamour and style of the 1950's - a timeless look that is eminently wearable.

Beauty and style come together to present what we hope is a good selection of the best bridesmaid dresses - here's hoping you find the style that you want!